Energy Minister Virgil Popescu denies criticism that the changes made to OUG 27 would violate Union regulations and directives and says he will present the ordinance to European Commission officials in Brussels, according to a Facebook post.
“Everything ANRE proposed can be found in GEO 27, its text being approved by ANRE. I don’t think that the Ordinance violates any European directive, in fact the taxation model in the Ordinance is not invented by us, we were inspired by the Greek model, which was notified to the European Commission,” says Popescu.
“The procedures in the Ordinance are necessary because the energy market was disrupted by successive transactions, which artificially increased the price. ANRE has, from now on, the levers to combat speculation in the market through fines that reach 5% of the turnover for those who make transactions with the aim of artificially increasing the price of energy.
“On September 9, in Brussels, I will present the decisions taken by the Government regarding the Emergency Ordinance,” the Minister of Energy also stated.
In the explanatory note to the norm that ammends the Ordinance 27, it is specified, however, that it is possible that it contradicts Law 123, but also with Directive 944/2019 and Regulation 943/2019 of the EC.
“In this sense, it was considered necessary to introduce measures to correct the functioning of the two markets, measures decided at the political and governmental level, but which may contradict some provisions of the Electricity and Natural Gas Law no. 123/2012, Directive 944/2019 and Regulation 943/2019. The expected measures have the role of contributing to the increase of revenues to the state budget, the operational safety of the National Energy System and the National Natural Gas System, as well as to ensure the constant and permanent supply of consumers during the winter period 2022-2023,” quotes G4Media.
