The European Commission has approved a €500 million (£429m) scheme in Romania aimed at supporting the growth of new forest areas.

The scheme, which will be funded through the Recovery and Resilience Facility until 30th June 2026, is aimed at supporting owners of agricultural land suitable for afforestation to establish new forest areas that will generate a positive climatic impact in the long term.

Private and public owners of land, including municipalities as well as their associations, will be provided grants to establish forest areas of at least 0.5ha or forest belts, i.e. rows of trees and shrubs to protect agricultural land from wind erosion and drought, of an area of at least 0.1ha.

The afforestation must be carried out in compliance with a project plan approved by the Romanian Forest Guard, detailing the species of trees and shrubs to be planned, as well as the density of the plantations.

The scheme is part of the Romanian Government’s strategy to ensure the protection of forests and biodiversity.

Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President in charge of competition policy, said: “The €500 million scheme approved today will enable Romania to establish new forest areas. These forests will contribute to the prevention of erosion and floods, help cleaning the air and combatting climate change. The measure will not only contribute to EU Green Deal objectives but also support the economic development of rural areas in Romania.”

Article source: https://www.energylivenews.com/2022/06/22/romania-granted-eu-approval-for-e500m-forestry-scheme/