The Foundation for the Defence of Citizens Against State Abuses (FACIAS) has filed a lawsuit against the National Forestry Agency - Romsilva for refusing to comply with the law and disclose how public funds are being spent.
In the context of the recent controversies surrounding the bonuses granted to Romsilva staff upon retirement, FACIAS has submitted a request to Marius-Dan Siiulescu, the general director of the National Forestry Agency, seeking information regarding the salaries and benefits allocated to the management, the list of material benefits offered to employees, the total expenses incurred during the 2022-2024 period, and the performance indicators employed to evaluate the efficiency of management.
Romsilva has defiantly refused to provide the information requested by FACIAS, in violation of the law guaranteeing the right of every citizen to know how public money is spent. Instead of complying with its legal obligations, the institution was evasive in answering questions and did not provide the information requested. In addition, Romsilva illegally invokes a so-called 'confidential' nature in relation to employees' salaries, claiming, and I quote: 'when establishing salary rights, the criteria for individual negotiation of salaries specified in the Collective Bargaining Agreement in force are taken into account, and both parties are obliged to ensure the confidential nature of the salary agreed through negotiation'.
This justification is unfounded and contradicts the case law of the High Court of Cassation and Justice, which established in Decision No. 37/2015 that information on salaries paid from public funds is of general interest and must be accessible to citizens. Furthermore, the National Integrity Agency (ANI) has repeatedly upheld the principle that such information cannot be withheld under the pretext of contractual confidentiality. This assertion is further reinforced by the fact that FACIAS did not request information pertaining to the salary of a particular individual, but rather sought the average and highest salaries in Romsilva.
FACIAS emphasises that transparency in the management of public funds is not a favour, but rather an imperative legal obligation. The refusal to provide information constitutes a flagrant abuse of power. In response to the breach of the law, FACIAS petitioned the court to compel Romsilva to disclose information of public interest. The absence of transparency by public institutions cannot be condoned, and those who impede access to data of public interest must be held accountable in accordance with the law.