In 2020, the EU imported 57.5% of the energy it consumed, a decrease of almost 3 percentage points (pp) compared with 2019, when this indicator hit an all-time high of 60.5%. The decrease was the result of changes in the main components of this indicator: net imports dropped by -12.6% and gross available energy changed by -8.1%, the latter was affected mainly by reductions in primary production. These changes were linked to the curtailed demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and the subsequent economic crisis. The rate of dependence on energy imports varies between over 90% in Malta, Cyprus and Luxembourg and up to 10.52% in Estonia and 28.20% in Romania. However, while in Estonia the rate of dependence on energy imports has doubled in one year, from 4.83% in 2019 to 10.52% in 2020, in Romania it has decreased by three percentage points compared to 2019. The most important fuel sources in the EU energy mix in 2020, oil and petroleum products (34.5% of total fuel) and natural gas (23.7% of total fuel) are mainly imported. The import dependency rate for crude oil, an essential commodity for the petrochemical industry and the production of fuels used in transport, was the highest of all fuels and decreased only slightly from 96.8% in 2019 to 96.2% in 2020, interrupting an upward trend which started in 2015 (95.2%). The rate registered in 2019 was the highest since 1990 when crude oil import dependency was 93.2%. The relative steadiness in dependency in 2020 was the result of a decrease in net imports (-13.0%) and a similar decrease in gross available energy (-12.5%). Natural gas, a major fuel for electricity production and heating in the EU, had the second-highest import dependency rate of 83.6% in 2020, a 6pp drop from 89.6% in 2019, the year with the highest import share since 1990. The change in 2020 was the result of a drop in net imports (-9.0%) and a smaller decrease in gross available energy (-2.4%). For solid fossil fuels, counting for a small and decreasing share of the EU energy mix (around 10% in 2020), the import dependency rate was 35.8% (-7.4pp compared with 2019). Looking back since 1990, the overall energy dependency rate registered two other peaks, one in 2008 when dependency reached 58.4% and 2006 (58.3%).
The Supreme Council of National Defense (CSAT) has approved the acquisition of a new light corvette for the Romanian Naval Forces, part of the country's military modernization efforts. The decision was made during a meeting on Friday, March 28, at Cotroceni Palace, presided over by interim president Ilie Bolojan. The procurement process will be initiated […]
The National Audiovisual Council (CNA), which governs TV and media in Romania, has recently come under fire after it issued an order for the removal of a video in which a journalist states that the decision of the Central Electoral Bureau to eliminate pro-Russian Călin Georgescu from the presidential race is a coup d'état. The […]
A report from World Vision Romania draws attention to how exposure to toxic content on social media is increasingly affecting girls and young women. Due to insecurities about their bodies, six out of ten teenage girls have tried extreme or unhealthy diets at least once in their lives so as to lose or gain weight. Social […]
Famed Argentine-born pianist Martha Argerich was awarded the "Faithful Service Order in the rank of Grand Officer" by the Romanian Presidency, represented by Romanian Honorary Consul to Switzerland Ion Marin, during a special ceremony held on March 27 at Lugano. The ceremony was attended by Andreea Guțu, Chargé d’Affaires ad interim at the Romanian Embassy […]
A study conducted by CED Romania and Accenture, with the support of the European Accessibility Resource Centre AccessibleEU, shows that when meeting a person with disabilities for the first time, half of Romanians without disabilities want to help and be useful, but many more (66%) fear causing offense. The study also reveals major gaps between […]
A recently launched hop-on hop-off tourist bus service in Romania connects UNESCO heritage sites between Sibiu, Sighișoara, and Brașov in the famous region of Transylvania. Operated by Carpathian Travel Center in partnership with the Sibiu County Tourism Association, the UNESCO-Bus offers visitors the freedom to discover the breathtaking landscapes and medieval landmarks of the Transylvanian […]
