Speaker Andrian Candu is concerned about the possible negative legal, social and economic effects of the December 3 decision of Parliament to dismiss the Administration Board of the National Agency for Energy Regulation (NAER). After the sitting, he told the press that he will most probably ask the Constitutional Court to elucidate this issue, IPN reports.
“I would like to note that there is general dissatisfaction with the electric power and gas tariffs in the country. I personally have many questions as to the professional or administrative capacities of the NAER. I continue to think that the regulator’s activity and the energy market in general must be fully reviewed and reformed. The current directors probably deserve to leave. But today the MPs voted not for their dismissal, as it should have been done, but for the annulment of their appointment in 2013. I consider the repealing of that decision of 2013 was an illegal legal act and the effects could be very serious as all the decisions taken by the four directors should also be annulled,” stated Andrian Candu.
According to the Head of Parliament, the effects of the MPs’ decision could extend to other areas. “What about the salaries, bonuses and money for leave taken by these directors? What about the labor relations that these persons had since 2013? I thus stated in Parliament that I consider this decision is illegal and with unclear effects. Most probably, I will personally go to the Constitutional Court to request it to immediately examine this issue so as to avoid unwanted legal effects,” he said.
Andrian Candu thinks the reduction of the natural gas tariffs by about 5% following the annulment of the so-called Furdui amendment will be now problematic given that the NAER’s Administration Board was discharged.
“I already signed the annulment of the Furdui amendment. Based on that law, the NAER was to reexamine the gas tariff. The annulment of their appointment by a Parliament decision that takes effect when it is adopted means that they do not have the right to review the gas tariff. It is December now and the MPs who voted for the annulment probably didn’t fully anticipate the effects of this vote,” stated the Speaker.
