The 400 days of technocratic governance meant a year of paralysis to the Romanian people and a losing year to Romania as far as the environment was concerned, Environmental Minister Gratiela Gavrilescu told a meeting on Tuesday that took stock of her activity in office.

"When I took office in 2017, I told you I am surprised and appalled to find the situation I left behind at the end of 2015 and that 2016 was a losing year, not only to me, the one who took over as the environmental minister, but to the Romanian people as well. I believe that this is the eleventh hour. We feel the effects of climate change every day and we need to find the right measures to live in a clean and healthy environment. There were 400 days of irresponsible technocratic governance, which did not look closely to what the management of protected areas mean or budgeted for air quality monitoring stations, or found other themes to take up European funds; we can say that it was the year of paralysis to the Romanian people," said Gavrilescu.

She added that since she took over her the second term in office in 2017, the National Waste Management Plan has been adopted, and a packaging waste management ordinance also passed.

"When I took over office, and I promised to do everything that humanly depends on me, as a manager. That is why I promised that Romania will have a national waste management plan in 2017. In 2017, the government passed it. Afterwards, we started another hard work that we did not do ourselves only, but all the decision-makers to implement this national plan. Three weeks ago, we adopted Government Ordinance 74 on packaging waste management. That is the beginning to restart the engines for the recycling industry, and we have attached value to waste. Waste is elevated to a resource this time. In the period immediately ahead, we will have to explain in 12 regional meetings that the Ministry of Environment will hold what the pay-as-you-throw instrument means, which will come into force on January 1, 2019. It means that, from our own household, we will take care of how to protect the natural resource. Through the recyclable packaging deposit return system, 0.5 lei/kg will be paid. We must, in the period immediately ahead, by January 1, 2019, try to learn to selectively collect and value waste. We have adopted Law 87 banning thin plastic bags. These are prohibited from July 1, 2018 and from January 1, 2019, thin plastic bags will no longer be sold. The vast majority of traders have understood this and have already introduced cornstarch bags. We must stimulate the industry," said Gavrilescu.

She added that Romania must pass a law on contaminated sites, which will enter Parliament in the September session.

"In 2018, the Ministry of the Environment has submitted to the government a memorandum that closes 15 non-compliant landfills. We have also identified funding for this, and in the coming period we will publish this project for public consultation. The Ministry of the Environment is launching a project to identify these sites. At the same time, we found European funds to simplify and systematise waste legislation," said the minister.

Regarding air quality, Gavrilescu said that the government contemplates notifying the European Commission (EC) before October on the adoption of integrated air quality plans for the cities of Iasi and Brasov.

"Romania is the subject of three infringement procedures on three large urban areas. Bucharest has already adopted an integrated air quality plan last month, and we have notified the European Commission. We hope to do the same for Iasi and Brasov, so that we may notify the European Commission before October. The Ministry of Environment will apply for funds under operational programme large infrastructure to redesign a project on the national network of air quality monitoring stations. We hope that by the end of October we can submit it. We have money - 18 million euros - and we will get it all. We want the air quality monitoring network to be a modern one and provide us with the right information," the official said.

As future projects Gavrilescu mentioned a programme for used home appliances intended for both individuals and legal persons.

"This week I will sign the financing of 20 million lei for this programme. We will meet in the next period with all manufacturers of electronics and home appliances and then we will announce all the green bonuses we will provide under this programme. The programme will not be for individuals only, but also for public bodies. In the basement of public bodies we will certainly find very old appliances. The voucher cannot be used to buy a product other than the one you writes off," said Gavrilescu.

In addition, funding guides are expected to be published in the Official Journal for a 20-million-euro programme on electric vehicle charging stations, and also for a 100-million-euro programme to reduce pollution. At the same time, a funding guide for a joint programme with the Ministry of Energy, under which the Romanians living in deprived areas can use electricity with help of photovoltaic cells. AGERPRES (RO - author: Daniel Badea, editor: Andreea Marinescu; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Adina Panaitescu)