Romania has not yet approved a National Energy Strategy (SEN), which defines the medium and long term objectives of the natural gas sector and the ways to achieve them, in order to ensure the sustainable development of the national economy, informs a performance audit on the implementation of strategies and policies in the field of natural gas investment and production, conducted between February 2022 and May 2023, by the Court of Accounts.During the audit engagement , which covered the period 2017-2021, the auditors found that the Ministry of Energy did not monitor the achievement of the objectives set by the old strategic document (SEN 2007-2020), which expired almost three years ago.Domestic gas production decreased by 16.81% between 2017-2021, while the amount imported more than tripled during the audited period. Due to the higher volume of imported gas, a deficit in the national trade balance of 2.056 billion euros (import of 2.335 billion euros - export of 279.5 million euros) was recorded in 2017-2021.The Court of Accounts mentions that the National Agency for Mineral Resources (ANRM) has not initiated public calls for tenders for the concession of oil operations since 2010, although it has been noted that there are free geographical areas for the concession of operations (68 perimeters).Investments in the construction of natural gas distribution networks were not completed in all cases within the agreed deadlines, nor were investments in the development of storage facilities carried out at the planned level.Among the positive aspects noted during the audit were the unblocking of the offshore gas exploitation projects in the Black Sea and the achievement of the objective to involve Romgaz SA in the Neptun Deep project, the increase in the length of the transmission pipelines by 6.81% (906.5 km), the exceeding of the drilling work programmes undertaken by Romgaz SA within the exploration programmes (141.86% completion rate).
The local taxes, other than the property tax, will increase by 70% and the overall payroll will decrease by 20% by a combination of lower employment and lower individual incomes to be decided at local level, prime minister Ilie Bolojan told representatives of the Association of Municipalities from Romania (AMR) on August 5 during a […]
Romania is holding two days of state funerals for former president Ion Iliescu, the country’s first elected head of state after the fall of communism in December 1989. A national day of mourning has been declared on August 7 in his memory, according to a decision adopted by the government. Ion Iliescu died on Tuesday, […]
Ion Iliescu, Romania’s first president after the fall of communism in December 1989 and one of the country’s most influential and controversial political figures, died on Tuesday, August 5, at the age of 95. His death was announced by the government, which expressed condolences to his family and stated that details regarding the state funeral […]
A large medieval cemetery was discovered this week at the Hasdeu High School in Lugoj, western Romania. The complex may have extensions into the surrounding yards and a high historical importance. Although the excavations are only just beginning, with an estimated 10% of the necessary work completed so far, the discoveries have already showed promise. […]
A trilateral working meeting for the creation of a regional cybersecurity alliance between Romania, the Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine took place on July 30 in Chernivtsi, Ukraine. The establishment of such a union would boost Romania's role in region. "The National Cybersecurity Directorate considers that the initiative to establish a cybersecurity coalition between Romania, […]
Two Dacian gold bracelets from the collection of the National History Museum of Romania (MNIR) have been recently 3D scanned as part of a digital preservation project highlighting these exceptional archaeological pieces. The initiative, launched by the museum, aims to showcase the artistry and cultural significance of Dacian goldsmithing. Crafted with remarkable skill, the spiral-shaped […]
