This policy position outlines Romania’s progress, challenges, and recommendations in implementing Renewable Energy Acceleration Areas (RAAs) in alignment with the revised Renewable Energy Directive (RED III), as well as expert recommendations for making this process effective and sustainable.
The paper is part of RENewLand project, which aims to ensure sustainable and science-based approaches for the designation of renewable acceleration areas across three Eastern European countries: Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary. Drawing on expertise from other European states, the project focuses on building capacity among public authorities, industry associations, civil society, and academia to undertake integrated spatial planning for renewable energy. By developing methodologies that balance economic viability with environmental and social factors, RENewLand provides practical tools to mitigate conflicts and streamline the siting and approval processes for solar and wind farms, thus accelerating the region’s renewable energy transition.
Through RENewLand, a methodology for RAA designation was developed that integrates economic, environmental, and social criteria, with pilot testing underway in Romania, in Prahova and Brașov counties. Despite progress in transposing RED III into national legislation, the process faces delays in finalising legal frameworks and initiating mapping and designation efforts, because of fragmented governance and limited capacity.
Romania’s implementation challenges have to do with low inter-ministerial coordination, insufficient technical capacity across key institutions, and the absence of a centralised spatial data platform for effective integrated planning. These barriers are compounded by financial constraints that have prevented the Ministry of Energy from formally launching the RAA mapping process, threatening Romania’s ability to meet in time its national renewable energy targets.
To address these challenges, this policy position recommends:
- establishing a permanent multi-stakeholder working group to oversee implementation;
- adopting a GIS-based multi-criteria methodology for possible site selection;
- prioritising degraded and non-agricultural lands for renewable energy development, avoiding areas that are sensitive from a biodiversity perspective;
- developing a centralised open-source spatial data platform;
- integrating biodiversity safeguards and addressing the cumulative impact between these areas and any other existing or planned infrastructure with strategic environmental assessments;
- developing, implementing and monitoring rules to mitigate the effects of development in each acceleration zone on nature (mitigation rulebook);
- strengthening stakeholder engagement processes with a particular focus on local communities in future acceleration zones;
- ensuring alignment between RAA planning and national grid expansion strategies.
A successful implementation of these recommendations requires the adoption of the draft Government Emergency Ordinance (GEO) on RED III transposition, followed by institutional capacity building and technical training. Insights from RENewLand’s pilot areas will provide evidence to support national-scale implementation. By adopting a coordinated, science-based, and inclusive approach to spatial planning, Romania can establish a resilient framework for renewable energy development that accelerates the clean energy transition while maintaining environmental integrity and social cohesion.
RENewLand is part of the European Climate Initiative (EUKI) of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK). The opinions put forward in this study are the sole responsibility of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK).
Mihai Constantin, EPG Senior Researcher
Mihai Constantin is a Senior Researcher at the Energy Policy Group, where he focuses on energy policies on topics such renewable energy and decarbonisation policies. As part of the Energy Systems Department he has contributed to a series of reports and policy papers addressing topics such as offshore wind development, solar energy potential, coal phase-out etc. At the same time, he engaged in advocacy activities with different stakeholders in order to promote the collaboration between public authorities, industry, and civil society on topics such as the development of offshore wind (through the Black Sea Renewable Coalition) or designating acceleration areas for renewable energy.
Mihai has a Master Degree in European Economics at Bucharest University of Economic Studies.
He has expertise on public policies in the fields of energy, climate change and economics. He also occupies a position of Senior Energy Expert at the World Bank. Before joining EPG, he worked for WWF Romania as Climate & Energy Manager and as Advisor on Public Policies in the Romanian Parliament.
Contact: mihai.constantin@epg-thinktank.org