WWF criticises Romania expropriation bill

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) on Friday criticised a draft law enabling mining companies to expropriate land in Romania, fearing it would aid a controversial mine project in Transylvania."We fear that this legislation would directly benefit the operation at Rosia Montana in Transylvania. We hope that in the 21st century no EU member state can afford to adopt legislation to suit specific business interests", Magor Csibi, Programme Manager of the WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme in Romania, said in a statement. "If this bill was adopted, it would mean that private interests would overtake vital functions of the state and private companies would be able to expropriate properties against the owners' will", he added.Earlier this week, the bill sparked a vivid debate in the country, with rights groups claiming it would "spell the end of democracy". The draft law reads that "mining works are in the public interest" and on these grounds allows mining companies to expropriate land and then pay out compensation. The bill is seen as giving a helping hand to a Canadian-owned company, Rosia Montana Gold Corporation (RMGC), which plans to set up an opencast gold mine in central Romania. The company has already obtained a crucial archaeological permit despite opposition from environmental groups. RMGC is now waiting to see if it obtains a permit from the environment ministry. But Rosia Montana inhabitants have vowed to block the mine by refusing to allow their land to be expropriated.If adopted by parliament the bill would remove the last obstacle to the mining project, analysts say.