Romania Classifies Illegal Logging as Security Threat

Romania is more affected by illegal logging than any other country in Europe | Photo: BIRN

Romania has toughened its legislation in order to protect its natural resources by defining illegal logging - but also any action "which endangers the country's water, forests and land" as a threat to national security. 

The law, which was adopted late last year by parliament, was signed into force on Monday by President Klaus Iohannis.

Illegal logging has been affecting Romania for years, but the problem became so bad that thousands of people took to the streets in protest last May, forcing the government to declare a national emergency.

As a result, the Forest Law was changed, increasing penalties for illegally chopping down trees five-fold.

Romania is more affected by illegal logging than any other country in Europe. Some 80 million cubic metres of wood have been illegally chopped down over the past 20 years, resulting in a loss of five billion euro to the country, according to official data.

A report released in April 2015 by the US branch of the Environmental Investigation Agency, EIA, said that even the biggest wood product companies were involved in illegal logging.

The EIA presented hidden camera footage that it says showed officials from Austria's Holzindustrie Schweighofer, which dominates the forestry sector in Romania, agreeing to a possible purchase of illegally harvested timber and even promising bonuses to the seller.

The Austrian company has denied the charges and said that it respects Romania's laws and will launch an internal investigation into the claims.

Romania still has around 6.4 million hectares of forest and 120,000 people employed in the forestry sector.