Party for the Animals calls on the EU to protect the last old-growth forests in Europe
Europe has to do more to protect its last old-growth forests and foresters working there. The Party for the Animals’ MEP Anja Hazekamp called for this on the European Parliament last week.
MEP Anja Hazekamp.
Foresters and conservationists are doing their utmost to protect the last old-growth forests, which are largely situated in Romania. But they continue to be confronted with threats by the timber mafia. This year, two foresters were killed at places where illegal logging was happening. Romanian unions have reported that more than 650 acts of violence against foresters have occurred in recent years. “The Romanian authorities have to do more to protect foresters and activists.” Hazekamp stressed: “European nature conservation legislation is not worth the paper it is written on if people who are trying to protect Europe's last old-growth forests are threatened and killed.”
The MEP further said that it is ‘unacceptable’ that Romanian authorities manipulated the official numbers of illegal logging in Romania. She demanded action at EU level during the debate with the European Commission: “What is Europe going to do to better protect these nature conservation areas, foresters and activists against the timber mafia?", according to Hazekamp.