Open Letter
To Governmental Decision Makers in Romania and Responsible Authorities in Austria,
Stop forest degradation in Romania – an appeal to put interests of local communities and nature first
For centuries, forests have belonged to Romania´s treasures, nurturing wildlife, cleaning air and water, providing heat and construction material, as well as income and jobs to local communities. Many Europeans envy Romanians for their vast remaining old growth forests. However, as we speak, illegal logging and exploitative forms of management are threating this extremely valuable resource base, despite good EU and national laws in place and strong public support for preserving Romania´s forests. What is happening?
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Forest degradation through illegal logging has been declared “a threat to national security” – no other European country takes forest protection that seriously! Consequently, the Forest Guard was recently founded, a well-resourced institution tasked with guiding the operators and counteracting unlawful activities. However, it cannot take up properly its work because the Romanian Parliament is blocking the related Forestry Contraventions Law.
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Romania has been experiencing an intolerable political interference in forest management and control structures over the last 20 years, each party imposing its favorite individuals when taking over power. Clientelism and putting party over public interests has resulted in weakening the forestry authorities, a low level of professionalism in administration and shallow governmental programmes for the forest sector.
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Romania´s last Forest Strategy expired in 2011 and since then, there is no clear vision for guiding decisions. Successes and best practices are often ignored and disinformation based on rushed or tendentious evaluations, has led to a general confusion as to what is legal or illegal.
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The EU Timber Regulation, which came into force in 2013, aims to prevent illegally harvested timber being placed on the EU market. However, Romania is still facing an infringement procedure on the Regulation because it has not yet adopted a full system of proportionate and dissuasive penalties applicable to infringements of the provisions of this EU Regulation. Moreover, Competent Authorities shy away from cooperating across national borders as they are required by law.
Romania is by far not the only bad boy of the EU. Other countries have clear deficits in the national implementation of the EU Timber Regulation. For example, Austria´s sanctions are not dissuasive enough either. Though NGOs across Europe provide hints on imports and trading of illegal wood, the competent authorities are obviously reluctant to issue proportionate sentences, so that the USA with its stringently applied Lacey Act shows the way. Also, ministries and competent authorities in EU Member States refrain from following up cases. WWF fears that illegal timber is still entering the market and is being traded within the EU.
Recently some of these deficits could be seen in the case of the Austrian timber company Schweighofer operating on the Romanian market and trading with the EU and beyond. The company cannot prove a consistent policy of sustaining responsible forest management. There is actually ample indication that it supported illegal logging in Romania, it consequently lost the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certificate and saw its license suspended. Instead of supporting and collaboration with Romanian authorities towards combating illegal logging, seems we are watching the opposite:
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The Austrian Ambassador to Romania stated serenely during a televised interview in Bucharest concerning the controversial activities of Holzindustrie Schweighofer: “don’t worry, the trees grow again, and they do”. He also praised „the very elaborate check and control system” deployed by Holzindustrie Schweighofer. (See the FSC certificate suspended for both the HS company and the certification body that issued the certificate)
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Already two years ago, the Austrian ambassador to Romania demanded a meeting by the Romanian government with Mr. Gerald Schweighofer as his company did not support the new forest law which was supposed to bring a better balance between economic demands and ecological needs.
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Following complaints submitted in Austria from environmental organizations regarding a violation of the EU Timber Regulation, the Austrian competent authorities concluded that in the case of Holzindustrie Schweighofer Austria has nodirect responsibility to act.. Instead they encouraged WWF to further follow the case. This contradicts with our understanding of the EUTRs principle Art 12 that national competent authorities are urged to cooperate to cease illegal looging.
Call for action
In the face of growing demand for wood in Europe and globally, sustainable management of Romania´s forests is a growing challenge that needs proper and informed support from decision makers in Parliament and the Government. However, while politicians pay ample lip service to the cause of decreasing or even stopping illegal logging, there is neither a vision no action programme as prerequisite for raising the necessary funds.
We, WWF-Romania and WWF-Austria, herewith appeal to the ministries, the political parties and the members of parliament of our countries to start constructive cooperation, efficiently transpose the principles of the EU Timber Regulation, and implement the European forestry strategy. We also call on the diplomatic envoys to take efforts in acquiring balanced views and not to defend solely the business interests of their countries. In light of recent events in Europe and for the benefit of Romania´s iconic forests, the message needs to be clear and strong: only cooperation across borders and the proper involvement of all stakeholders in decision making lead to tangible benefits for society at large, local communities and nature.
For more information please contact WWF:
Radu Vlad – Forests Program Manager, email: [email protected], tel: 0741 148 124
Costel Bucur – Regional Head of Protected Areas and Forests, email: [email protected], tel: 0727 227 223
Magor Csibi – Director WWF Romania, email: [email protected], tel: 0730 098 722