EC Approves EUR 500 Million Afforestation Program for Romania

The European Commission has approved a EUR 500 million afforestation program for Romania.

Private and governmental landowners with suitable afforestation plots are eligible for payments under a EUR 500 million programme funded entirely by the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), which the European Commission has already authorized.

The EUR 500 mln scheme approved today will allow Romania to create new forested areas. These forests will help prevent erosion and flooding, clean the air and combat climate change. The measure will not only contribute to the objectives of the EU Green Pact but will also support the economic development of rural areas in Romania.

Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice President

Afforestation is the process of establishing a forest in an area where there was previously no vegetation. At least 0.5 ha of compact forest bodies or 0.1 ha of forest strips encircling arable land to conserve it should be included in the plots of land devoted to the program.

Finally, afforestation must follow a project plan certified by the Romanian Forest Guard, which specifies the tree and shrub species to be planted, as well as the density of plants.

Despite how impressive this may appear, afforestation operations are useless unless the Romanian government takes action against illicit loggers. Despite all these investments from the European Union, the forests in Romania are cut down, and this is the main problem, not the lack of funds.