EC VP: Romania to strengthen role as regional energy hub

Romania plays an important role on the energy market in the region and will “certainly” strengthen its role as regional energy hub for Southeast Europe and the Western Balkans, said Maros Sefcovic, European Commission Vice-President responsible for the Energy Union. Romania and its interconnectors will be very important for Europe’s energy security, and in the future several gas pipelines could cross the country, Sefcovic said, cited by local Agerpres. He added that the European electricity market design should be changed, in order to better integrate the renewable energy in the energy mix. Coal is still important in many EU member states, such as Romania or Poland, but its role will need to be put in line with the European Commission’s agenda on climate change. The coal plants need to be refurbished and modernized, Sefcovic said. editor@romania-insider.com