DG Competition starts preliminary investigation into Romania’s renewable support scheme change

The Directorate – General (DG) for Competition, the anti-trust arm of the European Commission, has started a preliminary investigation procedure into the government’s decision to partially suspend the support for renewable producers.

The RPIA (Romanian Photovoltaic Industry Association) notified the Commission as the ‘government intends to implement measures which distorts the electricity market.’   

“As the government enforced the emergency ordinance 57/2013, not only investors, but final consumers as well have been prejudiced,” said the RPIA. The association reckons the rescheduling of some green certificates doesn’t help consumers because it introduces exceptions and some confusing provisions.

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The RPIA is currently considering all the legal options to block the government ordinance, both at a national and international level.

The solar sector has been worst hit by Romania’s decision to curb the benefits of renewable producers. Two green certificates have been scrapped from solar producers starting July 1. Authorities say the deffered certificates will be issued starting April 2017.

The emergency ordinance contains a fresh provision that blocks the set up of photo-voltaic farms on agricultural land from receiving green certificates.

The price of solar panels has also gone up after the European Commission imposed provisional duties of 11.8 percent on Chinese solar panels. Players say this will dent the future development of the sector and disrupt the European solar value chain.

Ovidiu Posirca