Romania risks RRF funds after lawmakers delay coal plant closures

05 August 2026 Romania’s Parliament has moved to delay the closure of coal-fired power plants by making shutdowns conditional on replacement generation capacity being commissioned, raising the risk of a breach of commitments under the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). The Senate adopted the amendments on August 4, with support from the opposition Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR). Minister of investments and European projects Dragos Pislaru warned that the move could trigger penalties and put billions of euros in EU funding at risk. President Nicusor Dan said he would use his constitutional powers to prevent the amendments from being promulgated if they conflict with Romania’s commitments under the RRF. “If the