Update: In an official statement, the Greenfield Băneasa Federation said it has contested the decision by Romsilva to unilaterally terminate the contract allowing residents access via a road in Băneasa Forest, calling the move “abusive” and "unjustified." The organization said it has already responded through legal representatives, arguing that the notification was issued by an entity that is not a direct party to the contract, which was signed with the Ilfov Forestry Directorate. 

Representatives of the federation, which speaks for a community of over 6,000 residents, said the agreement remains in force and that access to the road continues under its provisions. They warned that canceling the contract could create traffic disruptions in the area or lead to discriminatory access, claiming that two other parts of the forest road that have been used by the general public would also be closed.

The organization added it is prepared to pursue further legal action to defend its rights if necessary.

Initial story: Romsilva closed for car traffic the road through Baneasa forest used intermittently by residents of the Greenfield residential complex, who otherwise have only a narrow road to exit their residential area, as the developer delays the construction of the promised access to the belt road. 

The state forest management company Romsilva decided to scrap the lease agreement with the residents of Greenfield, arguing that the loss of image exceeds by far the value of compensation. 

The use of the forest road for civilian traffic, initially designed to be only for technical works by Romsilva, is only a part of a broader series of aggression against the Baneasa forest. 

At the beginning of April, Romsilva notified the Greenfield Federation – which represents the residents of the neighbourhood – regarding the unilateral termination of the toll contract that allowed car traffic on the forest road in the Băneasa forest, Mediafax reported.

"In an attempt to justify the legality of the contract, as well as its opportunity, in relation to the economic efficiency for the benefit of the company and the social interest of the community in the Greenfield neighborhood, Romsilva ended up becoming the target of attacks, slander, and tendentious manifestations proliferated on all public communication channels, which led to the creation of enormous image damage for Romsilva," said General Manager Jean Vișan.

Romania Curata NGO in March 2025, through its editorial coordinator Mihai Goțiu, has signed, along with dozens of civic organisations, an open letter requesting the urgent halt to the opening of forest roads to car traffic in the Băneasa Forest. The letter was issued after Avenor Foundation, with a school in the residential complex, announced the opening of the road for civil traffic following an agreement reached between Romsilva and Greenfield Băneasa Federation.

This is a violation of the law and would create a dangerous precedent by maliciously interpreting the Forest Code, contravening the functions and social and health-giving role of the forest, Romania Curata claimed. “It would also increase the risk that forest roads in the country will be opened to vehicle traffic, as the Forest Code is intended to protect forests from degradation through fragmentation and prohibits, in its spirit and text, motorised access resulting from such interpretations made under various pressures.”

iulian@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Bucharest Natural Park Association)