The European Commission approved, on Friday, under EU rules on state aid, a Romanian state measure worth 790 million euros (approximately 3.9 billion lei) to cover the exceptional costs generated by the closure of four uncompetitive coal mines in the Jiu Valley (Lonea, Lupeni, Livezeni and Vulcan), a press release from the European Commission informs. Romania has notified the Commission of a measure worth EUR 790 million (approximately RON 3.9 billion) concerning aid to cover exceptional costs resulting from the closure of four uncompetitive coal mines (Lonea, Lupeni, Livezeni and Vulcan). This measure will help Romania to phase out coal production by 2032, in line with the binding commitment made in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan and the Territorial Plan for a Just Transition. The beneficiary will be Societatea Complexul Energetic Valea Jiului S.A., which manages the four mines and the Paro?eni power plant, with the aim of closing the mining activity. The measures cover the social costs for workers who have lost or will lose their jobs due to the closure of the mines, as well as the costs related to the safety and rehabilitation works necessary for the closure of the four mines, in particular those concerning the measures necessary to secure the mine shafts, repair the environmental damage caused by mining and the reclamation of the land after the closure of the four mines. This aid covers eligible costs incurred between 1 October 2023 and 31 December 2032. The Romanian authorities have committed to appoint an independent consultant who will monitor the coal extraction to ensure that it is strictly limited to what is necessary for public safety, for example to avoid spontaneous combustion, and who will provide annual reports in this regard. “The measure we have approved today will help Romania carry out the necessary safety and rehabilitation work to facilitate the closure of the mines and ensure that no one is left behind in the green transition. This measure will also contribute to mitigating the social impact of the closure of the mines,” said European Commission Vice-President Margrethe Vestager. The Commission assessed the measure under EU State aid rules, in particular Article 4 of Council Decision 2010/787/EU on State aid to facilitate the closure of uncompetitive coal mines (the ‘Council Decision’). The Commission found that the measure is compatible with the internal market because the aid does not exceed the exceptional costs, which are not linked to current production, resulting from the orderly and irrevocable closure of the four mines by 2032 at the latest. In view of these considerations, the Commission approved the measure notified by Romania under EU State aid rules.
In the context in which agri-food systems are responsible for almost one third of global greenhouse gas emissions, Auchan Romania assumes an active role in the transition of its supply chain toward a more sustainable model. At the second edition of the Climate Supplier Event, organized under the aegis of the Climate Change Summit, the […]
Janiva Magness, the winner of seven Blues Music Awards following 26 nominations, and nominated for a Grammy for a career spanning 17 albums, is set to perform at the 14th edition of the Brașov Jazz & Blues Festival, which will take place between August 14–16, 2026. Magness is one of the most valuable and influential […]
Auction house Artmark announced a major auction for this winter featuring an engraving created by Francisco Goya, the most important Spanish artist of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Romania's late communist leader Nicolae Ceaușescu received this gift from King Juan Carlos I as a gesture of diplomacy. The engraving entitled “The Engagement – Capricho […]
Authorities managing Romania's Bicaz Gorges–Hășmaș National Park has built a fish ladder system on the Bicaz River, which will allow protected species to migrate and reproduce. There are several bridges and small bridge structures in the Bicaz River that have a “bottom sill,” meaning small waterfalls. Fish that do not jump like the trout cannot […]
The far-right opposition parties in the Romanian Parliament are set to file a motion of no confidence against the government headed by prime minister Ilie Bolojan. The motion, authored by senator Ninel Peia of the Peace – Romania First group, is specifically aimed at the reformist party Save Romania Union (USR), and is entitled “Romania […]
Romania's iconic rock singer Adrian Pleșca, known as “Artan,” died on Tuesday, December 2, after a fatal stroke, at the age of 64. The artist founded the well-known band “Timpuri Noi” in 1982 and “Partizan” in 2001, and was popular on the Romanian rock scene. Over the years, he left and returned to the two bands. Several […]
