Radio România Internațional

Tag: West

  • Compensations for energy?

    Compensations for energy?

    Romania will ask the EU for compensation for the significant energy price differences between the west and the east of the continent, claims the energy minister, Sebastian Burduja. He explained that these differences are allegedly caused by the lower hydropower production in the country due to the drought, and by interconnection problems, which did not allow the export of cheaper energy from the west to the east. Moreover, Romania supports the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine energetically, and all these create pressure on prices in the country. Sebastian Burduja added that the request would be submitted to the Council of Ministers, at the European level, and said that he hoped that Romania would be compensated for these price differences. He emphasized that he strongly supported the expansion of the single market.

     

    At present, Romania pays a price of almost 150 euros/MWh, well above the European average of almost 102 euros/MWh. The price is felt all the more as the country faces significant obstacles related to diversifying the energy mix and improving energy efficiency, according to the European Commission’s latest report on the energy union. The situation is also valid at the European level, even if the document shows that significant progress has been made regarding energy from renewable sources. Romania’s energy mix remains heavily dependent on fossil fuels, which account for 71% of the total energy consumption, slightly above the EU average of 69%. The country’s electricity mix is ​​dominated by renewables (42.4%), followed by fossil fuels (37.6%) and nuclear power (19.9%).

     

    To ensure its energy security, Romania operates six gas storage facilities with a total capacity of 3.1 billion cubic meters, the equivalent of 31% of the annual gas consumption. By mid-August, these storage facilities were already filled, ensuring the country for the coming winter. Romania is committed to expanding its nuclear capacity to meet the EU’s climate targets and to strengthen its energy security. Two new reactors (CANDU), each with a capacity of about 700 MWe, are to be built to complement the existing nuclear facilities. Despite the progress reported, Romania is facing integration and compliance challenges. The country’s wholesale electricity and gas markets are heavily influenced by government interventions that go beyond the EU’s emergency framework.

     

    At the same time, smart meters, a critical tool for increasing market flexibility, are installed in only 23% of Romanian households, which points to the need for improvements in terms of ensuring energy efficiency. According to the report, energy poverty remains a major concern in Romania. In 2023, 13.6% of the people had difficulty paying their utility bills and 12.5% ​​were unable to heat their homes adequately in winter, which is indicative of the need for accelerated building renovation and targeted social measures. (LS)

  • 16 years since Romania joined the EU

    16 years since Romania joined the EU

    Romanias transition from one of the toughest communist dictatorships in Europe, that of Nicolae Ceauşescu, to the status of European Union member the lasted from December 22, 1989 until January 1, 2007. Preceded by the country’s admission to NATO, in 2004, Romania’s accession to the community structures was considered one of the major successes of the political class in Bucharest, dominated, at the time, by the President Traian Băsescu and the Prime Minister Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu. But all the important parties in Romania supported this target, thus resonating with the expectations of the Romanian society. The archives attest that, in the autumn of 2005, for instance, Romanians trust in the European Union was the highest among all EU member states or the countries in the process of EU accession.



    After EU accession, Romania became the seventh country in the Union in terms of the number of inhabitants, and the sixth after Brexit. The Romanian language became one of the official languages ​​of the EU and any Romanian citizen can address the community institutions in Romanian. The very name of the European Union, in Romanian, received official status. The Romanian MEPs took their seats in the European Parliament. Just as the other member states, Romania has a post of European Commissioner in the European Commission. Besides the political gains, the advantages of accession were also felt by Romanians in their daily lives, who became European citizens.



    They can travel and settle anywhere in the community space and can compete on the labor market in countries where the wages are much higher than at home. Romanias foreign trade is clearly dominated by exchanges with the EU partners, and the Gross Domestic Product grew constantly in the years after accession. Opinion polls show that most Romanians believe that the direction in which Romania should be going, in terms of political and military alliances, is the West, that is, the European Union, the United States of America and NATO. They think that joining the European Union brought more advantages.



    However, about two-thirds answered that their country must defend its national interests when they are not in line with the EU rules, even if it risks losing its position as a EU member state. Fewer respondents said that Romania, as a member state, must respect the community rules, even when its national interests are affected. Anyway, most respondents believe that the European Union should not fall apart in the coming years. However, the polls also show the frustration of most Romanians that their country has not yet been admitted to the free travel Schengen Area, which makes them feel like second-class European citizens. (LS)