Federația Patronală a Energiei (FPE), representing strategic companies from across the national energy spectrum, organized yesterday, 25 November, the 7th edition of the Romanian International Energy Conference (RIEC), formerly known as Romanian International Gas Conference (RIGC). This edition, like the previous ones, was held under the patronage of the Ministry of Energy, and over 200 people visited us throughout the day. The event was held in 2025 under the title The New Energy Fabric | Threads of Innovation & Stability. Weaving security, cooperation, and growth through high-level dialog and was distinguished by the scope of the guests: government officials from home and abroad, leaders of major Romanian companies, representatives of regulatory authorities, specialists from the region.
Romanian International Energy Conference (RIEC) is one of the most important events dedicated to the energy sector in Central and Eastern Europe and, with each edition, creates opportunities for strategic dialog and connects energy decision-makers, the private sector, technology experts and innovators, public policy specialists, facilitating projects with cross-border deployment and impact.
Regional cooperation is made possible by aligning ideas and negotiating divergent points of view. This is why the event creates space for debate on topics relevant to the present and also to long-term European plans: investment, critical infrastructure projects, energy security, technological innovation, including climate goals. The national perspectives, the interests of the various sub-sectors are directed towards creating a common front for action.
This year's edition focused on strengthening collaboration between Central and Eastern European countries so that our region can strengthen its energy security and industrial competitiveness.
With input from ministers, high-level industry representatives and international experts, Romanian International Energy Conference (RIEC) 2025 has proven the role of our country in the regional energy dialog, its openness to cooperation and the liveliness of its presence in the energy architecture of the region.
FRANCK NEEL, PRESIDENT of the EMPLOYERS' FEDERATION OF ENERGY, said of the successful edition:
„The Romanian International Energy Conference (RIEC) has once again demonstrated that Central and Eastern Europe is an area of challenges, but also of solutions, which can be decided and implemented through cooperation between the countries in the region. This region, sometimes young in terms of policies and management mechanisms, is showing maturity in setting its goals, interests and next steps. I believe that Romania has shown today that it is capable of building a strong energy future. Through your involvement and partnership, our event strengthens its relevance at regional and European level.”
The following are relevant excerpts from some of the speakers, reflecting the direction of the dialog at this RIEC:
BOGDAN IVAN - MINISTER OF ENERGY, ROMANIA
„At this point, we should be very clearly discussing the CO₂ and ETS regulations, which seriously affect the competitiveness of our countries and our companies. We should give ourselves more time to work including on oil and gas, to maintain our productivity target, and until we have the technology and supply chains for other technologies that could offer a better energy price, we should keep oil and gas and certainly nuclear. Our country has a strong position in nuclear energy; we could provide the whole region, together with our neighbors, with affordable energy. Speed is also important, because the whole world is changing, and we need to provide enough energy to power the technologies of the future and to power artificial intelligence, because we are in a global race based on AI and new technologies.”
DIANA BUZOIANU - MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, ROMANIA
„The Ministry of Environment must also be a realistic ministry, but at the same time it must also be a ministry that holds to certain standards. Yes, I was the first to say in discussions with the Climate Change Commissioner that we have to fulfill the nuclear part, I was also the Minister of the Environment who, in high-level discussions with the European Commission, explained that the 20% target at European level (concerning the CO2 under the NZIA) to be achieved by Romania is a target that cannot be met within the timeframe that has been given. Yes, we argued for the postponement of ETS 2 for a year in the negotiations and we got that. At the same time, because hydropower plants are a hot topic these days, I also advocate that some scientific studies must be carried out so that we do not end up with energy security on paper and, in reality, with no energy produced and communities left without water.”
ION STERIAN - GENERAL DIRECTOR OF TRANSGAZ
„Transgaz's investments, which we made on time, and well calculated and planned, are bringing today's results. Net profit per consolidated group is 476% more than the first 9 months of last year. And they are negotiating, about 14 OTSs, including the OTS in Austria, through Gaz Connect, on gas quality and we are in the final part of all of us signing this memorandum, so that the gas quality will be the same. When it will be initialed, also in the same framework of the OTSs that are part of CESEC, we will negotiate again on gas quality in terms of biomethane and biogas injection into the gas transmission pipelines.”
RĂZVAN POPESCU - CEO ROMGAZ
„We looked at several investment possibilities and identified one of them, the Azomures chemical plant. We are now in an extensive process of environmental, technical and economic due diligence and we are trying to find out the feasibility of integrating this plant into the Romgaz group. In the immediate next period, probably, if this due diligence reveals the feasibility, we will be able to submit an offer. The gas from Neptun Deep, as I have said many times, even when we took the decision to invest in this perimeter, creates these premises for the Romanian ecosystem. And that's why not only Romgaz, but even more important industrial groups should look at this gas as an advantage, as a gas produced under European regulations, as a gas produced taking into account absolutely all the environmental needs that the EU has, and find ways to give it value.”
OANA IJDELEA - MANAGING PARTNER IJDELEA & ASSOCIATES; MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF BLACK SEA OIL & GAS
„I think the most important thing is the role that interconnection, in every respect, plays in the new European context. I believe that interconnection is the new geopolitics of the European Union and the new geopolitics of the region. It is more important than ever to have this unity and this cohesion in terms of networks, access to networks, the way energy of all kinds flows through networks. I also believe that the energy transition is very important, but the lessons of the past must be models for us to remember because we have to understand that the EU is a very diverse family and we cannot propose a one-size-fits-all for all Member States.”
ANDREAS GUTH - SECRETARY GENERAL EUROGAS
„The energy transition will not be based on electrification alone. That is the central part, but it should not be our only goal. From the Brussels perspective, from the Brussels bubble, that seems to drive the policies today, the idea of electrifying as much as possible. And while we need electrification for the energy transition, we also need other vectors. And gas is a fundamental way to do that. Whether we're talking about natural gas, biomethane, hydrogen or carbon capture and storage, we need all these different solutions to make the energy transition a success.”
Event registration, agenda and further details are available on www.riec.ro.
About Federația Patronală a Energiei
Federația Patronală a Energiei, founded in 1991, is a promoter of the actions necessary for Romania to enjoy abundant, affordable and environmentally friendly energy.
The federation represents 95% of Romania's oil and gas industry and is gaining increasing relevance in the field of renewable energy and emission reduction technologies as they develop in our country.
Our mission is to make known, at the level of European and national institutions, the interests of the private sector and how they can be harmonized with national and European Union objectives, stimulating dialogue. Another objective is to inform and educate the general public, preparing them for the new realities in the energy field.
