Forests in Romania: “Illegal logging will increase”

In Romania, huge areas of forest are illegally cut down by the “timber mafia” year after year. Western timber companies and Romanian politicians are also believed to be benefiting from the criminal system.

In the middle of the Romanian state forest, near the village of Moldovitza, there is a huge hole. The trees were felled here on several thousand square meters. It is a clear cut, which according to research by NDR, WDR, SZ and “mirror” should not exist. Because according to official papers from the Romanian forest authority Romsilva, the forest should be cleared to make room for young trees. But in fact there are almost no young trees in this piece of forest for which space should have been made.

The forest scientist and head of the Thünen Institute for Forest Ecosystems, Andreas Bolte, examined the recordings of the clear-cutting. His verdict is clear: “In Germany that would be forbidden.” According to research, a local company called Saniral is responsible for the clear-cutting. The company did not respond to a written request. “It looks like a lot more has been cut down here than the official papers from the forest administration say,” says environmental activist Tiberiu Bosutar. “It’s the same everywhere in Romania.”

Lucrative areas of work for organized crime

Interpol says up to 30 percent of the world’s timber is illegal. Overall, the illegal trade in timber has developed into one of the most lucrative areas of work for organized crime in recent years.

According to official figures, around 20 million cubic meters of wood disappear every year in Romania. That’s more timber than is legally logged. Responsible for the fact that some of Europe’s last primeval forests are being cut down is a system that law enforcement officers and environmental activists call the “timber mafia”: criminal forestry companies that illegally cut down trees on a large scale and then sell the logs to sawmills. Presumably, this often happens with the knowledge of the Romsilva State Forest Service and under the eyes of the local police. At least that’s what several insiders report.

When asked, the Romanian Ministry of the Environment said that several laws had already been tightened to better combat illegal felling. In addition, further legal adjustments and a strengthening of the forest authority are planned.

Calin B. is an insider. According to his own statements, the man in his mid-fifties was himself part of the “timber mafia” for a long time. Today he lives in southern Germany. His statements cannot be verified, but they are consistent with reports from other sources. Calin B. describes the illegal timber industry in Romania as a kind of pyramid scheme in which profits from bribes are systematically passed upwards. Calin was a forester himself. Then his boss said he should open a sawmill himself and cut down the forest that he should take care of.

Calin took part and earned well, he says. He paid several 10,000 euros in bribes a year, including to a member of parliament and a European politician. “I delivered lumber to the chief of police, who had a construction company.” The head of the local forestry office also benefited.

Open secret

The massive corruption in illegal forestry is an open secret in Romania. In the meantime, there are even EU infringement proceedings against Romania in this matter. In the summer of 2022, the Romanian police carried out a large-scale raid against dozens of sawmills, transport and logging companies in the north-east of the country. The investigators also focused on several local politicians. During the campaign, tens of thousands of euros in cash were confiscated from forestry companies.

But how far does this corruption pyramid reach up into the political system? Ilie Covrig is one of the few high-ranking employees of the Romanian forest administration who can answer it from his own experience – and today speaks openly about the system. Corvig has worked for more than half his life in the Romsilva State Forest Service, including as director of an entire forest district. From March to October 2018, Covrig was Secretary of State at the Ministry of the Environment.

In the interview, Covrig says that he was put under pressure by superiors to “solve problems” both as forest director and in his position as state secretary. For example, a politician approached him and demanded that a forest area be converted into building land. “I said it’s not that easy, there are strict rules for that.” The politician’s answer was that he should hurry, there were important interests behind the application.

Romsilva knows all accusations by himself

Covrig quit his job a short time later and is now back at work as Forestry Director for the Mures district in Transylvania. He also experienced massive hostilities in this post, among other things “because he doesn’t bring in enough money for the political parties,” as he says.

Covrig’s opponents apparently meant the transfer of corruption profits from illegal forestry. The state-owned forestry company Romsilva knows all the allegations and when asked, explains that the company takes very strict action against corruption and that it will be punished accordingly. To do this, numerous checks are carried out.

When Covrig stood his ground and refused to give up his post as forest director, a senior official threatened that his case could “have a bloody end.” A look at the statistics shows that such sentences are by no means empty threats. In the period from 2014 to 2019 alone, six foresters were murdered by the “timber mafia” in Romanian forests and many hundreds of attacks on foresters, environmental activists and journalists were registered.

Chipboard, pellets, cheap furniture

The Romanian timber industry itself would only need a fraction of the wood that is currently felled annually in Romania. Most of the demand is generated by international corporations that use the wood to make pressboards, pellets and cheap furniture that also end up on the German market. Some of the large corporations with their own sawmills on site are, for example, the Austrian companies Egger and HS Timber. In the past, they were accused of also processing illegal wood. They always rejected this accusation, also in the case of the clear-cutting by the company Saniral, which at least at that time belonged to an important supplier of the Egger group.

When asked, Egger said that “strict compliance processes have been implemented” and that compliance with them is closely monitored. HS Timber says the company “does not accept illegally logged timber in its supply chain”. To ensure this, a close-meshed compliance system has been developed.

Warning of increase in illegal logging

Environmental activists and politicians warn that illegal logging in Romania could increase significantly this year. Responsible for this is the upcoming super election year 2024 in Romania: In addition to a parliamentary election, three other elections are pending. The Romanian environmental activist Gabriel Paun explains that “historically, illegal logging always increases before the upcoming elections”. In addition, there is often an increase in violence before elections.

“This whole system would not be possible without political backing,” says Romanian politician Nicolae Ştefănuţă, who represents the Liberals in the European Parliament. “We have to assume that illegal money from forestry could also end up in the campaign coffers.”

In this respect, he fears that the upcoming elections could create an incentive to spend even more money. Green MEP Thomas Waitz is also concerned about Romania’s forests. “Some will try to set aside as much money as possible for themselves as quickly as possible. Because a new government means new politically defined positions. Then the system will either be over. Or another political group will give the lucrative posts to their own clientele “.