Romania has surpassed the milestone of 100 notified economic concentrations in a single year for the first time, with more than half involving renewable energy, while Europe continues to operate without a true single market in both the energy and financial sectors, said Dan Virgil Pascu, vice president of the Competition Council.
“We’ve been talking about a single market since 2007—they’ve been talking about it since 1958 – and we still don’t have one, neither in energy nor in banking,” Pascu said at the Energy Strategy Summit 2026, organized by Energynomics.
He added that the creation of this market would undoubtedly lead to better prices for consumers from a competition perspective.
Referring to foreign investment in renewable energy, the official noted that the competition authority, through its Foreign Investment Directorate, provides the Secretariat for the Commission for the Examination of Foreign Direct Investment – CEISD, an inter-institutional body that analyzes and approves/authorizes foreign direct investments and relevant new investments, primarily from the perspective of risks to national security and public order. In his view, Pascu noted that imposing a notification requirement for 2-3 MW solar investments constitutes an unjustified administrative barrier to market entry.
On the subject of electric vehicles and products imported from China, Pascu noted that an agreement had been reached at the European level setting minimum resale prices for Chinese electric vehicles, which constitutes a formal violation of competition law but is justified in the exceptional context of protecting European industry. Furthermore, inverters and energy storage equipment from Asia could raise national security concerns due to the possibility of remote control over significant production capacities, and he indicated that such issues should fall under the jurisdiction of ANRE, not the Competition Council.
Regarding the reindustrialization of Europe, Pascu expressed skepticism toward ambitious scenarios, arguing that large traditional industrial plants will no longer be established in European cities, and instead advocated for building the factories of the future—already electrified—as a realistic path forward.
Energy Strategy Summit 2026 was organised by Energynomics, with the support of our partners: Elektra Renewable Support, 4P Renewables, ABB, Alive Capital, Atmoce, Baringa, BCR, Big Store, Capalo AI, CBRE Romania, Distribuție Energie Electrică România, Eastship, Distributie Oltenia parte din Evryo, Eaton Electric, Electrica Furnizare, Electroalfa, Electroprecizia, EnergoBit, Enery, Enexus, Eurowind, Evryo, Exim Banca Romaneasca, Hagag Energy, KStar, LONGi, MBK Power Energy, MET Romania Energy, Monsson Trading, Nextpower, OX2, Romgaz, Schraubram, Sigenergy, Softenerg WEBUS 4 ENERGY, Solar Today, Sunotec, TBEA, Think Blu Solution, Transelectrica, Waldevar Energy, WTW Romania. Coffee Break Partner Enerta. Lanyard Partner Monsson Operation. Beverage Partners Aqua Carpatica, Alexandrion. Digital Partner Imsol. Mobility Partner BlackCab.