ROMANIA: INDOOR AIR POLLUTION

UNCLAS BUCHAREST 000216

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/NCE - AJENSEN, OES/IHA - DWILUSZ

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON ETRD EAID OECD RO
SUBJECT: ROMANIA: INDOOR AIR POLLUTION

REF: STATE 192623

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY.


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Embassy contacted GOR officials in the Ministries
of Environment and Health as well as representatives of NGOs, and
found them somewhat unprepared to discuss the questions of Romanian
indoor air pollution (IAP). The issue is just beginning to appear
on Romania's agenda due in large part to its recent EU accession.
END SUMMARY.


2. (SBU) Post has transmitted Reftel points to Attila Korodi,
Secretary of State at the Ministry of Environment and Water

SIPDIS
Management (MEWM) and to the Bucharest Institute for Public Health
(IPH) under the Ministry of Health. Post notes that it has been
difficult to identify interlocutors for discussing indoor air
pollution, indicating a current low level of interest among GOR
officials.


3. (U) The Ministry of Health is the government institution charged
with monitoring indoor air pollution. It has set up a task force to
deal with the IAP issue, with the Bucharest IPH taking the lead.
Dr. Doina Lupuleasa is the chief of the IPH Habitat Department
dealing with housing air pollution, Dr. Emilia Niciu is the Head of
the IPH department covering the relationship between environment and
health, and Mihaela Vasilescu is the Head of the IPH Water
Laboratory. The Health Ministry is cooperating with the Ministry of
Labor, Social Solidarity and Family on occupational exposure issues.



4. (SBU) IAP reduction is just now becoming a priority for the GOR,
and has been included in its national plan and strategies. This is
mostly due to Romania's recent EU accession on January 1, 2007,
which focused attention on environmental policy after many years of
neglect. Romania now reports periodically on its progress on the EU
Regional Priority Goal III on air quality priorities. There have
been some ineffective attempts to assess indoor air pollution and
the GOR has mentioned the need to develop national indoor air
pollution guidelines or norms. The Institute for Public Health has
proposed a project, subject for approval at present, for indoor air
quality as part of the National Environment and Health Program of
the Ministry of Health.


5. (U) Currently, the GOR's main priorities linked to IAP are:
-- Strengthening and updating the ability to monitor health effects
in relation to environmental risks, including outdoor and indoor air
quality. MEWM is responsible for monitoring outdoor air quality,
while the Health Ministry is responsible for monitoring indoor air
quality and its effects on the human life.
-- Enforcing the EU "acquis" requirements on main pollutants and
their monitoring, as well as updating the monitoring and reporting
system based on Environment and Health Information Systems in Europe
(ENHIS) indicators.


6. (U) The Romanian Government has also made some progress on its
commitment to IAP reduction. Recently, Romania introduced smoking
restrictions in restaurants. The National Consumer Protection
Authority announced that restaurants must come into compliance with
EU regulations regarding setting aside an area for smokers. Those
which fail to comply will be given fines or may even be closed down.



7. (U) The Bucharest Institute of Public Health has a program on
indoor air quality, aimed at setting up new guidelines for indoor
air quality, especially for schools, public institutions and
housing.


8. (U) The main research initiative of the Institute for Public
Health is the APHEIS (Air Pollution and Health: European Information
System) city pollution monitoring project. APHEIS is co-funded by
the European Commission's Pollution-Related Diseases Program and by
participating institutions. There are also ongoing projects on
related health effects and indicators for exposure to lead, benzene,
PM 10 and PM 2.5. The Institute began running awareness campaigns
and advocacy for the rights of children to clean air, and is
committed to further develop such activities.


9. (U) GOR officials were unaware of the Partnership for Clean
Indoor Air but showed interest in learning more about this
organization.


10. (SBU) COMMENT: Post believes that indoor air pollution is only
beginning to gain attention in Romania, and that loosely embraced
rules and legislation will not be enough to effect positive change
in the short term. EU membership and continuing sensitization on
pollution issues, however, will probably serve as catalysts to bring
Romania along with other EU countries in focusing more on the indoor
environment. END COMMENT.

Taubman