Moldova has had unpleasant experiences when politics interfered with the independence of the energy regulator, according to Dirk Buschle, head of the European Energy Community. In an interview for Radio Free Europe, he said that there had been several attempts to influence the decisions of the National Energy Regulatory Agency (ANRE) and the recent recommendation of the Supreme Security Council to revise the latest decision to raise the price of gas and electricity is one of them, IPN reports.
“We insist that this increasing of prices was important, especially considering the special circumstances we saw in Moldova. I mean, the price at which electricity is sold to consumers is lower that the initial buying price. Such a situation couldn't last and could have lead to a energy crisis”, explained Buschle.
According to him, it's understandable that the government is concerned about the social situation in the country, but it should create conditions in which consumers are able to pay for energy instead of trying to keep it cheap. “If the government truly wants to make sure that people with modest income can pay for electricity, it should do it in a way that doesn't threaten the security of the country's energy supply. Nobody won't stand to gain if prices are revised and Moldova will simply be left without electricity”, said the head of the European Energy Community.
As regards ANRE's independence, Buschle stressed that independence of energy regulators is crucial for the whole European Energy Community. The European Union decided that independent authorities should be created in all member states and Moldova committed to this rule in 2009, including it in the national laws, when it joined the Energy Community.
“As such, it is a principle that must be taken into consideration. We cannot tolerate the situation when the energy regulator is the subject of disputes between political parties. I speak about the episode when the head of the agency was simply fired, thus weakening the agency. We are witnessing a situation when it's hard for us to understand if it's about political interests or the intention to protect people with modest incomes”, said Buschle.
According to him, the recommendation of the Supreme Security Council is worrisome for the Energy Community, in addition to the fact that the Parliament is yet to approve ANRE's budget. These facts suggest an intention to influence the decisions of the agency.
