Environmental advocacy group urges Transport Minister to prohibit automobile access in Bucharest's Băneasa Forest

In a recent development, a civic platform backed by over 150 NGOs, civic groups, and public figures is urging the Romanian environment ministry, forestry authorities, and Romsilva to enforce the law and ensure integrated management of all forests in the capital and the surrounding county. The focus of this call is on Bucharest's Băneasa Forest, a core part of the future Bucharest-Ilfov Green Belt.

The platform argues that the recent opening of a forest road to cars in Băneasa Forest violates the country's Forestry Code. This decision, they claim, shifts costs from the private developer of the nearby Greenfield residential district onto Bucharest's residents.

Conservationist Alex Găvan, founder of the Together for the Green Belt civic platform, emphasises the importance of preserving the integrity of Băneasa Forest, which should be a priority for the environment minister, Diana Buzoianu. Găvan also highlights that Băneasa Forest must remain a public good and a natural space free from car traffic, a view shared by Ciprian Gălusca, executive director of the Green Belt Foundation.

Buzoianu, who recently announced her intention to begin procedures to designate Băneasa Forest as a fully protected natural area, has referred to the forest as a "national treasure" and stated that it must be preserved for future generations. The Green Belt initiative, included in the governing program as a long-term national project, aims to maintain Băneasa Forest as a car-free zone, central to the broader project of creating urban green belts across Romania.

Commercial logging in the Ilfov section of the forest is banned, and similar protections will extend to the Bucharest side by the end of 2026. Buzoianu plans to host a debate with civil society, citizens, and representatives of Bucharest City Hall, District 1, and Ilfov County Council on September 5 to outline the protection plan.

The initiative to protect Băneasa Forest in Bucharest was started by the NGO "Save the Forest" and became particularly known in connection with the Greenfield project around 2019. In late August, over 40 non-governmental organizations, civic groups, and the Bucharest Environmental Platform issued an open letter urging the Ministry of Environment to block plans for opening forest roads in Băneasa Forest for vehicles.

The Împreună pentru Centura Verde/Together for the Green Belt civic platform is calling for an immediate halt to car traffic in Bucharest's Băneasa Forest, a call that resonates with many in the fight to preserve this vital green space for future generations.

Environmental advocacy group urges Transport Minister to prohibit automobile access in Bucharest's Băneasa Forest