Romania’s Government wants to postpone by six months the gas price liberalization. EC rejects the request

The Government wants to postpone, by six months, the natural gas liberalization calendar, but European Energy Commissioner Gunther Oettinger has recommended compliance with the current calendar. The Department for Energy sent a letter to Oettinger in May announcing the Government’s intention, the recommendation of the European official being however to keep the calendar. “The Commissioner stressed that the impact of energy prices on the competitiveness of the European industry is a matter of interest for the Commission. The Commissioner showed that gas prices on the local market should be seen in perspective, reported to EU market prices, mentioning that in 2011 the regulated price for the industrial consumers in Romania was the lowest in the Union. The response of the European official includes the recommendation to comply with the liberalization calendar, drawing attention on the fact that, according to the legislation in force, ANRE is the institution empowered to make decisions on the price of gas from domestic production and on the price liberalization calendar”, a communique of the Department for Energy reads.