Shortcut To Power Supply And Trading Activities For EU Operators

An updated regulation on the licensing regime in Romania's power sector was recently adopted by ANRE, the national regulatory authority. On 17 March 2015, Order no. 12/2015 on the Regulation for granting licenses and authorizations in the electricity sector ("Order 12"), effective as of publication, was published in the Romanian Official Gazette no. 180/2015 and repeals the former regulation, ie Order no. 48/2013.

While Order 12 largely follows the principles set forth in the former regulation, it nevertheless brings certain novelties, in particular in the supply and trading sector.

1. Easier access for EU operators‎ to electricity supply and trading in Romania

In the 2014 decision in the antitrust procedure it opened against the Romanian energy market operator OPCOM, the EC established that OPCOM had abused its dominant position by requiring all participants on the spot markets of the power exchange to have a Romanian VAT registration and consequently