To provide analysis and solutions for Romania’s accelerated fossil fuel phase-out in the power sector, while also improving its energy security, the present project is divided into three work packages. The first is aimed directly at building the analytical foundation for supporting this process in the context of REPowerEU through six publications investigating Romania’s means of achieving these goals. The second work package is focused on developing a quick reaction capability for EPG, to monitor and provide analysis on the dynamics of the current-day energy markets. Finally, the third work package aims to establish stakeholder hubs, including NGOs, professional associations, politicians, and authorities, to organise informed discussions on the key aspects of fossil fuel phase-out.  

The purpose of this work package is to provide analysis in support of Romania’s decision to shift its approach to a direct coal-to-clean energy transition, without relying significantly on fossil gas as a transition fuel. It will consider Romania’s situation in the context of the war in Ukraine and Europe’s quasi-consensus to eliminate its dependency on fossil gas imports from the Russian Federation and consolidate the energy security of its member states. The main purpose of the work on gas is to emphasise that the safest measures for reducing this dependency and ensuring energy security is reducing fossil gas consumption all-together, which comes in contradiction with a consumption-maximising philosophy of public authorities and the political establishment. 

The aim of this work package is to develop a quick reaction capability at EPG regarding national decision-making in the energy sector. As well as providing analysis to market and policy developments, the work package will work towards constantly updating the narrative and explaining the implications of the developments through podcasts, as well as provide expert-level input and opinion on various media channels such as television and online and offline news outlets.  

Based on its analytical capabilities, in this work package, EPG will focus on producing a different type of documents, able to reach a wider audience, in different formats, such as: fiches, op-eds, podcasts or media interventions, as well as on advocacy targeted at decision makers. 

EPG will create two stakeholder hubs and organise workshops and roundtables to obtain input and to promote the findings of the analytic work in WP 1 to national authorities – governmental decision-makers, members of the relevant parliamentary commissions (first hub), industrial stakeholders and civil society (second hub).  

Meanwhile, EPG will disseminate to the relevant authorities and policy makers, both in Bucharest and Brussels, the results of its work in physical meetings.  

The information collected in WP2 will be used in building the two stakeholder hubs. 

Mihnea Cătuți

Head of Research