The draft law, positively approved at a Cabinet of Ministers meeting, is aimed at strengthening state intervention mechanisms in situations of alarm or energy crisis. The document proposes measures allowing the authorities and market participants to react faster in case of disruptions in imports or significant fluctuations in fuel prices.
Among the main provisions is the possibility for the National Energy Regulatory Agency (ANRE) to temporarily apply flexible mechanisms for calculating price caps for gasoline and diesel during crisis periods. Thus, the regulator can change the reference period used to calculate prices (e.g., 7 instead of 14 days) or use alternative quotations for petroleum products to promptly reflect market changes in the final price and reduce the risk of imbalances.
The project also provides for simplification of the logistical process of fuel supply. Thus, imported petroleum products can be delivered directly to filling stations, without the need to transit exclusively through oil depots. This measure will shorten delivery times, avoid overloading storage infrastructure, and help prevent shortages during periods of high consumption or import difficulties.
In addition, the Ministry of Energy proposed to supplement the draft law with a provision preventing the blocking of available capacity in the electricity grid. The need for this measure is justified by the fact that some bidders in auctions for power projects have reserved, through grid connection notifications, larger grid capacities than those actually offered in the auctions, without subsequently realizing the respective projects. This practice resulted in unjustified occupation of available grid capacity.
The authorities argue that these measures are necessary to prevent blocking investors’ access to the grid in order not to create discriminatory treatment of applicants and to ensure more efficient utilization of the electricity infrastructure.
