The Chamber of Deputies passed on Wednesday the decarbonization bill for the energy sector, including an amendment by the Social Democratic Party (PSD) that conditions the phase-out of lignite and hard-coal power units on the prior construction and commissioning of equivalent replacement capacity. The vote count was 180 in favor, 9 against, 27 abstentions, while 80 deputies did not vote. The Senate had already endorsed the bill; the Chamber acted as the decision-making body.

The PSD amendment stipulates that coal-based electricity production units may be shut down only after 'the installation, grid connection and commercial commissioning of one or more alternative low-carbon sources capable, individually or cumulatively, of safely and continuously taking over the electrical and, where applicable, heat-supply functions of the retired units'.

During the debate, acting Minister of European Investments and Projects Dragos Pislaru warned that the amendment does not solve any real problem and risks jeopardizing Romania's access to EU funds. He argued that Romania is indeed facing an energy-sector crisis and that measures affecting citizens must be prioritized, but insisted the PSD proposal is misguided.

'We understand the political conflict of this period and Parliament's prerogatives to adopt judicious measures that bring benefits to Romanians. But the amendments proposed do not solve absolutely anything,' Pislaru said. 'They do not address any imminent issue related to the closure of a coal-fired plant. There is no imminent risk of any plant being shut down. What you propose - in an exercise readable only in a political or electoral key - is the idea that no plant should be closed without putting something in its place, whereas there is no urgency, no actor seeking to close any plant in this country.'

He continued: 'What you are doing with this amendment is violating milestone 114 - namely legislation already paid for under Payment Request 2. I have here the technical letter from the European Commission, which clearly states that, at technical level, they see a risk of reversibility and confirm the penalty and the fact that Payment Requests 5 and 6 are blocked. I urge responsibility: reject these amendments.'

PSD deputy Ilie Toma challenged Pislaru, asking whether he had ever visited a production unit in the Jiu Valley or a mine to understand how coal is extracted. Toma argued that coal plants cannot be restarted easily after long shutdowns and pressed the minister on milestone 119, asking what percentage of it had been fulfilled, how much was grant-based versus loan-based, and whether Romania had negotiated in Brussels for extending mine closures and coal-based capacity shutdowns to 2030. He demanded clarity on which mining and energy units were scheduled for closure by August 31, 2026, and what replacements were planned.

S.O.S. Romania deputy Verginia Vedinas urged colleagues to reject the bill, arguing that the amended Article 2 effectively bans the commissioning of new capacities and that coal-sector workers had been 'brought to their knees' despite managing a national resource. She said Parliament should oppose a law that deepens their hardship.

Deputy George Simion of the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians accused successive governments of systematically destroying the energy sector. He criticized Pislaru's presence in Parliament, saying the minister should have remained in Brussels, and argued that reducing carbon emissions should start with fewer official trips. Simion insisted the controversial amendment was 'perfectly normal', as it simply required that no energy capacity be closed without a replacement. He accused Pislaru and previous governments of repeatedly shutting down plants despite public assurances to the contrary.

National Liberal Party (PNL) deputy Ovidiu Cimpean countered that PSD, AUR and S.O.S. were engaging in 'another display of populism'. He argued that Romania must decarbonize not because the EU demands it, but because it is necessary for citizens. Coal, he said, is the most expensive component of Romania's energy mix, and maintaining it would mean higher electricity bills. He pointed to Craiova, where lignite is still burned and coal dust and ash periodically settle on buildings and cars, calling it a public-health disaster. Coal-based energy, he stressed, is both costly and harmful.

Deputy Stefan Iulian Lorincz of the Save Romania Union said PSD's amendments endangered billions of euros Romania could use. He recalled that in 2022 USR's Radu Miruta had proposed legislation stating explicitly that coal plants should not be closed without replacements, but PSD voted against it in 2023. Lorincz accused PSD of years of negligence, corruption and disregard for citizens, arguing that the party now seeks to fix the crisis with amendments that instead put EU funds at risk. 'Shame on you,' he concluded. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Dana Piciu; EN - writing by: Simona Klodnischi)