On Friday 30 January, the European Commission decided to refer Romania to the Court of Justice of the European Union for its failure to fulfil its obligations regarding the landfill of waste under the Treaty of Accession of Romania and the Landfill Directive (Directive 1999/31/EC, as amended by Directive 2018/850).
The directive requires Member States to take the necessary measures to close and rehabilitate landfills that have not been granted a permit or that do not meet the operating conditions.
The transitional derogation granted under the Accession Treaty allowed certain landfills to be operated until 16 July 2017.
Romania reported that 92 landfills had been closed and rehabilitated, but that 15 sites were still operating without clear rehabilitation plans. This is why the Commission sent a letter of formal notice to Romania in October 2020, followed by a reasoned opinion in February 2024. Despite some progress, the Romanian authorities have not fully addressed the concerns, as nine sites have still not been rehabilitated. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)