In the context of Ukraine’s request to include the Chilia and Bystroe arms in the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) and the tabling of a plan to dredge the Bystroe Canal, MEP Victor Negrescu called on the European Commission to present its position on Ukraine’s plan.

“According to all experts, such works would lead to major, irreversible damage to the Danube Delta. Moreover, these works are also contrary to international law, according to the conclusions of numerous international bodies”, said Victor Negrescu.

At the same time, he stressed that Romania has consistently shown its support for Ukraine, including as an exceptional measure, the agreement on the use of the Bystroe canal for the transit of ships with grain cargo, in order to reduce the consequences of the Russian Federation’s aggression against this state, and reiterated the need for the commitments made to continue to be maintained.

Prior to the message published on 17 February by the Ukrainian Ministry of Infrastructure on increasing the navigation depth on the Bystroe Canal from 3.9 to 6.5 meters, the territorial structures of the Romanian Ministry of Transport had already sent information to Bucharest on signals that Ukraine had been carrying out deepening works on this canal and would do the same on the Chilia arm. However, the information was later corrected by the Ukrainian embassy, which claimed that only maintenance works were being carried out on the canal.

In fact, a study carried out by a Ukrainian company that wants to build a new grain terminal near the port of Ismail on the Danube arm separating Romania and Ukraine shows that the latter intends to dredge not only the Bystroe Canal but also a large part of the Chilia arm, which it considered “Ukraine’s inland waterway” by a decision of the Ukrainian government made a year before.

In this regard, the Romanian Minister of Transport said that there are international treaties in force that must be respected by all parties, because there is a possible impact on the Danube Delta and the environment, therefore the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) and the Ministry of Environment should make a stand on this issue. Accordingly, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated Romania’s position, which opposes the proposal to include the Chilia and Bystroe arms in the European TEN-T transport network, while the Ministry for the Environment announced that neither Romanian nor Ukrainian national legislation allows works to be carried out in the area that would endanger biodiversity.

 

As a reaction to the question addressed by the Romanian MEP, according to information provided by the European Commission Representation in Romania, the institution in Brussels is aware of the debates in the Romanian public space, where information is circulating that Ukraine is carrying out major works on the Chilia arm and the Bystroe Canal on the Danube, and it requested additional information from both sides to better assess the situation on the ground. The Commission also stressed that the section in question was not part of the European TEN-T transport network and made it clear that it was not involved in any works that the Ukrainian authorities allegedly had carried out.