Protected Areas  Custodians - Nature Guards removed by the Government

Press Release

Federation Coalition Natura 2000 Romania publicly condemns O.U.G. 75/2018, regarding the modification of certain normative acts in the field of environmental protection. As a result of which 530 Protected Areas will remain without custody. This normative act limits the right of civil society to contribute actively to maintaining a healthy environment for the citizens of Romania, as stipulated by the Constitution.

 

The Custodians, in fulfilling the task established by a contract signed with the Ministry of the Environment, to look after the natural and cultural values of Protected Areas, have ensured that projects initiated by third parties have a minimal impact on these areas. By the memorandum of the GEO, the Government, through the institutions that should watch for the protection of the environment and nature, the government blames the custodians for failing or delaying some infrastructure projects. Although levers to correct possible custody mistakes have always been in the hands of the government, it has acted radically and unconstructively, without the right to appeal, to solve a false problem.

 

The Government's decision to abolish custody comes after the conclusion of the National Agency for Natural Protected Areas (ANANP) that, in the overwhelming majority of cases, administrators and custodians comply with their contractual obligations and responsibilities success. 94% of the ANANP ratings are good and very good (276 of the 295 qualifiers awarded). In addition, ANANP's official assessment shows that "vulnerabilities" for Protected Area management outweigh the accountability and feasibility of administrators and require State support. The main pressures identified by ANANP are "the lack of a stable source of funding and the continuous change of legislation" and the pressures "coming from the beneficiaries (investment) regarding the approval of plans/projects" [1].

 

In addition, this normative act brings discriminatory measures to environmental NGOs: removes 60 non-governmental organizations from managing protected areas by abolishing custody. In addition, it no longer allows them to participate in the management of protected areas requiring specially-created management teams. Thus, the normative act denotes that the imposed changes meant not only the administration through custody, but also expressly and discriminatory, the total elimination of non-governmental organizations from the administration of the protected areas.

 

Motivating the urgency and the overnight decision, without any consultation with the affected and interested, as well as substantiating these legislative changes are clear evidence in support of the aforementioned statement: The Government declares that it wants to simplify the process of approving the infrastructure of the project, centralizing the procedure for approving investments in protected areas. Thus, those who have protected the interests of the protected areas have no say in situations where investments, with the greatest profit in the short term, destroy natural values and resources.

 

Protected areas are not an obstacle to development, as some politicians try to persuade, but engines of local and regional development. Maintaining and responsible use of natural and cultural heritage is perhaps the only chance for the healthy development of many areas in our country. But in order for protected areas to be maintained and used to their true potential, it is essential that organizations and other non-governmental actors can actively contribute to their governance with the Government. The intent to centralize the management of protected areas is evident and demonstrated by the Government through the issuance of O.U.G. 75/2018, which the Natura 2000 Coalition will combat in all possible ways.

 

 

July 2018 Natura 2000 Coalition Federation ncksa however this will give me enough time to suty