The European Commission warned Romania on Wednesday to remove its cap on gas prices or potentially face legal action over the policy, which the EU executive branch said violates the bloc's energy market rules. Gas and power bills for Romanian households, small businesses and public institutions have been capped up to certain monthly consumption levels since November 2021, with suppliers compensated for the difference. In a notice published on Wednesday, the European Commission said the policy violates EU rules on the free formation of wholesale gas prices, since Romania's measure obliges firms to sell part of their production at a fixed wholesale price. "Regulated prices at the level of the EU-wide wholesale market distort price signals and effective market functioning," the Commission said. European wholesale gas prices began climbing in 2021 after Russia limited deliveries. Prices soared to record highs the following year when Moscow further slashed supplies after its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Romania's government has two months to respond to the EU warning, after which the Commission can refer the case to the EU's top court, if the matter is unresolved. Ahead of its May 18 presidential election run-off, Romania currently has an interim government which cannot issue decrees or introduce policies. Former Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu resigned on Monday after hard-right eurosceptic George Simion won the first round of the presidential election re-run. The president elected this month will appoint a new prime minister. In February, the former government extended the gas price cap for a year, and prolonged the power price limits until June, to rein in consumers' bills. Romania produces almost all the gas it consumes domestically, through producers OMV Petrom, state-owned Romgaz and offshore producer Black Sea Oil & Gas.
Graffiti Plus (GRF+), active in Romania's communication consulting market, has signed the contract for the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) funding for its listing on the AeRO market of the Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB). GRF+ is also preparing to launch the private financing round it is conducting as a first step toward its debut […]
The wooden church from the village of Oncești, one of the oldest monuments in the heritage of the Maramureș Village Museum “Mihai Dăncuș” in Sighetu Marmației, has been restored. The church has now returned to the tourist circuit through the support provided by the US Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation, in a project coordinated by […]
The Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB) announced the establishment of its Corporate Governance Committee on Thursday, December 4, to support the implementation of the revised 2025 BVB Corporate Governance Code. Romania’s capital market recently celebrated 30 years of activity and is undergoing significant corporate governance reform. The revised BVB Corporate...
Daniel Băluţă, the mayor of Bucharest's District 4, signed the order to start work on the extension of the M4 subway line on Thursday, December 4. The investment is valued at EUR 3.5 billion and the route will be 11 kilometers long, between Gara de Nord and Gara Progresul railway stations. The extension will have 14 […]
Ten entrepreneurs and executives have launched Food Angels Hub, a community of investors dedicated to the food sector. The aim of the hub is to “develop and scale functional and profitable companies in the food, hospitality and food-tech sectors” and “turn Romania into a reference point for food innovation in the CEE region.” The founders […]
Romanian developer IULIUS announced that it secured a syndicated loan facility amounting to over EUR 305 million for its Palas Iași mixed-use complex. The financing is provided by a consortium made up of Erste Group Bank Austria, BCR, Raiffeisen Bank Romania, and Raiffeisen Bank International Austria. The loan will support the remodelling of Palas Iași […]
