Following an interministerial meeting on Monday, February 17, an announcement was made.
The goal of this measure is to protect consumers from price increases and guarantee energy affordability in the face of ongoing market fluctuations.
.
The new emergency ordinance proposal will be made public by the end of the week, with the government planning to adopt it next week.
Burduja pointed out that Romania currently has the fourth lowest natural gas and the fifth lowest electricity prices within the EU, as per Eurostat, owing to the current price cap mechanism. Nonetheless, recent market fluctuations pose a concern, with gas prices having risen by 40% and electricity prices increasing by 25%.
"The cap will help prevent price hikes from directly affecting consumer bills. We're taking proactive steps to prevent potential uncontrolled increases," the minister stated.
Boosting domestic energy production is the only sustainable way to reduce energy bills, according to Burduja.
"Last year, we initiated the development of more than 1,200 megawatts of new energy projects, encompassing coal, solar, wind, and battery storage initiatives. Our goal for this year is to nearly double that amount," he stated.
andrei@romania-insider.com
(Photo source: Facebook/Sebastian Burduja)