Romanian police levy EUR 1 million fines for illegal flower trade

The Romanian Police gave fines worth RON 4.5 million (almost EUR 1 million) between February 1 and March 9 following a nation-wide inquiry into the legality of flower and decorative flowers trade, according to an official announcement. The month of February and the beginning of March are a peak period in flower trade, with many celebrations marked with the offering flowers, from St. Valentine’s to Martisor on March 1 and Women’s Day on March 8. The street flower retail goes largely unreported. Flowers and decorative plants sold in supermarkets and online flower shops are accounted for but many people rely on street corner sellers to purchase flowers, where they can find a wider variety than in supermarkets. Some 72,000 flowers and 1.7 tons of decorative plants without legal documents were seized in the investigation, which saw 507 controls at 2,110 units, 6,467 individuals and 7,242 cars. The police confiscated 13,726 flowers from intra-community acquisitions, 35,648 imported flowers, 22,822 flowers grown in Romania, 332 ornamental plants and 1,743 kilograms of plants for decorations, with a total value of over RON 207,000 (EUR 46,000). A total of 4,739 policemen took part in this activity. Flowers just a click away: Online flower shops in Romania for all the romantic men out there editor@romania-insider.com