Immediately after the announcement of the European Commission, which has decided to send Romania to the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) for not adopting an emergency plan under the (EU) Regulation No. 994/2010 on security of gas supply, the government announced Thursday evening (18 June) that it has finalized on Wednesday, June 17, this document.
At the last moment, the Ministry of Energy (MEIMMMA) the completed document, shown in a press release on Thursday by energynomics.ro at 18.00 hours.
“On 17 June 2015, the elaboration of the Emergency Plan was completed by MEIMMMA, and the document was forwarded to the European Commission. Also, the competent authorities of Hungary and Bulgaria have been notified, subject to consultation, in accordance with the procedure set by the (EU) Regulation No.994 / 2010.
EU Regulation on the security of gas supply creates a common indicator to assess the severe threats to the security of gas supply
After receiving the answers from the European Commission and the competent authorities in the mentioned neighboring countries, the Ministry of Energy, SME and Business Environment, will adopt the final form of the Emergency Plan, and it will make it public in accordance with (EU) Regulation No. 994/2010 “, reads the Ministry press release.
The Ministry does not clarify, however, what is the stage of the lawsuit announced Thursday morning by the EC.
What does the Emergency Plan contain
The directives aim at ensuring that Member States are better prepared to cope with any supply disruptions. To this end, the member states must establish, among other things, emergency plans and notify them to the European Commission. An emergency plan sets out the measures and procedures that enter into force in the event of gas supply disruptions and that are well coordinated with the neighboring states. Member States were required to adopt these plans until December 3, 2012, according to Agerpres.
In November 2013, the Commission sent Romania a letter of formal failing to adopt a national emergency plan. In November 2014, the Commission issued a reasoned opinion, because Romania was still in non-compliance with the regulation on security of gas supply. The emergency plan has not been adopted yet and this can affect Romania’s ability to cope with a possible crisis.
EU Regulation on security of gas supply creates a common indicator to assess the severe threats to the security of gas supply. Also, the EU Regulation
defines the supply standard that EU countries must prepare to comply, even in case of disruption;
It requires the Member States to designate an authority specifically responsible for the gas supply;
it requires the authority to create a preventive action plan to assess the risks linked to the supply and propose preventive measures such as investment in new pipelines;
it requires the authority to draw up emergency plans to cope with a crisis;
it establishes a Gas Coordination Group to coordinate actions and to enable the exchange of information between the national authorities and the industry.
On 16 October 2014, the Commission published its Communication on the stress tests that analyze the effects of possible interruptions, partial or total, of the supply with natural gas from Russia. One of the main conclusions was that greater cooperation and coordination can substantially mitigate the impact of disruption. In parallel with the stress tests, a report on the implementation of the Regulation on security of supply was adopted. This regulation has already demonstrated significant beneficial effects on the security of gas supply to Europe, both in terms of preparation for a crisis situation and in terms of mitigating its effects. At the same time, the report also highlighted the areas where an improvement of the implementation can further enhance the security of gas supply to Europe. The Commission is currently working on a revision of the regulation. The review does not mean that the Regulation could be suspended. Therefore, the Commission continues its efforts to encourage better adherence to the existing provisions.
