EC rejects request from Romania and Moldova for temporary CO2 certificates waiver

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 Profit.ro quoting energy minister Sebastian Burduja.

Romania and Moldova requested 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.

“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.

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