Assessment of Ecosystems and Ecosystem Services in Romanian

24
Po li cy
sec tor
En er gy
Na tural
Resource
Eco system
Typo
lo gy
(MAES
Le vel 2)
ALL –
including
urban
and
except
ocean
Conceptual Integration
The main purpose of the 2011-2020 Energy
Strategy for Romania is to produce energy
based on the need to ensure security of
energy provision, sustainable development
and competitiveness by focusing on improving
energy efficiency and promoting renewable
energy sources.
Also, one of the fourteen strategic objectives
is to reduce the negative impact of the
energy sector on the environment; however,
the Strategy does not foresee measures to
prevent, reduce, compensate for such effects.
Furthermore, the Strategy does not foresee
a developmet plan for the different types
of infrastructure necessary for the different
types of renewable energy (e.g. small hydropower,
wind, etc.) but only some general
guidelines, which limits the possibility to
correctly assess the environmental impact
on ecosystems. Measures to reduce negative
impact or conservation measures associated
with infrastructure development, including
indicators, are described in the Environmental
Report resulting from the SEA of the Strategy
and have been included in the Environmental
Notification. It has been noted that indicators
for conservation measures are not correctly
associated.
In the Strategy there is no reference to
ecosystem services potentially affected by
the development of the energy sector. Also,
the Strategy does not integrate other national
strategies and plans such as the biodiverstiy
conservation strategy. Reference is made
to European objectives on the reduction of
Green House Gases (GHG) under the Climate
Change Strategy but without a development
plan for the energy sector it is not possible
to quantify the contribution of the Strategy at
European or global levels.
Information on ecosystems capacity to deliver
goods and services (ecosystems limits) that
are relevant for the energy sector is not
enough.
Regarding the impact on the ecological status
of rivers, the Environmental Report confirms
certain analytical mistakes in the Strategy:
related to environmental objectives OR no.
3 (water funtions) and no. 8 (maintenance
and development of national protected area
network), only potential negative effects
of included measures have been identified;
measure no. C.1.7.9 („Valorificarea eficienta
a potentialului hidroenergetic, prin realizarea
de noi capacitati de productie, inclusiv prin
atragerea de capital privat) is among those
scoring the highest values of potential negative
effects on the environment (-6 points).
Other problems include: the lack of an Action
Plan for investments in the energy sector;
lack of protected area management plans
approved at the time when the Strategy
was elaborate; lack of scientific data on
biodiversity; non recognition and thus
non implementation of the Environmental
Notification by the authorities subordinated
to the issuing authority that is the Ministry of
Environment (because of procedural matters);
the monitoring methodology for conservation
measures has been proved to be deficitary
(e.g. improper correlation of indicators – for
river conservation measures the performance
indicator is the ecological status of reservoirs).
Operational Integration
The 2011-2020 Energy Strategy for Romania
included the following instruments: Green
Certificates (Law no. 220/2008 for establishing
the system to promote energy production from
renewable sources); Certificates for the emissions of
GHG; The Romanian market and related platform for
the transaction of Green Certificates and Certificates
for GHG emissions (OPCOM - Operatorul Pietei de
Energia Electrica si Gaze Naturale din Romania).
Green Certificates focus on reducing pollution but do
not foresee biodiversity proofing on the exploitation
of renewable energy sources.
The validity of the Environmental Notification is
not accepted by all relevant institutions and thus
mitigation and conservation measures are not
implemented.