Constitutional Court to Decide Monday on Fate of Biodiversity Law, Contested by AUR. Stakes: Nearly a Billion Euros from PNRR

Romania's Constitutional Court (CCR) is set to rule on Monday regarding the biodiversity law, which has been challenged by the AUR party. The decision carries significant weight for both the country's environmental policy and its access to European funds.

The national strategy for biodiversity conservation for 2026-2030, a key component of the PNRR, has a financial stake of approximately 972 million euros. The court had postponed its ruling from August 12 to August 17. The AUR party lodged its challenge with the CCR shortly after the bill passed through Parliament, where it was approved in the Chamber of Deputies with 177 votes for and 79 against, and in the Senate with 79 votes in favor and 27 against.

The law approves the national strategy and action plan for biodiversity conservation for the 2026-2030 period. Its objectives include conserving and restoring ecosystems, protecting endangered species, promoting sustainable biodiversity use, and strengthening the capacity of managing institutions. The adopted strategy also aims to consolidate and expand the national network of protected areas, aligning with European and global targets of 30% for protected areas and 10% for strict protection.

The bill's importance is amplified by its status as milestone 31 in the PNRR. The government had estimated that failing to meet this commitment could result in a penalty of 972,455,220 euros. AUR opposed the bill in Parliament, arguing that the government improperly transferred a strategy initially adopted at the executive level to Parliament, which they deemed a violation of institutional boundaries. PSD introduced several amendments, which the interim Minister of Environment, Diana Buzoianu, warned could jeopardize Romania's commitments to the European Commission and the PNRR funds. USR echoed these concerns, accusing PSD's amendments of risking the nearly billion-euro milestone.