Expert-Grup

The Need for Energy Sector Reform on the Agenda of Cahul Residents

Wednesday, 15 November 20175395 views
The Need for Energy Sector Reform on the Agenda of Cahul Residents

Automatically translated summary. The full article is available in Romanian.

On 13 November, the Independent Think Tank “Expert-Grup”, in partnership with Expert-Forum, held the first public debate, “Energy, Politics and the Citizen's Pocket”, in Cahul. More than 50 students, civil society representatives, academics and local authorities discussed energy reform, interconnection projects with Romania and unfulfilled international commitments.

Sergiu Tofilat said Moldova has bought cheaper Transnistrian energy for 25 years and built up a debt of USD 6-7 billion, equal to the country's GDP. He argued that payments for Cuciurgan electricity are siphoned off to offshore havens and the Tiraspol administration's budget.

Otilia Nuțu pointed to Romania, where a stronger regulator and market liberalisation after 2012 fostered competition and lowered prices, and to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Denis Cenușă noted that Moldova has unfulfilled Energy Community commitments owing to a lack of political will, and urged full adoption of the Third Energy Package and secondary legislation on renewables. The main conclusion was that the EU does not ask Moldova to choose between West and East, but offers fair conditions and strong regulators. The project was funded by the Dutch Embassy in Bucharest.

View the original article in Romanian