EC rejects request from Romania and Moldova for temporary CO2 certificates waiver
<p>The European Commission has refused to grant a temporary derogation from the obligation to purchase greenhouse gas emission certificates (CO2) for natural gas and coal-fired energy produced by Romanian companies OMV Petrom and CEO for the Republic of Moldova, according to <a href="https://www.profit.ro/povesti-cu-profit/energie/comisia-europeana-a-refuzat-sa-acorde-derogare-de-la-taxa-co2-pentru-exporturile-romanesti-de-energie-electrica-pe-gaze-si-carbune-in-republica-moldova-21892361?mc_cid=5dd6e6d9fe&amp;mc_eid=cd1f92f96c" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Profit.ro</a> quoting energy minister Sebastian Burduja.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Romania and Moldova <a href="https://www.romania-insider.com/romania-european-commission-electricity-moldova-january-2025" rel="noopener" target="_blank">requested</a> such a derogation recently in the context of Gazprom cutting the natural gas supplies to Moldova, causing an energy crisis in the separatist region Transnistria.</p>

<p>“The Directorate General for Climate Action is not in favor of this solution. [A similar derogation] was also requested by Poland, and the argument [for refusal], which I find difficult to counter, is that this would create a precedent at the European level, in which certain circumstances can be invoked to make exemptions from the payment of these certificates,” minister Burduja stated.</p>

<p><em>iulian@romania-insider.com</em></p>

<p><em>(Photo source: <a href="https://www.dreamstime.com" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Aleksandr Marko/Dreamstime.com</a>)</em></p>