About 80% of Europe’s preserved primeval forests are located in the Carpathian Mountains of south-eastern Europe.
In the last 20 years, large-scale illegal clear-cutting has increased dramatically in the Romanian and Ukrainian Carpathians; even in regions with virgin forests and in designated protected areas such as national parks and Natura 2000 sites.
Approximately 20 million cubic metres of timber are illegally harvested in Romanian forests every year – more than the amount of legally harvested timber (Source: Romanian National Forestry Agency IFN for the years 2013-2018). Environmental organisations complain of corruption and patchy laws.
The ‘EuroNatur’ nature conservation foundation and the Romanian environmental protection organisation ‘Agent Green’ have joined forces to draw attention to the threats to this unique natural heritage and to enforce better protection regulations.
Pictures of destruction in the Romanian Carpathians. Source: EuroNatur