Romania is renegotiating 1996 natual gas delivery convention with Russia

Joi, 7 iulie 2011, 16:28 English | Regional Europe

Romania is renegotiating its convention with the Russian Federation signed in Moscow in 1996, according to data provided by the Economy Ministry in Romania at HotNews.ro request. The convention is important as it reffers to the quantity of Russian natural gas delivered to Romania and the transit to third countries. A major change to the convention would be the introduction of the right to resell gas delivered by Russia for Romanian consumers to other states. Also subject of renegotiation are the quantities of gas Gazprom will export to Romania, which may reach 10 billion cubic meters by 2020.

As compared to the current situation, the difference is huge: according to Gazprom data, 2,6 billion cubic meters of Russian gas reached Romania last year.

The renegotiation of the convention is one of the three necessary steps to establish a natural strategy in the natural gas sector.

The Economy Ministry plans to establish the strategy as part of the national energy strategy for the period leading to 2035, according to answers provided at HotNews.ro request. That will be possible once three currently developing phases conclude:

• the application in national legislation of the third legislative package of the energy market. While the legal term for its application expired on March 3 this year, the quality of the application is much more important as it would avoid the opening of an infringement procedure linked to the incomplete or improper application, according to the Ministry
• the promotion of the strategy to interconnect the National Natural Gas Transport System to the similar systems in neighboring countries - a phase which is late due to the need to properly evaluate the impact on environment, according to the ministry.
• the renegotiation of the Convention between the Government of Romania and the Government of the Russian Federation on expanding the capacity of natural gas transit pipelines on Romanian territory to increase natural gas deliveries from the Russian Federation to third countries and to Romania, which was signed in Moscow in 1996

According to the Economy Ministry, the renegotiation of the convention is necessary to come in line with the European legislation.