Bucharest, 9 July 2026 - The European Court of Auditors is currently auditing the effectiveness of the Natura 2000 network, the protection of primary and old-growth forests and how member states use European funds intended for nature conservation. Romania is among the countries selected for the audit, and Agent Green yesterday submitted an extensive technical memorandum to the Court, based on 17 years of investigations, field monitoring, litigation and reports on the state of protected natural areas.
In the document, Agent Green argues that Romania’s problems are not administrative accidents or isolated cases, but symptoms of systemic shortcomings in governance, planning and the use of European funds. Although Romania has received substantial funding for Natura 2000 and biodiversity, habitat degradation continues even within Natura 2000 sites and primary and old-growth forests, while concrete conservation outcomes remain far below the objectives established by European Union legislation and strategies.
The memorandum highlights shortcomings in the administration of Natura 2000, delays in identifying and protecting primary and old-growth forests, the absence of uniform standards for mapping and monitoring habitats and species, poor implementation of management plans, overlapping institutional responsibilities and conflicts of interest, and the fact that the effectiveness of European funds is rarely assessed against the ecological results achieved.
The document brings together conclusions drawn by Agent Green in numerous reports published over the past 17 years, investigations conducted with European and international organizations and legal actions aimed at protecting Romania’s forests and biodiversity.
“It is not enough to check whether European funds were spent in accordance with procedures. The essential question is whether they succeeded in protecting nature. Unfortunately, in too many cases, the answer is no. If, after almost two decades of European funding, we continue to lose habitats and forests of exceptional value, then the system must be examined in depth,” said Gabriel Păun, president of Agent Green.
Agent Green asks the European Court of Auditors to assess both the administrative compliance of funded projects and the real effectiveness of European investment in biodiversity conservation, and to formulate recommendations that help reform Romania’s system for administering protected natural areas.
The complete memorandum submitted to the European Court of Auditors is available here: Agent Green complaint to the European Court of Auditors on Natura 2000 and EU funds in Romania.
