AGERPRES special correspondent Daniel Florea reports: Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan said Romania must meet the milestones under its National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) but also ensure the national energy system remains stable.
Speaking in Brussels at a press conference after talks with European Commission officials, including President Ursula von der Leyen, Bolojan said Romania must clarify two key milestones - special pensions for magistrates and decarbonisation - to unlock a EUR 2.6 billion payment request.
He noted that coal-based electricity production is high-consumption, polluting, and has become inefficient because of carbon certificates and the way the daily energy market sets prices. Replacing these coal-fired, energy-intensive plants with gas plants, solar plants, or other cleaner sources was required, but because Romania has not reduced coal production capacity and has not replaced it with alternative sources within the agreed deadlines, the country is now in a situation where it cannot meet its commitments, Bolojan said.
At the same time, he stressed that such a transition cannot realistically be done overnight. He noted delays in replacing coal-fired capacity with gas and renewable sources, citing unfinished conversion projects such as the Craiova plant. While progress has been made elsewhere, he said Romania cannot phase out coal "overnight" without risking supply security, especially during peak winter demand.
He added that the government will present proposals next week aimed at adjusting the decarbonisation timeline while securing access to EU funds.
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