Offshore law is 'next week' law, during which gas remains unexploited (USR acting chair)

Acting Chairman of Save Romania Union (USR) Catalin Drula declares that the "offshore" law has been repeatedly postponed over time, and the Black Sea gas has remained unexploited, Agerpres reports.

Because of these successive delays, he calls the bill "next week's law."

"In terms of energy we have an imbalance between supply and demand. We need to increase production. Or, with this absolutely incompetent minister (...) - Mr. Virgil Popescu is the Minister of Energy since 2019 and was not able to pass the off-shore law. (...) When we have a text on which to vote, we will analyze it professionally and have a stance. The problem is that it is the 'next week' law. The 'next week' was also in November 2021, Virgil Popescu was telling us. 'Next week' was also when we were in the coalition and we asked him to bring this law. 'Next week' was also in 2020. The problem is that it has been 'next week' for years, during which time that gas has remained in the Black Sea and we need that gas. Now we see that even those who want to operate will open an arbitration against the Romanian state," the USR leader told public broadcaster TVR 1.

Drula stressed that stability is needed in the energy field, so that investors know that they will not have unpredictable decisions from the authorities.

"Instead of encouraging the predictable production of the legislative framework - and the offshore law is essential - all these years, Virgil Popescu (...) has blocked this law, blocked investments in energy, production and we are in the situation where energy price increases fuel inflation," he said.