Bogdan Tudorache
The National Uranium Company (CNU) will be able to raise the price beyond the limits set by the Ministry of Public Finance, but with the agreement of the Euratom Agency, it is shown in the draft of a new Government Decision launched in public debate yesterday.
The decision stipulates that the CNU ”may conclude contracts for the sale-purchase of the uranium dioxide product at a price different from the price endorsed by the Ministry of Public Finance, in accordance with the requirements of the EURATOM Supply Agency provided in the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM Treaty).”
”CNU will be able to conclude sales-purchase contracts for the uranium dioxide product at a price different from the price approved, according to the law, by the Ministry of Public Finance… National Company of Uranium – S.A. may conclude contracts for the sale-purchase of the uranium dioxide product at a price different from the price approved by the Ministry of Public Finance, in accordance with the requirements of the Euratom Supply Agency provided for in the Euratom Treaty,” the explanatory note states.
The note also states that “the price of the uranium dioxide product will be the one at which the EURATOM Supply Agency, under the provisions of the Euratom Treaty, will agree to conclude/ sign the respective sales-purchase contracts. Thus, according to the newly created framework, SNN and CNU will have the right to conclude orders for the uranium dioxide product at a different price from the regulated price, orders that they will send for signing/ closing to ESA ”.
Also, a price increase is foreseen, by “practicing by the National Company of Uranium – S.A. of prices without the approval of the Ministry of Public Finance or of prices higher than those approved, except for the situation provided in art. 4 in which the National Uranium Company – S.A. is authorized to market uranium dioxide at the price accepted by the EURATOM Supply Agency … Therefore, it might be considered that the regulation of the price related to the qualification, storage and processing services of uranium oxide, as well as the price of uranium dioxide powder provided by the CNU on the Romanian territory would not affect the trade between the Member States of the European Union,” is specified in the note.