Romania’s Minister of Environment, Water and Forests has notified the Prosecutor of the Supreme Court about irregularities found during an inspection at the Austrian company Holzindustrie Schweighofer and other timber producers.

Between May 7 and June 12, the Environment Ministry carried out inspections at the Holzindustrie Schweighofer’ factories in Sebes and Radauti, and at the headquarters of the company’s main timber suppliers. The inspections came after an international environmental organization presented evidence that the group was encouraging illegal forest cutting in Romania.

The inspectors found that the group worked with several companies that supplied timber without legal forms that may have come from illegal logging, according to an announcement by the ministry. The ministry sent its inspection reports to the prosecutors so that they would investigate the situation.

Holzindustrie Schweighofer is the biggest timber producer in Romania. The company had a turnover of EUR 447 million and a net profit of EUR 66 million, in 2014. It employed over 1,800 people.

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editor@romania-insider.com