Environmental rules - Romania

Updated 04.2010

Legal requirements

The Romanian authorities' primary objective in the area of environmental protection is to transpose EU environmental legislation into national legislation and apply it.

To comply with European environmental requirements, Romania has, as of 2008, a new National Strategy for Sustainable Development, 2013-2020-2030.

National Strategy for the Sustainable Development of Romania
Emergency Ordinance on environmental protection

Environmental control

Land development

In Romania, all land development and town planning activities are carried out in accordance with the Law on land development and town planning.

Law on land development and town planning

Waste management

The acquis communautaire in the area of waste management includes 16 legislative instruments, most of which have already been transposed into Romanian law, including:

Government Resolution on waste storage
Legislation on waste management

Chemicals

The European regulations on dangerous chemicals have been transposed into Romanian law by means of a set of legislative measures.

Legislation on dangerous chemicals

Water

The Water Law governs the protection and preservation of water resources in Romania.

Water Law [647 KB]

Protection of the atmosphere

The European directives in the area of air quality have been transposed into national law by means of a series of laws. It is the responsibility of the Agenţia Naţională pentru Protecţia Mediului, ANPM (National Agency for Environmental Protection) to monitor and implement legislation on atmospheric protection.

National Agency for Environmental Protection
Legislation on atmospheric protection

Nuclear protection

In Romania, nuclear protection is governed by the Law on the carrying out, regulation, authorisation and inspection of nuclear activities.

Law on the regulation of nuclear activities

Businesses are free to go beyond the minimum environmental legal requirements at their own initiative.

Sustainability — Romania

Administrative procedures

Declaration procedures

An obligation to submit declarations and make payments to the Fund for the Environment is borne by businesses that:

introduce packaged goods, retail packaging, new or used tyres intended for reuse or chemicals into the national market for the first time;
carry out activities relating to the collection/recovery of ferrous metallic waste;
release pollutants into the atmosphere;
store recoverable waste;
carry out activities involving timber;
manage hunting stocks.

Declarations may be submitted online, by accessing the website of the Fund for the Environment.

Declarations regarding the Fund for the Environment
Management of the Fund for the Environment

All contributions and taxes due must be declared on a monthly basis by the 25th of the following month after the month in which the activities were carried out.

Taxpayers' liabilities towards the Fund for the Environment [47 KB]

Permits and licences

Economic activities that have a significant impact on the environment must be authorised by the National Agency for Environmental Protection (ANPM).

Types of permits.

Environmental approval
Environmental permit for plans and programmes
Environmental authorisation
Integrated environmental authorisation

Details of the documents required to obtain these permits can be accessed on the website of the National Agency for Environmental Protection.

National Agency for Environmental Protection - permits

Land development

To obtain a building permit, a Town Planning Certificate must be obtained in advance. This is issued by the local public authorities in the area where the applicant resides.

Town Planning Certificates are issued within 30 days from the date on which applications for them are submitted.

Local public authorities
Town Planning Certificate - legal requirements [145 KB]

Water

To obtain permits and authorisation for water management works and activities, firms must contact the Administraţia Naţională Apele Române, ANAR (Romanian National Water Administration).

Romanian National Water Administration - permits and authorisations

Nuclear protection

Authorisations and permits for carrying out nuclear activities are issued by the Comisia Naţională pentru Controlul Activităţilor Nucleare, CNCAN (National Commission for Nuclear Activities Control).

Permits for carrying out nuclear activities

Monitoring

The Garda Naţională de Mediu (National Guard for the Environment) monitors the way in which the legal provisions relating to environmental protection are complied with in economic and social activities. It also checks whether money owed to the Fund for the Environment has been paid.

National Guard for the Environment

Nuclear protection

The National Commission for Nuclear Activities Control (CNCAN) exercises nuclear control responsibilities.

National Commission for Nuclear Activities Control (CNCAN)

Programmes

ETAP - Environmental Technologies Action Plan promotes the use of environmental technologies in various sectors of the economy and leads to a reduction in production costs, resource and energy consumption, and emissions and waste.

Companies that are interested in environmental technologies in the context of ETAP should contact the Ministry of Environment and Forests.

ETAP (Environmental Technologies Action Plan)
Ministry of the Environment and Forests

Check also the legislation on this topic in:

Environmental rules - Romania