The Romanian Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE) is ready to implement any transition measure the gov't will take after the abrogation of the Emergency Ordinance (OUG) 114 provisions in the energy sector, on Wednesday night said this energy watchdog's Vice President Zoltan Nagy-Bege.
"I hope we will start the year 2020 with a repealed OUG 114, with transition measures that can be enforced in the shortest time possible. As the energy regulatory authority, we are ready to implement any transition measure following the abrogation of this OUG 114, both in the electric power and the natural gas sectors, and we are ready to prepare the market for its full liberalisation on both the wholesale segment market and the retail one," the ANRE VP told an energy conference.
The official made the above-mentioned statement minutes after Economy Minister Virgil Popescu asserted that OUG 114 will cease to bear effects in energy by year end, after which a transition period will occur on the energy market for the natural gas and electric power sectors.
"We will take responsibility on OUG 114 in Parliament in the next two-three weeks, we will take responsibility on the OUG 114 full package so that by end of 2019, this Ordinance will cease its disastrous effects it had upon the energy sector, with a transition period, obviously, because we don't want to disrupt the market, in particular in full winter, a transition period for natural gas and electric power. I want to assure you that you'll have a support in me and the Ministry of Economy, Energy and Business Environment, that energy is a strategic priority of mine and of the ministry and of the gov't, and we'll make sure that this strategic priority will be accomplished," the Economy minister told the energy field companies' leaders.
Moreover, the ANRE VP also asked the gas and electric power carriers to develop their interconnection capabilities in 2020.