In Romania, MEPs from the Petitions Committee discussed environmental issues with government officials, local authorities, residents, NGOs and other experts.

To investigate issues raised by several petitioners -illegal logging and the management and protection of the brown bear population- a group of eight MEPs travelled to Bucharest, Sfântu Gheorghe and Suceava in Romania from 15 to 18 May.

They met with Romanian Minister of Environment Mr Barna Tánczos, officials at the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Prosecutor General’s Office, law enforcement officials, petitioners, local authorities, business-owners, farmers’ representatives, and NGOs.

The visit concluded with a press conference at the Mandachi Hotel & SPA in Suceava on 18 May from 9.30 to 10.30 EEST. You can re-watch the press conference here.

MEPs Alexander BERNHUBER (EPP, Austria), Maite PAGAZAURTUNDÚA (Renew, Spain), Andrey SLABAKOV (ECR, Bulgaria), Loránt VINCZE (EPP, Romania), Vlad GHEORGHE (Renew, Romania), Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUȚĂ (Greens/EFA, Romania) and Cristian TERHEŞ (ECR, Romania) also took part in the visit.

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As the visit concluded, Head of the Delegation Yana TOOM (Renew, Estonia) said:

“Romania is home to two-thirds of Europe’s brown bear population, which creates serious challenges from the point of view of monitoring, management and importantly reducing the number of casualties sustained from bear attacks, while at the same time, ensuring the conservation of this protected species in the European Union. Illegal logging is also an extremely problematic issue, with significant economic, financial, social and environmental consequences, which must be addressed through specific, well targeted measures. We listened carefully to all sides, perspectives and often divergent opinions, especially in relation to the management of the brown bear population which revealed the multi-dimensional nature of this challenge, requiring a multi-dimensional response. The illegal logging issue is a very complex problem, directly linked to other forms of crime, such as fraud, tax evasion, money laundering, affecting the national and EU financial interests and for which no tolerance can be shown.

The aim of the delegation I lead is to collect as much information as possible, which I am confident we managed, to establish facts and to seek solutions. We are fully aware of the responsibility we have been entrusted and I would like to convey to all, our commitment to include in the final report of this mission, policy recommendations to address these two important challenges in a constructive manner.

A report will be drafted by the Official Members of the delegation, coordinated by me, as Head of this Delegation, seeking broad ownership of all political groups on its content. The conclusions and recommendations of the draft report will be then presented and voted on in the Committee on Petitions.

I would like to extend our sincere gratitude to all the participants and interlocutors during the past three intensive days. Their views, insights, proposals and comments will be thoroughly examined and taken into consideration by this delegation.”

You can read the full press statement here.