Chisinau Mayor Ion Ceban is calling on central authorities to adjust the legal framework so that fines can imposed on individuals and companies for failing to elimite on their property. During a press conference, the mayor said that due to gaps in the legislation, it is impossible to apply penalties. In the absence of fines, ragweed – a plant which allergically affects many people – is not destroyed on private lands.

Additionally, Ion Ceban called on the central authorities to allocate money for the eradication of ragweed in other parts of the country, as the plant's pollen spreads over a distance of 30 kilometers. Even if Chisinau municipality destroys the ragweed in Chisinau, people will still be susceptible to allergies because there are ragweed fields in the areas near the capital, the mayor said.

"The situation concerning ragweed eradication in the suburbs is quite complicated. Mayors do not have the necessary equipment and financial resources needed to intervene. Beyond the municipality of Chisinau, the situation is even worse", the mayor stressed.

Ceban said that he had asked the former leadership of the Ministry of Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment to intervene. According to the mayor, the ministry's response to the problem boiled down to printing information leaflets for the population.

In order to better the current situation in Chisinau, the mayor said that a specialized section for the destruction of ragweed will be created within the Green Spaces Management Association.

According to the mayor, 51 large ragweed patches were chemically destroyed in the capital this summer, covering a total area of about 23 hectares. Another 96 ragweed patches were destroyed via technical methods.