Waste crisis in Ploiești and possible violation of EU environmental law

Subject: Waste crisis in Ploiești and possible violation of EU environmental law

Ploiești City Council in Romania is facing a waste crisis caused by administrative bottlenecks and delays in awarding a new sanitation contract. Household waste has not been collected for a significant period of time, thereby creating serious risks to public health and environmental pollution. The Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC) requires Member States to ensure an efficient waste management system. Moreover, Romania is already facing issues over its non-compliance with Directive 2008/50/EC on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe.

1. Does the Commission not consider this situation to constitute a violation of Romania’s obligations in the field of waste management and environmental protection, and of the Air Quality Directive?

2. Does the Commission not consider the Romanian authorities’ failure take action in this situation to breach the obligations laid down in EU legislation?

Submitted: 17.3.2025

Answer given by Ms Roswall on behalf of the European Commission

(19 May 2025)

The Commission is aware of the waste management situation in the Municipality of Ploiești. The Commission is not entitled to intervene in national permitting procedures and cannot compel Romanian environmental authorities to issue a permit for the new operator. The responsibility to authorise specific activities lies with Member States’ authorities, who are best placed to assess specific situations such as the waste management situation Ploiești. The Commission focuses its enforcement action on systematic failures to comply with EU law (1). Moreover, the non-collection of waste cannot as such constitute a direct breach of the Air Quality Directive (2).

The Commission has already taken appropriate action against Romania, with four infringement procedures concerning the bad application of the EU waste legislation currently ongoing, as detailed below.

1. Case C-109/22 (3): the Commission is monitoring the execution of the judgment of the Court of Justice. To date, 29 landfills remain neither closed nor rehabilitated, and as a result, Romania is currently incurring penalties.

2. Case INF(2020)2276 (4): concerning Romania’s failure to close and rehabilitate 9 landfills in accordance with its Accession Treaty.

3. Case INF(2020)2355 (5): concerning the failure to establish a national waste infrastructure for treating waste.

4. Case INF(2024)2136 (6): concerning Romania’s failure to attain the various waste targets, with a letter of formal notice sent on 25 July 2024.

The last three cases mentioned above are still at the administrative stage and have not been referred to the Court. The Commission is in close contact with Romanian authorities in order to ensure compliance is achieved as soon as possible (INF(2024)2136).

1 ∙ ⸱ As set out in the communication of 19 January 2017 (EU law: Better results through better application — C/2016/8600, OJ C 18, 19.1.2017, p. 10-20) and in

the communication of 13 October 2022 COM(2022)0518 final — Enforcing EU law for a Europe that delivers. 2 ∙ ⸱ Directive 2008/50/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 May 2008 on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe, OJ L 152, 11.6.2008, p. 1-44. 3 ∙ ⸱

https://curia.europa.eu/juris/document/document.jsf;jsessionid=E0143CD4AEDFC2B7B3351862ED646BCE? text=&docid=280628&pageIndex=0&doclang=fr&mode=lst&dir=&occ=first&part=1&cid=3405991. 4 ∙ ⸱ https://ec.europa.eu/atwork/applying-eu-law/infringements-proceedings/infringement_decisions/? langCode=EN&version=v1&typeOfSearch=byDecision&refId=INFR(2020)2276&page=1&size=10&order=desc&sortColumns=decisionDate. 5 ∙ ⸱ https://ec.europa.eu/atwork/applying-eu-law/infringements-proceedings/infringement_decisions/? langCode=EN&version=v1&typeOfSearch=byDecision&refId=INFR(2020)2355&page=1&size=10&order=desc&sortColumns=decisionDate. 6 ∙ ⸱ https://ec.europa.eu/atwork/applying-eu-law/infringements-proceedings/infringement_decisions/? langCode=EN&version=v1&typeOfSearch=byDecision&refId=INFR(2024)2136&page=1&size=10&order=desc&sortColumns=decisionDate.