Romania could have special agency tasked with investigating environmental crimes

Opposition party Save Romania Union (USR) submitted to the Chamber of Deputies a project aimed at establishing a new agency that would be tasked with investigating environmental crimes in Romania.

The Directorate for the Investigation of Environmental Crimes would operate as a structure within the Prosecutor's Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice (ICCJ) and would be headed by a chief prosecutor, local Hotnews.ro reported.

The new Directorate’s team would include police officers that would be in charge of detecting and investigating environmental crimes, as well as specialists in computer science, forestry, water quality, air quality, soil quality, waste management, industrial emissions, and other areas related to environmental protection.

USR said this would be a “DNA for forests.” DNA – the National Anticorruption Directorate, which is tasked with investigating and prosecuting corruption-related offenses, became quite popular in Romania in recent years, after it sent several top politicians to court for acts of corruption.

The project signed by several USR MPs has been submitted to the Chamber of Deputies and will be debated in emergency procedure.

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