The European Commission has approved, in accordance with EU state aid rules, a € 100 million Romanian scheme to support the regeneration of damaged forests.
The scheme will be funded by the Recovery and Resilience Facility (FRR), following the Commission’s positive assessment of Romania’s Recovery and Resilience Plan and its adoption by the Council. The purpose of the scheme is to support forest owners in making progress with forest regeneration in areas affected by wildfires, adverse weather events, pest infestations and disastrous events.
The support will take the form of direct grants for private and public forest owners, as well as their associations. The scheme will run until 30 June 2026.
The Commission has assessed the measure in accordance with EU State aid rules and in particular with the 2014 State Aid Guidelines for Agriculture and Forestry and in Rural Areas and in accordance with Article 107 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which allows Member States to support the development of certain economic activities under certain conditions.
The Commission has found that the scheme is necessary and appropriate to encourage the regeneration of forests. In addition, the Commission concluded that the scheme is proportionate and will not have undesirable negative effects on competition and trade in the EU.