CE calls on Romania to remedy deterioration of water body related to construction of small hydropower plants

The European Commission decided on Thursday to send Romania an additional official letter of delay because it did not correctly implement the Directive establishing a framework for Community water policy (Directive 2000/60/EC) and the Council Directive on the conservation of natural habitats and species of wild fauna and flora (Council Directive 92/43/EEC) on the authorization and construction of small hydropower plants, reads a press release from the European Commission.Both directives focus on ensuring the quality and quantity of water bodies, preventing and combating pollution and protecting fauna and flora.In 2015, the European Commission sent Romania an official letter of delay regarding the authorization and construction of small hydropower projects in alpine watercourses, affecting three Natura 2000 sites and the water bodies involved. Following several meetings with the Commission, the Romanian authorities assumed several commitments, such as: monitoring the projects that are subject to the infringement procedure, reassessing the damage following the authorization and construction of small hydropower projects, adopting a legal framework regarding the ecological flow and areas prohibited, the modification of authorizations, the transposition of the revised Directive on environmental impact assessment, with a coordinated project evaluation procedure based on the Water Framework Directive, and the adoption of a strategic planning (Energy Strategy).The Romanian authorities partially fulfilled their commitments, but failed to modify the authorizations and implement the measures identified to solve the deterioration of one of the previously identified water bodies. Meanwhile, the third management plan of the hydrographic basin, recently adopted, shows the deterioration of the water body in question (Arges spring, Vidraru accumulation and tributaries). In addition, the evidence available from the studies and monitoring carried out confirms that some micro-hydropower plants have been authorized without the appropriate assessment required by the Habitats Directive. Taking into account the deterioration, it is necessary to remedy the situation as soon as possible, the European Commission considers.