Calota said that ANRE representatives and the IMF delegation discussed the issue of the contracts on the power exchange OPCOM and the issue of political interference in ANRE activity.
According to Calota, in the future, ANRE will have to provide price and tariff predictability for minimum 4-5 years, for all types of energy.
Last year, the Association of Electricity Suppliers in Romania (AFEER) called on authorities several times to reintroduce bilateral contracts negotiated directly on OPCOM, arguing the ban on such contracts distorts the market and hinders investments in the sector.
AFEER includes Alpiq, Alro, CEZ, Axpo, E.ON, Enel, Electrica, CE Oltenia, GDF SUEZ Energy Romania, Grivco, Hidroelectrica, OMV Petrom, Tinmar and Rudnap.
The most notorious case involving bilateral energy contracts is that of state-owned power producer Hidroelectrica, which sold electricity directly to several beneficiaries, under bilateral contracts, at prices below market value, incurring massive losses that led to insolvency in 2012.