In brief

  • The Ministry of Energy has set up CONSE, the centre that assesses incidents in the energy system and officially declares crisis situations on the electricity market.
  • The centre brings together, at the same table, all the major operators: Transelectrica, Hidroelectrica, Nuclearelectrica, Transgaz, OMV Petrom, Romgaz, the energy complexes and the major distributors.
  • The order took effect on publication, on 7 August 2026, and companies had just one day to name their representatives.
Act: ME Order no. 813/2026
Published: Official Gazette of Romania no. 654 of 7 August 2026
Effective: 7 August 2026

Romania now has a unified command structure for crises in the energy system. Under Order No. 813 of 6 August 2026, the Minister of Energy set up the National Operational Centre for the Energy Sector (CONSE), the body that will officially decide when the electricity market is in a crisis situation and coordinate the response. It is the step that completes the risk-preparedness framework for the energy sector that Romania is required to have under EU Regulation 2019/941, detailed in the Risk Preparedness Plan approved by Government Decision No. 582/2026.

Until now, the assessment of major incidents in the energy system was done separately, by each operator on its own, and declaring a crisis had no clear decision-making chain. CONSE brings together, in a single structure, the Ministry of Energy, the transmission system operator Transelectrica (including the National Energy Dispatch Centre), the major producers and the major energy distributors.

What it changes in practice

CONSE becomes the single decision-making point for crises on the electricity market. In practice, the centre assesses events notified by operators or authorities, declares a crisis situation based on the criteria in the Risk Preparedness Plan, coordinates remedial measures and the nationwide allocation of resources (materials, equipment, personnel), and also decides when the crisis ends.

For the public, the most visible effect is the information office CONSE must operate during crises: authorities, operators and, where relevant, the public will have a single official source on how events are unfolding and what measures are being taken. In past periods of tension, information came through parallel, sometimes contradictory, channels.

What has changed compared with the previous situation

  • Centralised decision-making: declaring a crisis on the electricity market now has a single owner, CONSE, instead of a responsibility diffused across institutions.
  • All critical operators now have a seat at the table: 15 entities must appoint a full member and an alternate, from Transelectrica and Hidroelectrica to Delgaz Grid and Rețele Electrice România.
  • Predefined criteria: a crisis is not declared at will, but based on the criteria set out in the Risk Preparedness Plan (Government Decision No. 582/2026).
  • Formalised European cooperation: CONSE works with similar structures in other EU member states and with the National Committee for Emergency Situations.

Advantages and disadvantages

What it improves

  • Faster response time to major incidents: a single body decides, with all operators present.
  • Official public information, through a dedicated office, instead of fragmented communication.
  • Alignment with EU risk-preparedness requirements, with predefined procedures.

What remains a problem

  • CONSE has no legal personality and no budget of its own; its effectiveness depends on the secretariat provided by the ministry.
  • The order does not detail any transparency obligations toward the public outside crisis situations.
  • The one-day deadline for appointing representatives is more formal than realistic for internal corporate-governance procedures.

Practical advice

  1. Energy sector operator: check whether your entity is on the list of the 15 and whether the appointment of the full member and alternate has been sent to the Ministry of Energy; the deadline ran from 7 August 2026.
  2. Local public authority: CONSE provides technical support in assessing the impact on the energy supply; requests should be routed through the emergency-situation structures.
  3. Consumer or company: in the event of a declared crisis, follow the official communications from the CONSE information office and the Ministry of Energy, not rumours; restriction measures are ordered only on the basis of the approved plan.

Frequently asked questions

What is CONSE?
The National Operational Centre for the Energy Sector: a structure without legal personality, coordinated by the Ministry of Energy, which assesses incidents in the energy system and officially declares crisis situations on the electricity market.
When can an energy crisis be declared?
Only based on the criteria set out in the Risk Preparedness Plan for the electricity sector, approved by Government Decision No. 582/2026. CONSE assesses events notified by operators or authorities and issues the decision to declare a crisis, then it also decides when the crisis ends.
What does declaring a crisis mean for consumers?
Declaring a crisis activates the measures in the risk plan, from mobilising operators’ resources to measures ensuring continuity of supply. Consumers will be informed through CONSE’s information office and through the authorities; the order itself does not introduce direct restrictions for the public.
Who is part of CONSE?
A chair appointed by the Ministry of Energy and one representative each from 14 critical companies: Transelectrica (plus the National Energy Dispatch Centre), Hidroelectrica, Nuclearelectrica, Transgaz, Electrocentrale București, OMV Petrom, Romgaz, Complexul Energetic Oltenia, Complexul Energetic Valea Jiului, Distribuție Energie Electrică România, Distribuție Oltenia, Rețele Electrice România and Delgaz Grid.
Is it a new institution, with staff and a budget?
No. CONSE is a coordination structure without legal personality: members remain employees of their own companies, the technical secretariat is provided by the Ministry of Energy, and meetings are convened only when needed, in person or online.

Original text of the legal act

The text below is reproduced in Romanian, its official form of publication in the Monitorul Oficial (Romania’s Official Gazette).

The full text, as published in the Official Gazette of Romania

Official Gazette of Romania no. 654 of 7 August 2026 8 pages PDF, 85 KB the act starts on page 7

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This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific situations, consult a licensed attorney or tax advisor.