Premium
Small companies operating in Romania's forestry industry could access about 200 million euros in EU funding during the 2021 - 2027 financial period, Minister of Environment, Waters and Forests Costel Alexe announced the day before during a specialist debate organized in the Great Hall of the Transylvania University of Brasov.
The Minister said that access to European funds would come on top of the support provided under the Common Agricultural Policy through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), and that an in principle agreement has been reached with the Ministry of European Funds for about 200 million euros as financial support for small forestry exploitation companies. The amount will be disbursed in grants of 200,000 euros each, and for financing to unfold seamlessly, the Environmental Fund Administration will act as implementing body.
Solutions will also be sought and amounts will be allocated for primary wood processing, forestry tourism and the forestry infrastructure sector.
"We are at a key moment for the future of Romanian forestry. During this period, Romania establishes together with the European partners the structure of investments from European funds in the next financial period. In the period that is about to end, funding for the forestry sector has been insufficient, therefore we are determined to change this and we consider it appropriate for the forestry sector to benefit from a financial allocation of at least 50 percent of the funds available under the National Strategic Plan for Environment and Climate Measures, and at least 30 percent of the investment allocations through the EAFRD," said Alexe.
The Ministry of the Environment explained that, following the examination of the provisions of the draft EU Regulation regarding support through the Common Agricultural Policy in the period 2021 - 2027, several opportunities have been identified for financing the forestry sector through EAFRD funds.
The list of the measures that can be financed through the National Strategic Plan includes, among others: the First Afforestation measure - (continuation of Sub-Measure 8.1 - Support for afforestation/creation of forested areas) aimed at creating forest windbreaks and putting agricultural land under forest; the Forest Environment measure (continuation of Sub-measure 15.1 - Payments for forest and climate commitments); Rendering the forest fund accessible (continuation of Sub-measure 4.3 - Support for infrastructure investments related to the development, modernization and adaptation of the agricultural and forestry sectors); Granting compensations for forest lands included in Natura 2000 sites.
The Forest Environment Measure proposes a new package - the "Greening" or silvo-pastoral measure, allowing meadows (pastures, hayfields) to benefit from the per-area farming support even if they are to a certain extent under forest vegetation.
Other envisaged measures are: Support for forests facing natural constraints, respectively granting compensations for forest areas facing significant natural constraints (per-area payment); Investments in environmentally friendly operating technologies; Restoration of disaster-affected forest stands/increasing the stability of forest stands - financing maintenance works, in the context of climate change.
Minister of Environment, Waters and Forests, Costel Alexe participated on Tuesday in a debate on the identification, development and implementation of financial support mechanisms for the wood industry in the 2021 - 2027 financial period, hosted by Transylvania University of Brasov.
