The Romanian Parliament passed a draft decision to set up a parliamentary committee in order to identify the causes of the substantial rise in gas and electricity prices.
Minister of Energy Virgil Popescu said that he voted for the establishment of this committee because he wants to find the causes and all the reasons why the prices of electricity and natural gas have increased.
The opposition Social Democratic Party (PSD) said earlier that the objectives of the committee will include analyzing the measures of the Ministry of Energy, consumer protection agency (ANPC), the Competition Council and the energy market regulator (ANRE) aimed at mitigating anti- competitive practices and the artificial increase of the bills paid by the consumers. The members of the committee will also evaluate the possibility of reintroducing regulated prices for a limited period of time for household consumers and SMEs affected by the pandemic.