Senatul a adoptat proiectul de lege împotriva balastierelor ilegale. Amenzile se pot ridica până la 500.000 de lei

The Senate has passed a law aimed at curbing illegal mineral aggregate exploitation disguised as fishpond construction. The legislation tightens authorization rules, increases penalties, and allows for the confiscation of equipment. This follows the revelation that out of over 1,200 approved fishponds in the last decade, only about 100 were actually built, leading to illegal extraction of over 230 million cubic meters of sand and gravel. The law raises fines from a maximum of 80,000 to 500,000 lei and imposes a five-year ban on operators from obtaining new water management permits. New offenses for illegal storage of aggregates and unlicensed fishpond construction will be introduced, and surveillance measures will be implemented, including mandatory video monitoring in exploitation areas. The initiative will now proceed to the Chamber of Deputies for final approval.