ECHR Orders Romania to Return Forests or Pay €61M Compensation

Historic conviction for Romania, as the European Court of Human Rights compelled the Romanian state to return 17,000 hectares of forest in Maramureș to an association in Borșa. Otherwise, it will have to pay damages of over 61 million euros, as well as compensation for 27 other claimants, for whom the violation of property rights was found.

20 years ago, people who owned forests in Maramureș won the right to recover their properties, but this right has not been applied to this day.

The European Court of Human Rights first heard the case two years ago and gave the Romanian state two years to reach an amicable settlement with the forest owners.

After the expiry of this term, the ECHR established that, if Romania does not return the 17,000 hectares of forest, it will have to pay huge compensation, amounting to 61.5 million euros, with the Ministry of Finance to allocate this amount from the state budget. At the same time, the Court established that the compensation must be paid within three months.

If the claimants choose the option of returning the land, the term is 12 months.

In addition to paying compensation for the 17,000 hectares, the Romanian state is obliged by the ECHR to pay compensation for 27 other claimants, for whom the violation of the right to property was found.

The decision is final, but the Romanian state can request its reexamination by the Grand Chamber of the ECHR, but only with regard to the amount of compensation.

The Romanian government requested a re-examination of the case in 2022, after the press reported that members of the Borșa Composesorat Association had used false documents to present themselves as the successors of the old Borșa Composesorat, which was disbanded in 1948 after the establishment of the communist regime.

Despite investigations by the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA), the General Prosecutor’s Office, and the Control Body of the Ministry of Interior, the case has not yielded any concrete results.

BorsacompensationdamagesECHRforestshectaresmaramuresnational anticorruption directorate dnapayRomaniaRomanian state
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