Posted on November, 15 2006

The Orthodox Church is continuing construction within the special conservation area of Ceahlau National Park in northeastern Romania under the guise of adapting a pilgrim house and cells for the monks of Panaghia. Despite ongoing legal proceedings initiated by WWF and the Salvamont Association of Ceahlau, work on the site continues.

The construction undertaken by the Orthodox Metropolitan of Moldova and Bucovina is in contravention of the Law on Protected Areas no. 462/2001, Article 14, which forbids any actions within the perimeter of the protected area that are likely to negatively impact the site. No permission for the project has been given by the Environmental Guard or the Romanian Academy of Science, as required by law.

The Metropolitan has justified the work, in principle, saying that “the manner of life and activities of monks is in conformity with national humanitarian laws and the European Community.”

In the 1990s, the Metropolitan of Moldova and Bucovina received a concession of 1,500 m2 from the mayor of the community of Ceahlau to construct a small monastery in Ceahlau Nature Reserve. In 2004, the Metropolitan claimed that refurbishment of monks’ cells would be strictly limited to the area of the monastery. Ultimately, however, refurbishment of the monks’ cells was transformed into a veritable complex in the heart of the protected area; the technical plan mentions PVC, sandstone, thermopan window panes, concrete foundations and refurbishment of the interior with plaster board.

Consequently, in 2005 the Salvamont Association of Ceahlau initiated a lawsuit against the Metropolitan of Moldova and Bucovina. WWF joined the lawsuit against the Metropolitan in 2006.

Court proceedings initiated in 2005 against the Metropolitan of Moldova and Bucovina by the Salvamont Association of Ceahlau and joined by WWF in 2006 have been significantly delayed. According to law, all construction at the site must stop until the case is decided in court; nevertheless, construction has continued.

Ceahlau National Park in the area of Moldova in northeastern Romania contains mountain ecosystems with very diverse flora and fauna. It is protected under national legislation and is a proposed Natura 2000 site under the EU’s Habitats and Birds Directives. According to the EU laws, which will come into force from the country’s accession to the EU on January 1, 2007, Romania must protect all areas that are likely to become part of the EU’s Natura 2000 network of specially protected sites.

“Unfortunately, illegal construction represents only one of many problems facing the area of Ceahlau, as many others in Romania,” said Erika Stanciu, Head of Carpathians/Forest & Protected Areas for the WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme. “Many companies and state institutions are undertaking illegal activities, often in the name of regional development, yet without following legal procedures.”

The problems with illegal construction, logging and poaching in Ceahlau unfortunately emblematic of problems faced in other parts of the country, including many of Romania’s – and Europe’s – most spectacular natural treasures. Both illegal construction and logging are major problems for example in Romania’s flagship national park Piatra Craiului near Brasov.

WWF is currently running a campaign in Romania to raise public awareness of illegal activities in the nation’s protected areas and to push the government and authorities to undertake systemic changes in order to prevent such cases in future.

Contact:
Luminita Tanasie, Programme Coordinator, Tel: +40 744 163 283, email: ltanasie@wwfdcp.ro; or
Dana Caratas, Communications Officer, Tel: +40 724 522 512, email: dcaratas@wwfdcp.ro.