The privileged agreements in energy, “to court”

The negotiations between the ministry of economy and the beneficiaries of the privileged agreements of purchasing the electric energy have failed.

They refused the reduction of the contracts’ period, of purchased quantities, and the prices’ increase.

The Ministry of Economy announces that it will file a suit in order to cancel the direct sales contracts of the energy for prices that have not been traded on stock, concluded by Hidroelectrica.

More companies have electricity purchase contracts from Hidroelectrica at privileged prices, smaller than the ones on the market, established directly, and not through the energy stock.

The government promised the International Monetary Fund that this situation would be remedied until February 15 and that it would cancel the contracts with the “smart boys“ who do not accept the reduction in period and quantities, and the prices’ increase.

The negotiations concluded on Wednesday have failed, so the minister Lucian Bode decided to refer to court.

“Taking into account the fact that the shareholders’ expected results have not been obtained, we decided to send all these agreements to the Ministry of Justice, in order to analyze the possibility of cancelling them”, Lucian Bode declared.

The president Traian Băsescu explained last year these agreements with the “smart boys” have been signed during Dan Ioan Popescu’s mandate.

Varujan Vosganian extended them from 2008 until 2014, and Adriean Videanu extended them one more time, modifying the time limit for payment until 2018.

Translated by: Camelia-Aura Barbu
MA Student, MTTLC, University of Bucharest