Romanian telecom group sues state over electricity distribution access

Two companies controlled by Romanian telecom group RCS&RDS, have sued the National Regulatory Authority for Energy (ANRE) as well as the Government, the Economy Ministry, the Energy Ministry, three ENEL subsidiaries and a subsidiary of Electrica. The two companies went to court after ANRE has refused to grant them the license to build their own electricity distribution network, reports local Economica.net. The telecom group RCS&RDS has been trying to enter the energy market. The company already offers electricity supply services. However, its efforts to enter the distribution market have yielded no results, as the law grants the existing electricity distributors a monopoly in their regions and the right to block any newcomer. RCS&RDS has asked the annulment of an ANRE order from 2014 that enables a company to distribute energy only with the permission of the distribution operator that has received the concession for that area. In March, ANRE didn’t allow the two companies to develop their own electricity distribution networks in Oradea, western Romania, where state-controlled Electrica operates. editor@romania-insider.com