Firewood sales and inspections intensify in Moldova and Romania

Authorities in Moldova and Romania are intensifying oversight of firewood sales as the cold season approaches to combat illegal logging and ensure proper revenue for forest reinvestment.

In Moldova, Environment Minister Gheorghe Hajder has urged citizens to purchase wood only from legal sources and to retain fiscal invoices for verification by inspectors or police. The Ministry of Environment has released average price tables, noting that soft wood ranges from approximately 445 to 1,143 lei per cubic meter, while hard wood ranges from 950 to 1,630 lei. Future reforms aim to uniformize these prices nationwide.

In Romania, Romsilva has placed approximately 2 million cubic meters of firewood on the market, with over 850,000 cubic meters already sold in the first seven months of the year. Hardwoods such as beech, oak, and hornbeam are in high demand due to their higher caloric value. Average prices for firewood are approximately 281 lei per cubic meter excluding VAT, though palletized wood costs more, with hard wood reaching 700 lei and soft wood 550 lei per pallet.