Speaker of Parliament Andria Candu considers the adjustment of the situation and Moldovan legislation in the energy sector to the European standards is necessary and useful to society. This is the reason why the authorities recently made an approach to the Energy Community, asking for its support in ensuring an independent external assessment of the National Agency for Energy Regulation and in improving the energy legislation. The official developed the issue in the talk show “Moldova live” on the public TV channel Moldova 1, IPN reports.
“They sometimes questioned the independence of the Agency, saying it is somehow politically influenced. We want to see what additional instruments we can use to make sure that it is really independent, eventually, as regards the appointment of members, its competence, the legislation concerning the dismissal, the structure and organization of the Agency. We also want to know if the Agency has professional capacity and expertise and if all the conditions are created on out energy market, based on the best European practices. I refer to the Third Energy Package,” stated Andria Candu.
According to him, this external audit is necessary now because Parliament will soon examine several very important bills concerning this area. “During the next two weeks, Parliament is to adopt two very important draft laws in the final reading, which will then take effect. These are the new law on electric power and the new law on natural gas. The Government is now working on a new law on the whole energy market,” said the Speaker.
Andrian Candu assured that the new regulations and the existing ones will be adjusted to the needs of the people, including in the areas of tariffs and business development. “Firstly, we will take into account the purchasing power of the people. Secondly, we will take into consideration the free market, competition so that the operators working on the market can develop their businesses. Thirdly, we will consider the country’s energy security in general,” he stated, referring to the request concerning the external audit made to the development partners.
“The question is if the people must cover an additional cost and if this cost is artificial or natural? We want to know if there are also other methods of making purchases or working in the energy sector. The external partners are ready to come to Moldova and carry out an assessment together with us. We will then see the report and decide what we must do,” stated the Speaker of Parliament Andrian Candu.
