PM Citu: Gov't will not step in to cap energy prices; Romania needs energy independence

Prime Minister Florin Citu said on Tuesday that energy prices will not be capped in Romania, insisting that Romania needs energy independence. "There is growing public concern over energy prices, especially because the winter season is coming - the payment of energy bills - and so we have to come up with solutions. Of course, the solution to prices cannot come from the prime minister. We have to find the solution together. I can tell you from the outset that the government will not step in to cap prices; that should be very clear," Citu said at the Government House. He pointed out that energy prices have gone up everywhere in the European Union. "I am ready to take up this goal, together with you, because it is clear that we need Romania's energy independence. This is what I understood from what happened during this period. An increase in consumption - we had to increase imports and we are dependent on energy prices elsewhere in the European Union. I have noticed that prices in Spain have tripled, but we have the resources to win Romania's energy independence and then we need to increase production capacity; we have some programmes that we are already working on (...) and I take up the goal of achieving Romania's energy independence," added Citu. Citu had a meeting at the Government House with Energy Minister Virgil Popescu, Labour Minister Raluca Turcan, and officials of the National Energy Regulatory Agency (ANRE), Transelectrica electricity transmission corporation, the OPCOM national energy market administrator, the Competition Council and the National Consumer Protection Agency (ANPC). AGERPRES (RO - author: Florentina Peia, editor: Catalin Alexandru; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Adina Panaitescu)