Calota (ANRE): Liberalization of electricity and gas markets prepares Romanian consumers for joining the Euro Zone

The liberalization of the electricity and natural gas markets is an important contribution to Romania's convergence process towards the Euro Zone, in order to avoid consumer shocks, said Emil Calota, the vice-president of the National Regulatory Authority for Energy (ANRE).

He spoke in the Parliament in the joint commissions for a new term in the leadership of ANRE.

"The liberalization of the electricity and natural gas markets is an extremely important contribution to the convergence of Romania to the Euro Zone. Romania does not ask whether it will pass, but when it goes to the Euro Zone. The fact that electricity prices will be liberalized starting this year, and natural gas prices will be liberalized very soon, with monitoring measures, will lead to the preparation of consumers in order to function in perfect consonance with the community space. It is important not to have shocks at the moment of the transition" Calotă said, according to Agerpres.

The electricity market will be totally liberalized starting January 1, 2018, while the gas market was liberalized on April 1, 2017 for the production component, with household tariffs to be regularized until 2021.

According to ANRE Vice President, if the gas market had not been liberalized on April 1 this year, steps should be taken in the liberalization schedule Romania assumed in 2012, which foresaw a price increase of 78 lei per MWh, compared to 71-72 lei, as is the level now on the stock exchange.

A number of 22 candidates have submitted their CVs for president, vice president, and members of the ANRE Regulatory Committee: Niculae Havrileţ, Emil Calota, Zoltan Nagy-Bege, Gheorghe Barbu, Mihai Albulescu, Marian Cernat, Mihai Râmniceanu, Honorel Soreaţă, Dumitru Chiriţă, Luminiţa Lupului, Radu Cosmin Bădiţă, Corina Murafa, Gabriela Moroianu, Mihai Nicolae Catalin, Florin Rădoi, Radu Mircea Ion, Sorin Adrian Vasilescu, Gabriel Gheorghe, Marius Sorin Bota, Danut Andruşca, Camelia Sulger and Crum Mitricof.

Of these, Gheorghe Barbu withdrew his candidacy before the hearings in the Parliament began.

On 23 October, the mandates of four of the seven members of the ANRE Regulatory Committee will expire, currently occupied by Niculae Havrileţ (chairman), Emil Calota (vice-president), Zoltan Nagy-Bege and Gheorghe Barbu.