Investments in water and wastewater area are important in Romania, but there is still a lot to catch up on, Environment, Waters and Forests Minister Mircea Fechet told a specialist symposium on Wednesday.
„I always think about the economic side and the business opportunities that come with the policies we manage at the ministry, just as I always wonder whether we might be harming the business environment due to a lack of proper consultation or the absence of well-thought-out measures. All in all, I can conclude that we can have a cleaner environment while also building a more stable and healthier economic ecosystem. Regarding water, a highly generous topic – I think it’s important to know exactly where we started and where we are now (…) Over 30 years ago, the chances of having access to a water supply or sewage network were nearly zero. That is where we started… Today, we have invested massively and recovered a lot, but at the same time, we have to be honest and admit we still have a long way to go. That should be seen as an opportunity for the business environment, for Romanian companies and beyond, for those bringing the latest technologies to market. In the area of water management, things have undoubtedly evolved,” said Fechet.
He added that Romania is very fortunate in terms of its hydrographic potential, with significant resources of both groundwater and surface water.
„At the same time, we must not waste this resource, we must push to save water, we must learn to reuse water. And I say with regret that in these two areas we have a lot of catching up to do, to put it politely. However, I believe climate change is already teaching us that we must be much more careful with water use,” the minister highlighted.
Regarding packaging waste, Fechet highlighted the progress made over the past year and a half with the Deposit-Return System (SGR).
„It’s only right to express gratitude, given this moment of reflection, regarding waste management and the Deposit-Return System. I have said before that our main source of inspiration was the German model, which had, and still has, an outstanding return rate for packaging. And I have always said, even if some thought I was joking, that I wondered: why couldn’t we do the same in Romania if it works in Germany? Here we are a year and a half later, having collected several billion packaging units, and now in our eighth consecutive month with a return rate above 80%. Today, we can truly say: if it works in Germany and in other countries, it can certainly work in Romania. I’m happy to see that Romanians have responded positively to such a project, which not only makes Romania cleaner than it was two years ago, but also creates many jobs and attracts significant investment, we are talking about hundreds of millions of euros already invested and about business plans in Romania for recycling aluminum, PETs, and glass,” Fechet said.
The Romanian-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AHK Romania) organised the symposium on water and wastewater management, attended by representatives of relevant ministries and the business community.
AGERPRES
