Romania’s updated NECP represents an improvement in coherence and ambition, but its effectiveness is constrained by delayed formal adoption and persistent delivery and governance risks. Methodological robustness and transparency remain uneven, raising potential credibility and implementation concerns particularly in the LULUCF sector.
Romania’s transition strategy remains strongly anchored in its traditional energy security strengths, yet relies heavily on a limited number of large-scale projects, increasing exposure to execution, financing, and political continuity risks. Emerging transition-era vulnerabilities, such as supply chain dependencies, critical raw materials, circularity, and climate resilience are insufficiently integrated into the NECP’s risk framework.
Household affordability constitutes a structural and binding constraint on implementation, with existing measures fragmented and not yet consolidated into a coherent, long-term affordability strategy.
System reliability risks are shifting toward electricity networks, flexibility, and resilience, but the NECP lacks operational sequencing and clarity on infrastructure readiness.
Public support for climate objectives remains broadly robust, particularly when framed around energy security, but willingness to pay is limited and highly sensitive to fairness and cost distribution.
The NECP’s contribution to reducing energy and climate security risks will depend on moving from planning to delivery, strengthening system-level resilience, and embedding affordability and social acceptance as core enablers rather than secondary considerations.
The author has also written a Policy Brief about Romania’s trajectory in securing its energy and climate transition under the NECP.
Ioana Vasiliu, EPG Senior Researcher
Ioana Maria Vasiliu is Senior Researcher within the Clean Economy Department at EPG, where she leverages her extensive expertise in climate policy. She holds a bachelor’s degree in public administration management and a post-university diploma in sustainable development, both from the Economic Academy of Bucharest.
Before joining EPG, Ioana worked as a European Affairs Advisor in the Climate Strategies and Reporting Department at the Romanian Ministry of Environment, Waters and Forests, where she was responsible for developing policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing climate resilience.
Contact: ioana.vasiliu@epg-thinktank.org
The “Fostering Ambitious NECPs in CEE” project is part of the European Climate Initiative (EUKI) of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN). The opinions put forward in this study are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety.