(CLUJ/BUCHAREST/BASEL) On 18 December 2025, in a first-instance ruling, the Bucharest Court of Law decided to put a halt to nature destruction in the Făget area south of Cluj.
The Natura 2000 protected area “Făgetul Clujului – Valea Morii” (1’686 hectares) and the adjacent area proposed for protection “Făget Sud – Colonia Făget” (822 hectares) are covered by biodiversity rich forests, pastures and wetlands. These natural habitats, home to rare plant species and critically endangered butterflies, are under threat from multiple real estate and road construction projects – some of which have already begun. This situation was brought about by an Urban Master Plan adopted in 2023 through a web of corruption and in violation of numerous national and EU laws – notably lacking both an environmental assessment and meaningful public participation. The Master Plan extended the built-in area of Ciurila Commune with 400 hectares up to the very limit of the existing protected area and over the yet unprotected forests, pastures and wetlands.
The Bucharest Court of Law annulled the Ciurila Urban Master Plan and ordered the suspension of its effects until the case is finally resolved. As a result, all urban planning certificates that would have allowed further construction to begin, including in the core areas, have been invalidated. With this decision, the Court stated there is no valid legal basis for the planned construction of a new highway exit and a residential area of several hundred houses.
The environmental activist Alina Chiriac, who has faced serious threats, harassment, and penalization due to her civic engagement, stated: “Environmental Protection Agencies in Romania have routinely issued authorisations for urban planning acts without carrying out environmental assessments, in clear violation of EU and national law. For the first time, I believe, a court has taken a firm stand explicitly recognising that such practices are unlawful and harmful to nature, and they must stop.
After the court victory, the Romanian environmentalist envisages a formal designation of the “Făget Sud – Colonia Făget” as a protected area: “With the Ciurila Urban Master Plan annulled, all scientific, legal and procedural conditions for designation are met. Yet the Ministry of Environment continues to unjustifiably delay the process, repeating the same pattern of disregard for environmental law that led to the court decision.”
The court ruling is unprecedented and has sent shockwaves through the ranks of so-called “real estate sharks” in Romania, demonstrating that standing up to corruption – against all odds – can and must succeed.
More information:
- Court Ruling (inofficial translation)
- Civil Society Open Letter to the Romanian Ministry of Environment, Water and Forests