Silviu Stoica and Madalina Iliuta

The environment protection issue is, nowadays, a major matter concerning Romania. Man’s activity, always oriented towards the turning into account of the natural resources, has steadily affected the state of the environment factors. Enviromnent protection matters are being considered most attentively in Romania, especially consequent to the intense local pollution environment was subject to as a result of intensive industrial and agricultural activities and of the expansion of the populated centres, as well as due to the existence of trans-frontier pollution; all these detrimental factors lead to disturbances within certain ecosystems and to the worsening of the living condition in certain areas.

Within the interval of time after 1989, measures have been taken on all planes – legislative, organizational, institutional and material ones- and a network of specialized stations has been set up for the following up of the environmental factors quality; proper control is being extended by the territorial authorities through the Environment Protection Agencies; investments were made in order to contribute to pollution limitation; Romania has been engaged in the United Nations Programme for the Environment Protection and endeavours to fulfil its duties incumbent upon it as they result from the International Conventions for Environment this country is party of. The Strategy of Preparation prior to Romania’s joining the European Union has also been elaborated.

In Romania, the National Plan for Adoption of the Acquis Communautaire, the National Development Plan, the Strategy of Environment Protection, the National Protection Environmental Action Plan and the National Sustainable Development Strategy are correlated with the sectoral strategies in the field of environment protection, represent documents of reference for the future activity and arguments for the efforts of our country with a view to integration into the European Union.

The fundamental gap between Romania and European Union concerning the environmental standards represents mostly a heritage from the past, the result of a development policy un-correlated with concern for the environment, which has resulted in its degradation.

Currently, Romania faces acute problems concerning air, water and soil pollution, which require large investment amounts in the short and the long term and the participation of both the public and the private sector. Essential measures are needed in the fields of waste management, the improvement of water quality, and the enforcement of integrated pollution prevention and control.

National Development Plan

As required by the National Programme for Accession of Romania into the European Union and the 151/1998 Law on Regional Development Provisions, the National Development Plan of Romania was elaborated in October 1999.

This document correlates and integrates the following:

• Regional Development Plans
• National Plan for Agriculture and Rural Development
• National Plan for Transport
• National Protection Environmental Action Plan
• National Strategy for Development of Human Resources

The regional development of Romania will take into account environmental protection and conservation considerations, the proposed strategy being articulated into the following main directions: improvement of water quality, the reduction of emissions to air (especially Sulfur and Nitrogen dioxides), the re-use of wastes, and landfill disposal.

National Enviromnental Protection Strategy

The objectives of the overall environmental protection strategy are extensively listed within the National Environmental Protection Strategy, latest version adopted in 1999 by the MWFEP, providing a coherent policy in environmental capital investment grouping local authorities and business sector as well.

The specific objectives of the Romanian environmental protection are highly important and provide the conditions for sustainable development for our country.

To set up objectives for the next stages, the following documents have been taken into consideration:

• The governing programs;
• The priorities of the national enviromnental legislation in the context of its approximation to the EU regulations;
• The international conventions ratified by our country;
• The EU framework programme “Towards a sustainable development”;
• The regional action programmes (Lucerne documents, the Danube Programme, the Black Sea Programme);
• The principles and criteria established for priority selection.

The Environmental protection Strategy involves a permanent activity of cooperation with:

• Other European country, and especially with the Danube riparian countries;
• Others ministries;
• Local authorities;
• International bodies;
• Non-governmental organizations;
• The public;
• Professional and employers’ and trade union organizations

The National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP), drawn up in 1995 (latest version 1999), was updated in compliance with the National Plan for the Adoption of the Acquis Communitaire in order to provide a key instrument for setting the measures within the European integration process.

In August 1998, by Governmental Decision, an Inter-Ministerial Committee has come into existence in order to implement the NEAP which requires the integration of environmental policies within those of other sectors (industry, agriculture, transport, physical planning and health).

The Romanian Government is expecting to provide some of the finances for these priority projects, and indeed is in the process of establishing a National Environmental Fund as a co-financing facility. However it will be necessary for international sources of funds to play an important part in their implementation. ISPA is recognised as a key funding source, and all projects selected to apply for ISPA funding are incorporated within the NEAP.

National Sustainable Development Strategy

This strategy was elaborated by a working group establish by a Government Decision and was adopted in 1999.

Romania is in course of implementation Local Agenda 21.

Co-ordination of the LA 21 initiative is responsibility of the National

Steering Committee and Regional Steering Committees, with overall responsibility

given to the National Steering Committee. These bodies was interact with each other

on regular basis, and be responsible for their respective Terms of Reference as

envisaged. The National Steering Committee represent the stakeholders at the national

level, and support the local body in its work, through training, workshops

seminars and information dissemination. In particular the National Steering

Committee explore links with other international bodies an experts in the field, to

support the project.

The Local Steering Committee was made up of local officials, representative

NGOs, and local stakeholders, was in charge of the co-ordination, finances and

the supervision of their local project. They also appoint and supervise experts for

the WGs and for the implementation the envisaged activities at the local level.

Periodically the Local Steering Committee will upgrade LA21 in function of the

Results coming from LAP field implementation.

The central environmental protection authority is Ministry of Waters, Forests and Environmental Protection. The ministry was organized through Governmental Order no.104/1999 in general directorate and directorate, this directorate was organized in departments. In conformity with Working and Structure Regulations of MWFEP, Strategies, Politics and Legislation Directorate, elaborate and putting up-to-date strategies in environmental protection field, waters field and forests field. Exist, also, a consulting unit for environmental strategies and politics who collaborate with SPLD.

MWFEP works through its local Environmental Protection Agencies (EPA)-one in each county (41) and Bucharest- which control the environmental activity in each company and issue the environmental permits and agreements. The Environmental Protection Agencies carry out at territorial level the prerogatives and responsibilities of the central environmental protection authority they are subordinated to and draw up reports on the activities performed throughout the financial year and on the application of the environmental programs.

There are also local authorities affiliated to MWFEP. Through “Romanian Waters” Company and National Forestry Regia.

Ministry of Waters, Forests and Environment Protection coordinate the activity of the Institute of Research and Engineering for Environment, the Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology, the Institute of Marine Research, the Institute of Research for Forests and the Institute for Research “Danube Delta”.

In view of exerting its functions, the central environmental protection authority shall request the necessary informations and dates from ministries, local public administration authorities, natural and legal persons.

The MWFEP is connected through the inter-ministerial working groups with other involved and interested bodies like as the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Transports, the Ministry of Agriculture and Foods, the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection etc. according to their line of activity, which are in charge elaborate the draft of legislative acts, which is going to transpose the environmental acquis communitaire till 01.01.2007 (the date of EU accession for Romania).

Bled, Hotel Park 19 - 22 October 2000, Slovenia