As the European Commission proposed the partial suspension of payments within the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) to Romania, partly because of the country's non-transparent appointment of state company administrators, WWF-Romania calls on the authorities to clearly and transparently present their vision regarding the reform and reorganization of the state forest administration – RNP Romsilva. This should be done within genuine debates in Parliament, so that it aligns with the provisions of the new Forestry Code, which is currently under discussion in the specialized committees of the Chamber of Deputies.
The reform of public enterprises should aim to limit political interference, which has led to a decrease in professionalism, and to create efficient mechanisms to monitor the achievement of appropriate, clear, and ambitious performance indicators. The ultimate goal is to increase the performance of public enterprises within a predictable, evidence-based, and participatory decision-making system.
Given that the reform and reorganization of Romsilva have an impact on the entire society, WWF draws attention to significant deficiencies in the process that has taken place behind closed doors, which need to be addressed.
Firstly, the new Forestry Code must clarify the public service obligations that were, in our view, abusively limited by the Environment Ministry in May without a genuine debate, as had been committed in the National Forest Strategy for 2030 (SNP30) (Objective 11.5). By restricting public service obligations to the provision of forest protection for private property where forestry services are not ensured and the management of purebred horses, it implies that the necessary activities for sustainable forest management fall under commercial activities.
Thus, the administrators of public enterprises will be required to focus on maximizing profits, disregarding the current provisions of the Forestry Code. Furthermore, certain objectives set by SNP30 will not be achievable. This includes DSA3 – Increasing the contribution of the forestry sector to the economic development of rural communities, DSA4 – Enhancing the socio-cultural role of forests, and DSA5 – Forest management that integrates biodiversity conservation.
“A brief overview of the `transparent and participatory` process regarding the setting of performance indicators for the state forest administration speaks for itself. Five days of consultation, conducted during the `holy week` after Easter, generated only one comment, which was related to form rather than substance. This is entirely disproportionate to public interest. This is why it is not surprising that the public service obligations and some of the performance indicators established contradict both the provisions of the current Forestry Code, the new Forestry Code under parliamentary debate, and the objectives of the National Forest Strategy 2030, cited as the legal basis.” – Radu Vlad, manager of forest programs and regional projects at WWF-Romania.
The public interest in non-commercial, environmental or social aspects should take precedence in the management of public forest property. Without alignment with the provisions of the National Forest Strategy 2030 (SNP30), which should be implemented through the new Forestry Code, our country risks being unable to meet these non-commercial yet essential public interest objectives.
The society has legitimate expectations for maintaining and enhancing the ecosystem services provided by forests, as well as for the effective and advanced local use and processing of forest resources from public property. The management of public forests and the use of timber should be conducted in the citizens' interest, as forests are a national asset.
Sustainable forest management is of public interest and should not be replaced by commercial services aimed at maximizing profit rates for a particular company. The goal should be to maximize added value, diversify the local economy, and contribute to the socio-economic development of local communities.
In the absence of a genuinely participatory process, the performance indicators formulated for RNP Romsilva in the letter of expectations will not adequately reflect the obligations arising from implementing the National Forest Strategy (SNP30).