Romania should look at a ‘Smart Deal’ instead, the minister said.
Signaling a shift in Romania’s energy strategy, Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja will present his finding on the negative impact of the European Union’s Green Deal policy on Romania’s energy sector.
Taking a leaf from US President Donald Trump, Burduja says the EU member should move from the Green Deal to what he calls the “Smart Deal.”
He said the EU’s environmental policies may be well-intentioned, but they “risk making our European economies victims of bureaucratization and decisions divorced from economic realities”.
Burduja stressed that energy security is crucial, particularly with the war in neighboring Ukraine, where Russian attacks have severely damaged energy infrastructure and caused supply problems in Moldova.
Romania has the potential to become a regional leader in energy production but was being held back by “stifling bureaucracy and a Green Deal that ignores the realities on the ground”.
“Europeans deserve to pay less for energy, and this can only be achieved through massive energy production,” Burduja said, echoing a wider debate across the EU.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has also pledged to push for a review of the Green Deal, criticizing its “ideological approach”, claiming it risks triggering deindustrialization.
“Affordable energy means cheaper goods and services, a better quality of life, higher-paying jobs, and improved European competitiveness,” Burduja stated.
He said some European leaders believe a debate is needed on how and whether to continue the Green Deal, as the bloc is risking the an opportunity to rebuild the European economy.
He argued that Romanian coal-fired power plants should not be phased out before viable alternatives are fully operational. In the short and medium term, he suggested gas-fired power plants as a bridging method, with nuclear power plants as the long-term solution.
The minister has said he will apply to the European Commission for an extension to the closure of coal-fired power stations.
The EU is currently committed to phasing out coal-fired power plants, and is investing in renewable energy – solar and wind. Romania has developed solar and wind farms in recent years.
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