Author: Alexandru Popescu

A „regulatory” blow delivered with an axe – Regulation (EU) 2026/261 poses a real risk of Romania running out of gas during cold spells, precisely when it needs it most, claims Dumitru Chisăliță, president of the Smart Energy Association (AEI). Regulation (EU) 2026/261 (January 26, 2026) promises a political virtue: „we cut off Russian gas.” It sounds good. The problem is that, in practice, it is a piece of regulatory engineering made for headlines and press conferences, but which can produce the opposite effect in states on the edge of the network – including Romania: instability, volatility, market panic, and vulnerabilities at peak consumption, states the expert. The reality…

Informal applications of artificial intelligence, such as academics using tools to mark student work, could breach baseline legislation, a policy expert has warned, according to The Times Higher Education. Many European universities may have to „change everything” concerning how they use artificial intelligence once landmark European Union regulations come into force, an expert has warned. Thomas Jørgensen, director of policy coordination and foresight at the European University Association, highlighted the growing practice of academics using tools such as ChatGPT to mark work…

Industrial energy consumption means you have a functioning economy, with jobs and taxes paid, but Romania is still stagnating in this area, and I don't really understand why there isn't the political courage for the government to come up with an assumed program of aid schemes to support certain industrial sectors, said on Monday the president of the Senate Commission for Energy, Energy Infrastructure, Mineral Resources, Lorant Antal. „Lately, I've been insisting a lot that in the debates we have regarding the development of electricity generation capacities, we shouldn't forget to also talk about..."

Things are quite unpredictable because we are in an international crisis, and by destroying production capacities, especially in the Qatar region, the price of gas will continue to be high, and a rather difficult winter and spring 2027 await us in terms of tariffs, stated Cristian Bușoi, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Energy, on Monday. „We are in an international and European crisis. Things seem to have calmed down, but you see they are quite unpredictable. A lasting, definitive solution for the situation in the Middle East and for the Strait of Hormuz has not yet been found. From anything that..."

The CFA Romania Association's Macroeconomic Confidence Index fell significantly in March, by 10.2 points, to 38.2 points. The decline indicates a deterioration in financial analysts„ perceptions of both economic prospects and the current situation. According to a press release from the organization, the expectations component decreased by 10.5 points (to 40.7 points), and the current conditions component fell by 9.5 points (to 33.3 points). "In the context of the oil crisis and global risk aversion in international markets, inflationary expectations have increased, as have expectations of nominal interest rate hikes (which are..."

Companies and academia that believe baby boomers (ages 60-85) are not interested in adopting artificial intelligence risk socially marginalizing an important demographic segment and missing out on an economic opportunity. EY Ripples and the Older Adults Technology Services (OATS) organization within the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) conducted a survey among 2,515 individuals aged 60 to 85 in 16 countries. Titled Understanding Older Generations’ Adoption of AI, the study presents a nuanced picture that challenges common perceptions regarding…

Wholesale and retail trade, maintenance and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles decreased by 3.1%, as a raw series, in the first two months of this year, compared to the same period in 2025, according to data published on Friday by the National Institute of Statistics (INS). Thus, in the period January 1 – February 28, 2026, the negative result was determined by activities in the trade of motorcycles, parts and accessories; maintenance and repair of motorcycles (-10.7%), trade of motor vehicles (-4.2%), trade of parts and accessories for motor vehicles (-1.4%) and maintenance and repair of motor vehicles (-0.4%), according to Agerpres. In contrast, in the same period...

The non-performing loan ratio in the corporate sector has reached approximately 5.1%, and in the SME sector it is 6.1%, stated Gabriela Folcuț, executive director of the Romanian Banking Association (ARB). „We have around 931,000 companies in Romania, 99.8%are SMEs, as we are talking about SMEs today, which generate approximately 60%of the added value in the economy and employ 68%of employees. If we look at the structure of all companies, we will see that 94% of them are micro-type companies, meaning up to a maximum of 9 employees. And the added value they generate is only 26%. On the opposite pole,..."

Regulation plays a vital role in the energy distribution and transmission business, and we must see a more flexible, more accommodating framework from ANRE, one that is closer to the times we live in, argues Daniela Dărăban, executive director of the Federation of Associations of Energy Utility Companies (ACUE). „Prosumers are new entrants to the energy sector and have their role very well defined. The problem arises when we deviate from the main purpose. The main objective is for the prosumer to produce energy for self-consumption, and if we exceed this and enter into surplus which allows injection into the grid, then we must talk about all the issues..."

Schneider Electric and Deloitte, a leading professional services organization, have announced a collaboration aimed at helping clients—from manufacturers and industrial operators to data center and infrastructure leaders—modernize their end-to-end processes across their organizations and explore new opportunities. Today's organizations are facing unprecedented pressure to efficiently scale operations company-wide while maintaining cost control. However, many continue to rely on outdated practices that limit their ability to adapt, innovate, and compete in markets...