Subsidizing the price paid by the entire population of Romania for energy and gas should cease and will continue to receive aid only those who really need it, said on Wednesday, the Minister of Energy and Business Environment, Virgil Popescu, at the taking office ceremony.

“We want to repeal GEO 114 which has caused great dissensions in the market. We will see the European Commission’s response to the proposed timetable and depending on this we will consider the transition period,” said Popescu, quoted by Agerpres.

The calendar proposed by the Romanian authorities foresees the liberalization in stages of the electricity and gas markets, until April 1, 2021 in the case of gas and July 1, 2021, for the electricity market.

“The repeal of 114 will take place with a transition, once the vulnerable consumer is defined. The subsidy must go to those people who need it. In practice, at present, the entire population of Romania is subsidized, but this must stop. Only the people who have needs should be helped and that is why we have to have this concept of the vulnerable consumer,” added Popescu.