Parliament passed in the second reading a law aimed at strengthening Moldova’s energy security, including in the Transnistrian region, and accelerating the process of liberalizing the natural gas market
In particular, the draft amendments to the Law on Natural Gas were developed by the Ministry of Energy and aimed at enhancing energy security, liberalize the natural gas market, and improve the management and maintenance of gas networks. The authors proposed a mechanism for applying a single tariff for natural gas distribution in Moldova. This will enable the National Agency for Energy Regulation (NAER) to adopt a regulatory and methodological framework and approve uniform distribution tariffs based on the pressure levels of distribution networks throughout Moldova. This will enable suppliers to expand their activities. This will happen in a context where natural gas supply logistics will be simplified and more competitive conditions for the purchase of natural gas for end users will be created. At the same time, end users will be able to conclude agreements with suppliers providing for the possibility of restructuring payment terms. The amendments to the legislation also concern the mechanism for further establishing mandatory natural gas reserves, which are proposed to be set at 15% of average annual consumption and which will apply to all gas suppliers. In addition, a new mechanism will be introduced whereby NARE will be able to designate an entity to supply natural gas to the Transnistrian region, including by establishing 15% reserves to cover minimum consumption. According to statistics, there are more than 830,000 end-users of natural gas in Moldova, of which 16,000 are non-households. The document will enter into force on the date of its publication in Monitorul Oficial (the Official Journal of Moldova). // 13.06.2025 – InfoMarket.
