Romania Hasn’t Notified EC On Renewable Energy Aid Scheme Changes
The provisions of the emergency decree changing the renewable energy support scheme are applicable as of July 1 although the decree has not been notified to the European Commission.
Minister-delegate for energy Constantin Nita said an informal notification has been sent to Romanian antitrust authorities.
“We sent an informal notification on July 17 to the Competition Council but we have yet to see whether to notify the law in its entirety or just the part targeting large consumers,” said Nita.
The Government has not notified the European Commission on changes to renewable energy support scheme laws although Nita said in May the Commission had “largely” agreed to the proposed changes. “No pre-notification has been received so far,” according to a Commission document of July 24. (Curentul)
Domestic Gas Production Liberalization Sparks Controversy
Romanian authorities want to facilitate industrial consumers’ access to domestic natural gas and are negotiating with the European Commission, said Minister-delegate for energy Constantin Nita.
“We cannot leave Romanian industry outside the game in competition with the world market. We are also thinking of solutions to lower electricity prices and aid schemes to help industrial consumers, at least during the liberalization of the natural gas market,” said Nita.
The liberalization of the gas market is controversial as the chemical industry has already warned companies might shut down in the next period over price hikes and employees have already protested several times. The steel industry is also tightly related to gas prices. (Adevarul)
Government Hasn’t Allotted Any Funds For Severance In Railway Layoffs
Although it plans to lay off around 3,000 employees in railway companies, the Romanian government has not allotted any funds for severance packages.
The fate of CFR Calatori, CFR Marfa, and CFR SA is uncertain as the state plans collective layoffs while private managers appointed by former transport minister Relu Fenechiu plan to renegotiate collective work contracts. The collective work contract for CFR SA expires this year.
The government wants to lay off around 3,000 railway workers in 2013-2016, but has not assigned any funds for severance, as stipulate din Ordinance 36/2013. (Evenimentul Zilei)
Integrity Agency Finds Hospital Managers In Conflicts Of Interest
Romania’s National Integrity Agency (ANI) has found three hospital managers incompatible with their positions.
The agency said the managers of hospitals “Theodor Burghele” and “Victor Gomoiu” were incompatible because they were at the same time deans of the Bucharest University of Medicine, and the manager of the Ilfov Clinical Emergency Hospital was also the administrator of a commercial company. (Curentul)