Bogdan Tudorache

Environmental activists from Greenpeace Romania consider eliminating the Oxygen tax “a populist and completely irresponsible act”, according to a statement received by energynomics.ro.

“The right to health and clean air is not negotiable and is not voted on facebook! In Romania, over 20,000 people die annually due to pollution, and the City Hall of Bucharest through Gabriela Firea is directly responsible for some of these deaths. Romanian politicians once again forget that they are in the service of citizens and have a duty to take the most effective measures for their well-being, even when they are unpopular. The prospect of a new mandate weighed more for Gabriela Firea than the health of the Bucharest people,” it is shown in the statement of the organization, following the decision of the Bucharest City Hall to waive the fee based on opinions expressed on its own social site.

“Gabriele Firea’s decision will cost us all. Apart from our health, we are talking about the huge fines that we all have to pay, the citizens. We recall, the European Commission has initiated several criminal trials precisely because the City Hall did not take and does not take measures to limit the exposure of the population to the alarming level of pollution in Bucharest,” said Alin Tanase, Greenpeace Romania campaign coordinator.

Costel Alexe: The Oxygen tax could have been a good measure

The oxygen tax could have been a good measure for improving the air quality in Bucharest – says the Environment Minister Costel Alexe, who condemns the gesture of the mayor Gabriela Firea, for not having organized a wide public debate from the beginning, according to Radio Romania.

Costel Alexe said the withdrawal of the tax shows that the municipality has failed to think of a concrete measure for improving the air quality in the Capital and for the environment in general.

In the future, such a tax should be considered at national level to reduce pollution in major cities, but the measure must be based on real public consultation and dialogue with the European Commission – the Minister of the Environment said.

“As a liberal, I agree with the principle: the polluter pays in any area, whether it is air quality, car or any other means of transport, whether it is waste. The oxygen tax was not a bad tax and could certainly help the public administration in Bucharest and Bucharestians as well. For this year, the Government of Romania does not take this into account, but in the future, after we will have a public consultation with the Romanian society and we will have a communication with Brussels, we must do this,” said Alexe.