Top official with the Romanian Energy Ministry Constantin Stefan told the Senate abuse inquiring committee that there is political will to move to a partially regulated market, according to Agerpres.

„There is political will for a transition to, I’d say partially regulated market; what has been sold so far remains invoiced at the free market prices, as acknowledged by ANRE; what happens from now on, 70% – 60% of what is left of the market uncontracted can be regulated, nicely documented; we go to Brussels, because we have to take into account the mechanism of the free market in Europe, we are subject to regulation. Romania was regulated before. From 2014 to 2021, household consumers were regulated. The market operated somewhat until 2021, when prices went up with very small corrections. The political will is there to move to a regulated market. I call it partially regulated, because there is no way to make it 100/% regulated, because this year a quantity of electricity was sold for the year 2023 and you start there with the quantity that the producers still have to sell, or subject it to regulation,” said Stefan.

He explained what regulation means: „Regulated price and quantity throughout the chain, from the producer to the final consumer, taking into account the cost of production for the producer plus a profit margin. Likewise with the supplier, taking into account the energy acquisition prices, plus a profit margin.”

According to the governmental official, ANRE does not have powers to trigger the energy market regulation mechanism, which only politicians can.

Agerpres