The European Commission has sent reasoned opinions to Romania, Hungary, and Croatia for not complying with their reporting obligations regarding their respective energy targets, according to Euractiv.
The Commission requested Romania and Hungary to submit comprehensive progress reports on the progress of their 2020 energy efficiency targets, which were due on 30 April 2022.
Sebastian Burduja, the recently appointed Energy Ministry following the government rotation, indicated as one of his top priorities “to improve the administrative capacity of the ministry.”
According to Article 7 of the Energy Efficiency Directive, member states must implement an Energy Efficiency Obligation Scheme or adopt alternative measures to attain a cumulative energy-saving target within an obligation period spanning from 2021 to 2030.
The Energy Efficiency Directorate’s primary responsibilities include monitoring and implementing national-level legislation to achieve the country’s energy efficiency objectives for 2030.
In its Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan (INECP), adopted in April 2020, Romania committed to a green energy target of 30.7% of renewable energy in the country’s total energy mix by 2030.
According to its plan, Romania aims to decarbonise its industry, and improve energy efficiency in infrastructure and equipment, develop storage and transportation capacities, enhance process efficiency and digitisation, and qualify human resources to meet the specific demands of the renewable energy sector.
Most of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) is dedicated to energy efficiency initiatives, mainly involving the national energy system, while REPowerEU is aligned with energy independence and security through sustainable resources.