Moldova imposes tougher fines to halt seasonal illegal logging
Environmental inspectors in Moldova uncovered more than 130 cubic metres of illegally felled timber and imposed fines surpassing €7,900 (approx. 160,000 MDL) during the first two weeks of September alone.
Illicit logging cases have continued an upward year-on-year trajectory, intensifying significantly as temperatures drop. Authorities warned that deforestation pressures peak during the autumn and winter heating season, prompting heightened state surveillance.
Severe penalties and tenfold damage assessments
“For illicitly felled trees, environmental damages are now calculated under a revised formula that yields penalties approximately tenfold higher than before,” said Daniel Zugravu, Deputy Head of the Environmental Protection Inspectorate, in an interview on Radio Moldova's “Zi de Zi” programme.
Zugravu explained that escalating commercial timber prices and recurring forestry degradation necessitated harsher disincentives. Administrative fines for individuals were doubled from 2,500 to 5,000 MDL (€124 to €247), applied alongside separate per-tree ecological damage assessments.
“This serves as a decisive deterrent to discourage illicit operations, yet the practice persists,” Zugravu noted.
Critical ecological role of national woodlands
Unlike major timber-exporting nations, Moldova’s forests serve exclusively protective and ecological purposes rather than commercial harvesting. The country's woodlands perform crucial hydrological regulation, carbon capture, and soil erosion prevention.
“Our forests are categorized by functional protection: safeguarding water bodies, stabilizing soils against landslides, and shielding agriculture against industrial and climatic stress,” Zugravu emphasized.
The official stressed that Moldova must steadily expand its forested surface to align with European standards, where woodland coverage typically spans 20% to 30% of national land area, compared to Moldova's modest rate of roughly 11%.
To ensure consumer legality, authorities urged citizens purchasing firewood to demand official fiscal invoices detailing the exact volume, species, and merchant credentials before payment.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
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