Romania is one of the hardest-hit
\ncountries in the context of the soaring energy prices. Starting January 1, 2022,
\nthe energy market was liberalized, but for the last six months the authorities’
\nfaulty communication has generated chaos and difficulties for household users.
\nStarting this summer, electricity and natural gas prices have skyrocketed. At
\nthe end of the 2021, electricity prices were capped for household users, and
\npart of the energy bills are now state-subsidized until March 31, 2022. Until
\nthen, the ruling coalition will analyze whether it needs to improve the
\nlegislation, Energy Minister Virgil Popescu told Radio Romania. The Social-Democrats
\nhave criticized the current legislation, promoted by Minister Popescu and
\nadopted by the former Parliament majority. The Social-Democrats now want to
\nhand out vouchers to vulnerable consumers, simplify payment procedures for
\ncompensations awarded to energy distributors and expand the state assistance
\nscheme for economic operators. Referring to industrial consumers, Minister
\nVirgil Popescu says the government has also helped them overcome various issues
\nlinked to the recent price hikes:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Industrial energy
\nconsumers do not benefit from the current law, but we had another assistance
\npackage, completed last year, whereby they were awarded 140 million Euro. ALRO
\nSlatina, for instance, received a payment of 390 million lei in October as
\nstate aid. Azomure\u0219, in turn, received 125 million lei, and these are but two
\nexamples of large companies that claimed the soaring prices make their activity
\nunsustainable. We understand their problems.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Still, the ALRO Complex,
\nthe only producer of aluminum and alloys on the Romanian market and the largest
\nin Central and Eastern Europe (with the exception of Russia), decided to stage
\na protest, after the board decided to cut back on production due to the energy
\ncrisis. Their trade union says over 1,000 employees risk being put on furlough,
\nyet the effects may run much deeper, because ALRO works closely with other
\nenterprises, impacting their activity as well. The aluminum factory in Tulcea
\nalso staged a protest, reducing production. People fear they will lose their jobs
\nand have called on the authorities to intervene, so that industrial energy
\nconsumers may benefit from equitable prices. (VP)<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The ruling coalition will analyze whether the legislation capping energy bills needs adjusting<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":109,"featured_media":90227,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[37738],"tags":[32599,28990,40435,36089],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-90830","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-today-in-the-news","tag-energy-prices","tag-protests","tag-state-subsidies","tag-virgil-popescu"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n