Romania could finally, after years of trying, have an energy strategy aimed at the period 2025-2035, with a perspective to 2050. The Ministry of Energy intends to finalize the draft energy strategy in the coming days, which will be submitted for public discussion, HotNews reports. ro. In order to avoid environmental examinations and to be sure that the document will quickly reach the government’s table, the officials of the Ministry of Energy do not want to include specific projects in the strategy.

Copy after unfinished plan

In addition, according to HotNews.ro, the strategy is, for the most part, a copy of what is supposed to be a revised form of the Integrated National Energy and Climate Change Plan 2023-2030 – PNIESC, with goals and objectives. at the request of the European Commission through the European Green Transition Policy.

We would like to remind you that the updated form of PNESTC is also not finalized. The European Commission harshly criticized the Romanian authorities for the way the PNESC project looks. The Commission was not satisfied with the targets presented by Romania, such as those related to renewable energy sources, which also confirms the lack of policies and measures needed to go green.

The PNIESC must reach its final form by June 30, 2024, during which the Romanian authorities, especially the Ministry of Energy, must clarify the aspects required by the European Commission and take into account the recommendations.

The energy strategy will not include specific projects, but only “points to national, European and global benchmarks that influence and determine policies and decisions in the energy field.” More precisely, we will not find in the document such projects as nuclear reactors, large and small, Tarnița – Lăpuștești, Hidroelectrica hydroelectric plants, various gas plants to be built, or photovoltaic and wind projects.

Why the Ministry of Energy wants to avoid environmental expertise

The last energy strategy was developed in 2007 with a perspective until 2020. However, the data in this document became invalid long before the strategy expired, so the Ministry of Energy tried to update it back in 2013. There were several unsuccessful attempts to implement the new strategy.

Finally, the draft “Energy Strategy of Romania 2020-2030 with a perspective to 2050” was completed and received an environmental opinion in November 2020. Environmental NGOs challenged the environmental opinion in court. Bucharest Court of Appeal.

According to JustNews.ro, the reasoning of the court stated that “Environmental Opinion No. 53/2020 was issued in a context in which no analysis was carried out from which it can be concluded whether the projects proposed by the Strategy will lead to the release of pollutants into the air or any other hazardous, toxic or noxious substances that will lead to exceeding the limits set by the Ambient Air Quality Directives, and whether the projects will generate greenhouse gases and to what extent, thereby violating the provisions of Order No. 269/2020, and also not taking into account the strategic goals set by the European Green Deal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, as well as the goals of the Paris Agreement ratified by Romania through Law No. 57/2017.”

Without specific energy projects, the strategy would no longer require a comprehensive environmental assessment, nor would it risk being challenged in court by environmental NGOs.