The Romanian government is on the offensive against critical voices from civil society. In an unprecedented move, the state-owned energy company Romgaz has filed a lawsuit against Greenpeace Romania, arguing that the nongovernmental organization be disbanded. Romgaz is 70% owned by the Romanian state and the lawsuit is supported by the Energy Ministry.

The lawsuit is part of a growing trend, said Romanian political scientist Cristian Pirvulescu. “Several environmental and human‑rights NGOs have faced increased scrutiny — whether through sudden inspections, burdensome reporting requirements or public rhetoric that questions their legitimacy. While each case has its own specifics, taken together they reveal a pattern of pressure that can discourage robust civic engagement,” he said.

Natural gas in the Black Sea

This escalation is the latest chapter in a debate that has been going on for some time. Observers say it has its roots in the huge natural gas deposits in the Black Sea off the coast of Romania.

Romgaz, along with the Austrian company OMV, want to extract this natural gas, which amounts to around 100 billion cubic meters (3.5 trillion cubic feet), enough to make Romania the largest natural gas producer in the EU. The government is hoping for energy independence and earnings in the billions.

Production is due to start in 2027 and while investors have rejoiced, environmentalists are horrified. Critics, in particular Greenpeace, have said the venture will torpedo the European Union’s climate targets. The Romanian branch of the NGO is organizing protests and taking legal action against the project. Several lawsuits have been filed in court.

In January, Greenpeace lost a case and was ordered to pay court costs of around €30,000 ($34,200) each to OMV and Romgaz. In May, Greenpeace lost another case and now has to pay around €16,000 in court costs to the companies.

However, the NGO never received a demand for payment from the energy firms, said Greenpeace. Instead, Romgaz commissioned a bailiff, who stated that Greenpeace was insolvent.

“It’s absurd. Of course we can pay the costs,” said Mihnea Matache, spokesperson for Greenpeace Romania. The accusation is closely linked to a discovery that Romgaz claims to have made, namely that there are two different organizations with the name Greenpeace, with two different tax numbers. Romgaz has accused Greenpeace of using these different organizations as a cover to sidestep fines.

In the light of this complaint, Romgaz is seeking to have Greenpeace dissolved.

‘Lawsuit appears to be a form of retaliation’

Greenpeace has called the accusations laughable. Yes, Greenpeace has two tax numbers, said Matache, one for national and one for international affairs. “That’s quite normal,” he added.

He doesn’t believe the lawsuit will be successful. “They just want to unsettle our supporters, exhaust our resources, tire us out and intimidate us.”

Political scientist Pirvulescu agrees. “The lawsuit appears to be a form of retaliation against their activism and public communication, rather than a legitimate legal claim,” he told DW. In his view, it’s a classic intimidation lawsuit.

This type of lawsuit is known by the abbreviation SLAPP, which stands for “strategic lawsuit against public participation.” The goal is to dissuade civil organizations from seeking legal recourse or operating in the public sphere altogether, by using steep compensation claims and lengthy court proceedings to place them under immense financial and emotional strain.

Energy minister accuses Greenpeace of ‘fraudulent business practices’

The natural gas extraction project off the coast of Romania goes by the name Neptun Deep, and is considered one of the country’s most important projects by Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja.

When asked by DW, the Energy Ministry said it had nothing to do with Romgaz’s lawsuit against Greenpeace, but emphasized how crucial Neptun Deep is for the Romanian economy. On Facebook, Burduja has congratulated Romgaz on the lawsuit and accused Greenpeace of “fraudulent business practices.”

Burduja recently piled pressure on environmental NGOs. Back in March, he called on company CEOs to sue environmental NGOs that filed lawsuits, and stated this constituted an act of “energy patriotism.” In response, over 100 environmental organizations wrote an open letter demanding Burduja’s resignation.

The ministry, for its part, has said it is defending the country’s economic interests, rejecting accusations of trying to silence civil society.

“We believe that they play and should play an important part in the social and public life of a country,” it stated. “If the NGO in question has not acted in abuse of right or in breach of the law, it should have no fear in this regard.”

In 2021, three environmental NGOs were summoned to a parliamentary inquiry. A commission was tasked with investigating whether energy prices had risen so sharply because the environmental organizations had prevented the construction of lignite and hydroelectric power plants. The NGOs criticized this move, saying it soured their public reputation and turned them into scapegoats.

The UN’s special rapporteur on environmental defenders, Michel Forst, intervened in 2024 and expressed serious concern to the Romanian state about a “campaign of harassment and intimidation.”

Hefty legal costs, alleged ties to Russia

“They want to intimidate us — and they are succeeding. We are now thinking twice about suing Romgaz,” said Vlad Catuna, Greenpeace’s campaign manager for the Neptun Deep issue. In part, they are worried about the hefty legal costs facing NGOs if they lose. In the previous lawsuit, Romgaz and OMV had originally demanded a total compensation of €250,000, making the five-figure final settlement appear paltry by comparison.

And it’s not just in court that the Energy Ministry is challenging environmental NGOs. The minister and state-affiliated media have repeatedly suggested that Greenpeace and other environmental organizations have links to Russia. They claim the Russian state wants to prevent Romania from extracting gas in a bid to make the nation more dependent on Russian gas.

Matache and Catuna reject these accusations. Greenpeace has been banned in Russia as an “undesirable organization” since 2023. But accusations such as these still leave a bitter aftertaste and dent the organization’s standing with the public.

This article was originally written in German.