The Bucharest-Ilfov Green Belt project took a major step forward on Thursday, October 31, when the planting of the first 15,000 trees began on an area of 3.5 hectares. Moreover, at the same time, the initiators drafted and submitted to Parliament several amendments to the new Forestry Code bill aimed at extending the concept nationwide.  

Creating a green belt around Bucharest by safeguarding the existing forests and planting new trees is the initiative of the Together for the Green Belt/Împreună pentru Centura Verde civic platform founded by high-altitude climber and conservationist Alex Găvan and backed by NGOs, civic groups, public figures, and leaders across the political spectrum.

On October 31, a tree planting action took place in Bragadiru, Cernica, and Brănești in the presence of Alex Găvan, prime minister Marcel Ciolacu, and transport minister Sorin Grindeanu. A total of 15,000 trees such as oak, ash, linden, and other species (depending on the location) will be planted in the coming days on 3.5 hectares of land made available by the Ministry of the Environment through Romsilva and the Ministry of Transport through CNAIR. 

"Green belts are made real by those who work for them, in the service of people and the service of nature. Without a healthy nature, we, too, cannot be healthy. Planting the first saplings in the capital's green belt and submitting amendments to the Chamber of Deputies for green belt legislation at the national level with co-authors from across the political spectrum is a moment we have dreamed of since 2017, now a reality," Găvan stated.

In his turn, prime minister Ciolacu said Thursday's tree planting is just the beginning: "All the more so since, after the adoption of the amendments made together to the Forestry Code, each city in Romania will have the legal basis for the creation of green belts." 

Encouraged by the decision of presidential candidates Marcel Ciolacu (Social Democrat) and Nicolae Ciucă (Liberal) to add the creation of green belts around cities in Romania to their electoral programs for the upcoming elections, the Together for the Green Belt platform drafted and submitted to the Chamber of Deputies the amendments to the new Forestry Code intended to legislate green belts at the national level. The changes have the support of the Ministry of Environment and co-authors from almost all political parties, including PNL, PSD, UDMR, and USR.

The Forestry Code bill passed the Senate in the spring and moved to the Chamber of Deputies for the final vote. The Chamber's expert committees will start debates on the new legislation in early November and then send it to the plenary session for the MPs' decisive vote.  

To become law, once it passes both chambers of the Parliament, the legislative proposal also has to be signed by the president. 

The Together for the Green Belt civic platform was initiated amid the worrying pollution in Bucharest and other cities in Romania and the concerning cutting of forests around the capital and other peri-urban areas. The platform gathers under its umbrella, in an apolitical approach, the support of more than 150 non-governmental organizations, civic groups, and public persons, and benefits from the support of the Presidential Administration.

As its initiators say, the platform is a public health project with a strong social, climate change mitigation, and anti-pollution component, which also involves environmental actions. Details are available here (in Romanian).

Last week also saw the first meeting of the working group aimed at putting into practice the political and administrative commitment achieved by signing the Memorandum for Clean Air, Health and Future by the presidents of the main political parties, the prime minister, the minister of the environment, the mayor of Bucharest, and the president of Ilfov County Council. The event kicked off the creation of the operational plan for implementing the green belt of Bucharest.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Inquam Photos / Ovidiu Micsik)