On Tuesday, the senators adopted Decree 119/2022 on limiting energy prices with 87 votes in favor and 35 abstentions with amendments. Thus, the senators expanded the range of restrictions for churches, drug manufacturers, as well as for families with more than three children. The first chamber is the Senate, and the last word rests with the deputies.

The amendment adopted by the senators provides that the capped price of 0.68 lei/kWh including VAT should be paid by household consumers who have at least three children under the age of 18, respectively 26 years, if they comply with the form. of education, for all achieved consumption.

Consumers who use medical devices, appliances or equipment necessary for treatment, based on self-declaration, will benefit from the same facility for all consumption.

At the same time, among the beneficiaries of the limited price from the economic environment and from government institutions, for which electricity is billed at a maximum of 1 lei/kWh, including VAT, for 85% of the average monthly consumption, there are:

• small and medium-sized enterprises, operators providing communal services, including Metrorex SA,
• food industry entities, science and technology parks,
• state enterprises that administer or manage investments in the field of sports,
• administrators of industrial parks,
• drug manufacturers and distributors,
• pharmacies that use a cold chain,
• places of worship officially recognized in Romania.

Senator Radu Mykhailo from USR unsuccessfully requested that the report be re-sent to the committee, but PSD, PNL and UDMR rejected the request.

“The government, the Ministry of Finance, Mr. Chuke, Mr. Kachiu challenged without being able to come to the commission. We cannot afford to continue to have holes in the budget without at least the government’s perspective on the impact on the budget,” Mykhailo said.

Earlier, during the debate in the committee, PSD senator Daniel Zamfir said that he was satisfied with the changed form of the law. “The main purpose of the law is to calm the energy market. If we continue with the same mechanism as before, which is to encourage manufacturers and traders to enter the ROM market, then this is wrong. The PZU market was created precisely so that you can buy additional energy. Most of the energy that you supply to consumers has to be bought under bilateral contracts, term contracts. That’s what we want to do in this law, to encourage those entities that are left, outside, such as airports, etc., to be determined to negotiate bilateral contracts, because at the end of the day, and this mechanism that was created as these institutions such as the airport, as the metro, CFR and other government institutions were now, to be in the zone of suppliers of last hope, is unacceptable,” explained Zamfir.

He stated that “the Romanian state is not a bottomless sack, the Romanian state cannot fully cover all the needs that are currently appearing on the market, but through this support mechanism, through the strengthening of bilateral contracts, I believe that the energy market will stabilize and prices will be acceptable somewhere.”

PSD accuses: the absurd coalition created ad hoc of senators from PNL, USR and AUR is undermining Romania’s ability to have its own energy at maximum capacity for as long as possible.

Senator Stefan Radu Opria said after the commission’s meeting that “the absurd coalition consisting ad hoc of senators from PNL, USR and AUR is undermining Romania’s ability to have its own energy at maximum capacity for as long as possible.” .

“Because of them, because they abstained, the PSD and UDMR amendment to the decarbonization law, which excluded the Paroshensky Energy Complex from the closure list and continued the operation of the Lonea and Lupeni mines that supply them, did not pass. the specialized committee of the Senate needs coal,” PSD says.

Oprah shows: “Romania needs energy! Any resource must be maintained in working condition and utilized to the maximum, taking into account the current critical situation and perspective. Nothing can be closed without being replaced with something at least equivalent! This is the main principle on which PSD operates to make it possible to provide electricity to the population and the economy at the most affordable price.”

“PSD criticizes and condemns the incomprehensible position of the PNL-USR-AUR senators, it is deeply contrary to the common interests and takes upon itself the responsibility to act so that the final form of the decarbonization law does not involve the absurd closing of power generation capacities, especially since in a few years the bloc 1 Chernavode NPP will be stopped for reconstruction,” the senator added.

• Regulation on energy discussed in parliament / Price restrictions for religious cults, pharmaceutical industry and public transport – PSD amendments