Ministry of Energy publishes draft emergency ordinance on extension of energy price cap

 The Ministry of Energy published, on Friday evening, the draft Emergency Ordinance on the extension of the price cap for electricity until June 30, 2025 and for natural gas until March 31, 2026. "This normative act aims to establish the following temporary measures: granting support measures similar to those included in Emergency Ordinance no. 27/2022 on the measures applicable to final customers in the electricity and natural gas market during the period April 1, 2022 - March 31, 2023, with subsequent amendments and completions, respectively capping the final invoiced prices and compensating the difference from the budget, for electricity consumers, during the period April 1, 2025 - June 30, 2025; granting support measures similar to those included in Emergency Ordinance no. 27/2022 on the measures applicable to final customers in the electricity and natural gas market during the period April 1, 2022 -March 31, 2023, with subsequent amendments and completions, respectively the capping of final invoiced prices and the compensation of the difference from the budget, for natural gas consumers, during the period April 1, 2025 - March 31, 2026", the draft's substantiation note reads.Thus, the three maximum price caps for electricity will be maintained until the end of June 2025, of 0.68 RON/kWh, 0.80 RON/kWh and 1.3 RON/kWh, VAT included, depending on consumption, and of 0.31 and 0.37 RON/kWh, VAT included, for natural gas.At the same time, the document stipulates that the Ministry of Labor, Family, Youth and Social Solidarity will be obliged to develop, together with other relevant institutions, a methodology for establishing the criteria for identifying and qualifying energy consumers for the application of appropriate social measures and/or financial support and to issue, by June 15, 2025, a Government Decision on the implementation of that methodology and on the amount of support granted.The draft emergency ordinance mentions that the extension of the application of some of the protection measures included in Emergency Ordinance no. 27/2022 on the measures applicable to final customers in the electricity and natural gas market during the period April 1, 2022-March 31, 2023, with subsequent amendments and completions, was necessary given the existing situation at national and international level, determined by the still high level of electricity and natural gas prices, mainly due to the current geopolitical context, so that the prices for electricity and natural gas paid by final customers do not affect economic competitiveness and do not aggravate the level of energy poverty.