The First Catalogue of Priority Areas for Biodiversity

/ By / Noutăţi, Păduri, Știri
RO

Romania is taking an important step for nature: the first national Catalogue of Priority Areas for Biodiversity has become a reality.

After years of discussions and negotiations, Romania is the first EU country to operationalise national legislation and make significant efforts towards meeting its contribution to the target of 10% of land under strict protection, as set out in the EU Biodiversity Strategy. The Catalogue does not mean that the European target of 10% strict protection has already been achieved. It does, however, provide a clear starting point and a tool that can be expanded until 2030.

In the first stage of the process towards achieving the first milestone, the study “Identification of Potential Non-intervention/Strict Protection Areas in Terrestrial and Marine Natural Habitats for the Implementation of the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2021-2030” identified and proposed 147,771 hectares for consultation.

These included only strictly protected areas within national and natural parks and the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve that have approved management plans, as well as areas included in the Catalogue of Virgin and Quasi-Virgin Forests which, under the forestry regime, fall within the T1 non-intervention category.

Today, the Catalogue of Priority Areas for Biodiversity includes more than 600,000 hectares, representing approximately 2.5% of Romania’s national territory.

Why does this matter? Because nature protection is not achieved through promises or percentages alone. It begins when valuable areas are identified, the rules become clear and institutions commit to enforcing them. The first Catalogue opens the way. We would have liked Romania to have already reached the 10% target. For now, this is what has been possible in the current socioeconomic and political context. It is an important step, but not the end of the process.

State-owned forests at the heart of the first version of the Catalogue

One of the most important results is the inclusion in the Catalogue of approximately 340,000 hectares of state-owned public forests, with the agreement of Romsilva. This represents more than 10% of the state forests managed by the National Forest Administration.

With this decision, more than one in ten hectares of forest managed by Romsilva enters the network of protected areas where biodiversity conservation must be a priority and where a strict protection regime, as defined by the European Commission guidelines, should apply.

The role of forests is also clear in the overall picture. Approximately 73% of the area included in the Catalogue consists of forests and other wooded land, although these cover less than 35% of Romania’s territory. State-owned forests account for approximately 55% of the Catalogue’s total area and more than 70% of the wooded areas included, although state-owned forests cover less than 14% of the country.

These figures show the scale of the contribution undertaken by Romania’s National Forest Administration.

At the same time, they point to what needs to happen next: the area must continue to grow and form a coherent, representative and functional ecological network at national level. This network should also include other valuable ecosystems wherever data and field assessments demonstrate the need for protection.

In a European context, the approximately 340,000 hectares represent one of the most significant commitments made so far by a public forest administration in European regions comparable to Romania. It is an achievement worth recognising, without mistaking it for the end of the process.

If many of these areas were already part of protected areas, what changes?

A significant proportion of the areas included in the Catalogue are already located within existing protected areas. At first glance, it may seem that nothing has changed. However, the European target of 10% strict protection is part of the broader target of protecting 30% of land and sea. It is therefore natural that many of the most valuable areas for nature are identified within existing protected areas that do not yet have strict protection status.

The key difference is not the name on the map, but the level of protection applied on the ground. A protected area can include zones subject to different rules. Inclusion in the Catalogue should provide the identified natural values with a clear and more demanding protection regime, focused primarily on biodiversity conservation so that, wherever possible, nature can follow its natural course without human interference.

In forests included in the Catalogue, interventions cannot be justified on economic grounds. They may be considered only when strictly necessary to conserve or restore natural values, ensure human safety or prevent disasters. In primary and old-growth forests, natural processes must be allowed to continue without forestry interventions. This is why success will not be measured in hectares alone. It will be measured by the condition of forests and habitats, compliance with the rules and the authorities’ ability to demonstrate that the promised protection is visible on the ground.

When might intervention be necessary?

Strict protection does not mean that every type of intervention is excluded in every situation. In some cases, targeted measures may be necessary to restore a habitat, protect a species or reduce a genuine risk. The essential difference lies in their purpose: intervention is an exception and must strictly serve biodiversity objectives, rather than the economic exploitation of resources.

Where such measures are proposed, they must be thoroughly justified and monitored. It must be clear where intervention takes place, why it is necessary, who approves it and what results are expected. The exceptions are clearly set out in legislation. In the absence of a demonstrated need, nature must be allowed to evolve freely.

This is one of the key tests for the Catalogue. A designation on paper only has value if the public can see that the rules are being respected and that any exception remains strictly linked to biodiversity protection, disaster prevention or human safety.

A beginning that must be taken further

The first Catalogue is not the finish line. It is the beginning of a network that must be completed by 2030 on a scientific basis. The next steps must bring valuable areas that are still missing into the system, improve connectivity between habitats and ensure better representation of aquatic ecosystems, rivers and the forests that protect them, the so-called green-blue corridors, as well as silvopastoral landscapes.

This is why we believe the identification methodology must be reviewed and strengthened on a solid scientific basis, drawing on the experience and lessons learned during this first stage of the process. New proposals must be based on robust information and field verification. Maps and databases are indispensable, but they cannot replace direct knowledge of these places and of the challenges faced by local communities.

Equally important, landowners, managers, local communities, researchers and interested organisations must be able to participate meaningfully in decisions, rather than simply being informed after those decisions have been made.

A fundamental prerequisite

Protecting nature is a public benefit, and its costs cannot be borne exclusively by those who own or manage the land. For the network to endure and expand, Romania needs predictable funding and fair compensation for restrictions undertaken in the public interest.

This is also where the civic dimension of the process comes in. Citizens must be able to understand which areas need protection, why they were selected, what rules apply to them and whether those rules deliver results. Data, maps and decisions must be accessible, and progress must be publicly monitored. Trust is built when commitments can be verified and the state fulfils its obligations by providing fair compensation to landowners.

A lasting designation of Priority Areas for Biodiversity depends on a solid scientific foundation and acceptance by local communities, supported by fair compensation measures.

The real test starts now

The first Catalogue of Priority Areas for Biodiversity sets in motion a process that until now lacked a clear and applicable framework.

This progress deserves recognition: a significant area of state-owned forests is entering a regime focused primarily on biodiversity protection, and Romania now has a foundation on which to build. At the same time, the result must be judged by how protection works on the ground and by the network’s ability to grow sustainably and become functional by 2030.

For each of us, the stakes are greater than a Catalogue or a percentage. They concern how the state protects its natural heritage, or perhaps, more accurately, how society is protected by this natural heritage, how public money is invested and the right of communities to participate in decisions that affect their future.

Romania now has a starting point. The decisive part comes next: turning this commitment into real protection for nature and a lasting commitment to future generations.

Context: WWF’s contribution, from initiating the process to providing technical support

  • WWF supported the establishment of a functioning financial mechanism to compensate landowners and managers and ensure a just transition for affected local communities:

Note: For further details on WWF-Romania’s assessment and the steps we consider necessary to continue the process, please see WWF-Romania’s Position on the National Catalogue of Priority Areas for Biodiversityc (RO).

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