Virgil Popescu

Romanian Far-Rightists Storm Digital Environment

Following the rejection of the so-called "Sovereignty Bill" by Romania's Chamber of Deputies on May 10, the political climate has further deteriorated.

Romania's Energy Minister, Virgil Popescu, on Wednesday said Romania will produce more natural gas than it needs once it starts extracting gas from the Black Sea area - and will then be in a position to export to countries in the region, with Moldova a priority.

AGERPRES special correspondent Florentina Peia reports: Romania's Ambassador in Washington, Andrei Muraru, told AGERPRES in an interview that he gave assurances to US investors, whom he encourages to come to Romania, that the Executive in Bucharest is a functional one, and the change of its makeup should not affect the business environment.

The mechanism for compensating household energy bills announced by the government covers almost all electricity consumers nationwide and over half of the natural gas consumers, the vice-president of the National Regulatory Authority in the Energy Area (ANRE), Zoltan Nagy-Bege, said on Wednesday.

The Ministry of Energy will come to Government with an emergency ordinance by which the repeat offences of energy distributors and suppliers will be punished at the level of the company's turnover, announced, on Tuesday, the Minister of Energy, Virgil Popescu, announced.

Prime Minister Florin Citu said on Tuesday that "all sorts of brave people" from all parties come up with solutions regarding the vulnerable consumer law, but no political leader proposed an extraordinary session for the faster adoption of this piece of legislation. "We have the law of the vulnerable consumer and here again we have to call a spade a spade.

Prime Minister Florin Citu said on Tuesday that energy prices will not be capped in Romania, insisting that Romania needs energy independence. "There is growing public concern over energy prices, especially because the winter season is coming - the payment of energy bills - and so we have to come up with solutions. Of course, the solution to prices cannot come from the prime minister.

Romania strengthens nuclear cooperation with Canada after Energy Minister and Canadian Ambassador to Romania signed the Memorandum of Understanding between Romania's Ministry of Energy and Canada's Department of Natural Resources on consolidating Civilian Nuclear Cooperation, reads a press release of the ministry.

The Social Democratic Party (PSD) maintains that the government is guilty of "undermining" the national economy, because this year Romania will not receive "any euro" from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). "Zero euro from PNRR in 2021! PSD was right! Romania will not receive any euro from PNRR this year!

Energy Minister Virgil Popescu met on Wednesday with the representatives of the US company ExxonMobil, and one of the topics of discussion was the collaboration with Romgaz in the field of carbon storage, according to a post on the minister's Facebook page.