The European Commission (EC) on Wednesday decided to send a reasoned opinion to Romania for failing to comply with the Habitats Directive (Directive 92/43/EEC), according to a press statement released by the commission.Under the Habitats Directive, member states must propose sites of community importance, which will become part of the EU-wide Natura 2000 network. After a site has been endorsed by the European Commission, the member state has six years to designate it as a Special Area of Conservation and to establish conservation objectives and measures that will maintain or restore the protected species and habitats to a favourable conservation status.These are key requirements to manage the Natura 2000 network and to protect biodiversity across the EU. On 2 July 2020, the European Commission sent a letter of formal notice to Romania for failing to designate 382 sites of community importance as Special Areas of Conservation.The commission also found that Romania failed to set site-specific detailed conservation objectives for these sites. Since then, Romania has designated 213 Special Areas of Conservation, while 169 sites remain undesignated. Additionally, 16 sites do not have site-specific conservation objectives, and 208 sites have incomplete site-specific conservation objectives.Also, the conservation measures for 10 sites are too general to ensure an adequate protection of the habitats and species for which these have been designated.Therefore, the commission has decided to issue a reasoned opinion to Romania, which now has two months to respond and take the necessary measures. Otherwise, the Commission may decide to refer the case to the Court of Justice of the European Union.
The government has officially included green belts in its 2025-2028 governing program, marking a significant step forward in the country's environmental policies, the Împreună pentru Centura Verde/Together for the Green Belt civic platform announced, further stressing the need for real progress. Its representatives have been advocating for the national adoption of green belts as a […]
The well-known bookstore chain Cărturești is set to open Romania’s largest bookstore as part of an innovative edutainment concept within the expansive RIVUS project in Cluj-Napoca. The new store, spanning 2,500 square meters over two floors, will combine a broad selection of books in Romanian, Hungarian, and English with stationery, home décor, toys, and gifts, […]
The last 18 km of the A0 southern half-ring, which circles the lower part of Bucharest, were officially opened for traffic on Monday, June 30. Authorities are hopeful that it will lead to less congestion in the city. By opening this lot, drivers will be able to completely avoid Bucharest’s Ring Road, a single-lane-per-direction road […]
Romanian prosecutors have dismantled a criminal network that helped Russians, Ukrainians, and Moldovans obtain Romanian ID cards with the help of state employees. The group secured ID cards for seven thousand foreigners over the last two years, according to investigators. The perpetrators would establish fictitious residences in Romania with the help of employees from the […]
According to a new survey conducted between June 20 and 26, six out of ten Romanians believe the country is heading in the wrong direction. The poll, conducted by INSCOP Research at the request of Informat.ro in partnership with the Strategic Thinking Group, also revealed that roughly a third of respondents...
In celebration of the Summer Solstice, JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel hosted a signature Garden Party at Olea, as part of a global series of events inspired by the JW Garden and rooted in the spirit of each unique location. This marked the second garden gathering at Olea, following last year’s celebration of JW Marriott’s […]
