On 26 March 2025, the new Regulation on the granting of setting up authorizations and licenses in the electricity sector was officially adopted by ANRE, under Order No. 6/2025. Responding to the energy market’s changing realities, the updated regulation replaces the 2015 framework and brings Romania’s licensing model closer to EU standards.

Here are the main changes and novelties you should know:

• Expanded scope - The regulation now explicitly includes thermal energy from cogeneration and newly defines key concepts like “aggregator,” “maximum deliverable power,” and “annual contribution”—improving legal clarity for investors and operators.
• Modernized licensing procedure - Applications can now be submitted online, by email (with e-signature), or on paper. ANRE has fixed review timelines: 10 days for administrative checks and 90 days for full evaluation.
• Staged commissioning and provisional market access - Projects may now connect in phases, if the grid permits and technical documentation reflect this. New installations can also inject electricity during the testing phase—before full licensing—subject to balancing and grid operator consent.
• New licensable roles - The regulation introduces licensing for aggregators and independent storage operators and allows integrated licenses (e.g., generation + storage or supply + trading), streamlining activity.
• License incompatibilities - Certain roles are now mutually exclusive (for example, a distribution or transmission system operator may not also hold a license for electricity generation, aggregation, supply, or trading. These roles must remain institutionally and functionally separate. Under the new regulation, ANRE will reject applications combining incompatible activities outright, without launching a formal review.
• Provisional licenses - The regulation introduces provisional licenses as a transitional tool to ensure continuity in licensed energy activities during events such as asset transfers or changes in operational control. These licenses are valid for up to 6 months or until a permanent license is obtained. License holders must still meet core compliance obligations, but the process is streamlined to enable early market participation under ANRE oversight.
• Offshore power plant authorization - A dedicated framework is now in place for offshore wind and marine-based energy projects, with new documentation requirements and coordination with maritime, environmental and defense authorities.
• Suspension and withdrawal rules - Addressing gaps from the previous framework. ANRE must issue prior notice, allow at least 10 business days for the licensee to respond, and publish a reasoned decision. Suspensions are time-limited (up to 12 months) and must specify reactivation conditions.
• Exempt activities - The new Regulation provides a clearer and more detailed list of activities that may be carried out without a license, helping reduce administrative burdens for small-scale or localized operators—as long as certain legal and technical conditions are met:
  
  • Small-scale electricity generation - Facilities with a maximum deliverable power of less than 1 MW are exempt, even if the installed capacity exceeds 1 MW. To be exempt, developers must notify ANRE both before construction and after commissioning to ensure traceability.
  • Backup and emergency generation - Autonomous generating units (e.g., diesel or battery backup systems) used only for internal supply during outages are exempt, provided they do not export electricity to the grid.
  • Closed distribution systems - Industrial campuses, airports, or large commercial sites, etc.—may operate without a license if recognized by ANRE as a closed system.
  • Distribution within industrial parks and free zones - Distribution inside officially designated parks or free zones does not require a license. This exemption also applies outside the park boundaries if the total load is under 3 MW and the local distribution operator is notified in writing.
  • Direct supply via private networks - Producers may supply electricity directly to physically connected or nearby consumers without holding a supply license, as long as technical standards and ANRE’s consumer protection rules are respected.
  • EU-licensed operators - Companies licensed in another EU member state may operate in Romania without applying for a local license, as long as they declare compliance with national rules and obtain formal confirmation from ANRE.