Romania seeks changes to EU gas rules as Neptun Deep approaches production

Romania prepares its case for Brussels

Romania is preparing to seek changes to two European Union regulatory frameworks affecting its gas industry as the country approaches the start of production at the Neptun Deep offshore project. Money.ro reported that producers, energy industry representatives, Romanian authorities and European officials debated the Net-Zero Industry Act, or NZIA, and the EU Methane Regulation at the Eurogas 2026 regional conference in Bucharest.

Neptun Deep is scheduled to enter production in the first half of 2027. Romgaz and OMV Petrom representatives argued that the project and Romania’s existing domestic output should be treated as strategic assets at a time when Europe is reducing its dependence on external suppliers. The project could significantly increase Romanian gas production and strengthen the country’s position as a supplier to Central and Eastern Europe, a region that has lost a substantial share of its traditional Russian gas supply.

CO₂ storage obligations draw objections

The NZIA establishes a target of at least 50 million tonnes of annual CO₂ injection capacity in geological storage sites across the EU by 2030. Oil and gas producers covered by the legislation must contribute to that target, and the European Commission has assigned individual contributions to several companies, including OMV Petrom and Romgaz.

Romanian industry representatives contend that these obligations are disproportionate to the infrastructure currently available and to the maturity of carbon capture and storage technology in the country. Oana Ijdelea, a board member of Black Sea Oil & Gas, highlighted technical and geological difficulties that could make some requirements impossible to meet within the established deadlines. The Commission takes a different view: in May 2026, it said the 50-million-tonne target remained achievable, although project development and permitting would have to accelerate.

Romania could still play a larger role in Europe’s carbon-management system. Adrian Porfir, Holcim Romania’s CCUS programme director, said the country has the potential to become a regional CO₂ hub. Delivering that role would require pipelines, terminals and storage facilities, as well as a legal framework covering land access and property rights. Conference participants also identified biomethane as a route to lower emissions and diversify gaseous energy supplies, while noting that regulation and permitting continue to slow projects in other European markets.

Methane rules raise legacy infrastructure costs

EU Regulation 2024/1787 requires oil, gas and coal operators to measure, monitor, report and verify methane emissions. It also covers leak detection and repair, venting, flaring and emissions from inactive or abandoned wells. Romania’s concern is the scale of its historical infrastructure: monitoring and applying the rules across the country’s large number of existing wells could impose substantial costs. In September 2026, the Commission updated its guidance on the regulation’s import requirements and stressed the need for compliance solutions that do not endanger energy supply security.

Daniel Apostol, director general of the Energy Employers Federation, said domestic gas production should give Romania political leverage in negotiations with EU institutions. Energy Ministry State Secretary Cristian Bușoi said Romania would support a revision of the Methane Regulation and changes to NZIA obligations that affect the country disproportionately. Eurogas President Cristian Signoretto backed the methane-reduction objectives but called for implementation that would not disrupt new supply contracts or investment in gas production.

The outcome will influence more than compliance costs. Industry representatives warned that accumulating constraints could push investment outside Europe, while the Commission regards CO₂ storage and methane reductions as essential to decarbonisation. For Romania, the immediate policy challenge is to secure workable rules without delaying Neptun Deep or weakening the emissions objectives that underpin EU energy policy.