The Alliance for Agriculture and Cooperation (AAC), representing the main farmers’ and cooperatives’ organizations in Romania – PRO AGRO, LAPAR, UNCSV, and AFF – is raising the alarm regarding draft methodologies recently put up for public consultation by the Ministry of Environment, Waters, and Forests.

These are the implementing rules of the so-called Law of Odors (Law 123/2020), which could introduce strict regulations for determining olfactory discomfort, including in the case of farms, processing units, or traditional activities.

The danger is real: farms that produce food for the population could become incompatible with the new rules, simply because… they smell.

What the Alliance for Agriculture and Cooperation is asking for

• The explicit exemption of agricultural and agri-food activities from the application of the Law of Odors.
• The protection of farms and units authorized prior to the law against subsequent complaints.
• The involvement of the Ministry of Agriculture in drafting the rules.
• Objective and differentiated criteria for odor assessment (industry versus agriculture).
• Mechanisms to filter abusive complaints and clear urban planning rules.
• Proportional norms, aligned with good practices in the European Union.

What other EU Member States are doing

In France, Germany, the Netherlands, or Austria, legislation protects existing farms and introduces the principle of “agricultural priority” – meaning that whoever moves next to a farm accepts the specifics of agricultural activity.

In Romania, without such an approach, we risk:

• the closure of functional farms;
• blocking investments in agriculture;
• undermining national food security.

What AAC is concretely proposing

A legislative amendment clarifying that odors naturally resulting from authorized agricultural activities cannot be subject to the sanctions provided by the law. A clear distinction is needed between industrial odors and agricultural ones.

The proposed text stipulates that all legally registered farms and units are exempt from sanctions for activities specific to the agricultural sector, as long as they comply with environmental and sanitary protection rules applicable at the time of authorization.

What comes next

AAC expresses its full openness to dialogue with the Ministry of Environment and the relevant authorities, but calls for urgent and concrete action. Without balanced regulation, Romania risks losing dozens of farms, hundreds of jobs, and significant capacities within the national food supply chain.

The farmers’ message

We cannot be sanctioned for natural agricultural activities. Agriculture means food, not discomfort.

(Photo: Freepik)