Energy ministers call for the completion of delayed interconnectors in Central and South-Eastern Europe

The electricity plan records postponements until 2028 and 2030 for two projects in the Romanian grid and includes priority links with the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. The states support investments and market-integration measures to limit price differences, within a framework of cooperation extended to Czechia and Poland.

Energy ministers meeting in Zagreb on November 6, 2026, called for the expedited completion of delayed electricity interconnectors in Central and South-Eastern Europe and more efficient use of existing grids, in order to limit persistent price differences between Europe’s regions. The plans supported by participants also include strengthening internal grids, with important projects for Romania and for the energy security of the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. Regional cooperation is expanding to Czechia and Poland.

In brief

Ministers are calling for the completion of the remaining sections of three regional electricity corridors, which have experienced significant delays. The objective is better interconnection in a region affected by persistent price differences.

The Reșița–Timișoara/Săcălaz project is postponed from 2026 to 2028, and Arad–Timișoara/Săcălaz from 2028 to 2030, according to the plan. The dates represent estimates for the projects as a whole.

Bălți–Suceava, Mukacheve–Veľké Kapušany, and Artsyz–Isaccea are explicitly identified as important links for the energy security of the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. Some components are still being prepared or are awaiting authorization.

The measures include more efficient use of grids, digital solutions, storage, and flexible consumption, to enable more cross-border trade and the integration of renewable energy.

Czechia and Poland are joining CESEC cooperation on the same basis as the other participants. The ministerial conclusions establish political priorities without creating legal rights or obligations.

At the November 6 meeting, the Central and South-Eastern Europe Energy Connectivity group, CESEC, approved two updated action plans, one for electricity and renewable sources and the other for gas. The conclusions identify significant delays in the remaining sections of the Black Sea Corridor, the Mid-Continental East Corridor, and the Trans-Balkan Electricity Corridor. The first concerns strengthening interconnection between Bulgaria and Romania, including works within the Romanian grid. Ministers are calling for closer coordination and solutions to authorization issues that may delay projects.

In Romania, the plan indicates that the Reșița–Timișoara/Săcălaz project has been postponed from 2026 to December 2028. For Arad–Timișoara/Săcălaz, the estimated deadline moves from 2028 to December 2030. Both are Transelectrica projects to strengthen the internal grid, included in the Romania–Serbia interconnection corridor. The schedule distinguishes between lines and substations: for the first project, the 400 kV line is scheduled for 2027, and the Timișoara substation for 2028. For the second, the Timișoara–Săcălaz–Arad line is estimated for 2028, the expansion of the Arad substation for 2029, and the Săcălaz substation for 2030. Completion dates for the projects as a whole should not be confused with the deadlines for each component.

For the energy security of the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, the conclusions explicitly call for the completion of the Bălți–Suceava, Mukacheve–Veľké Kapušany, and Artsyz–Isaccea interconnectors. However, the plan records different schedules on the two sides of the Bălți–Suceava project: December 2027 for the Republic of Moldova and 2030 for Romania. Artsyz–Isaccea, the new 400 kV link between Ukraine and Romania, is still listed as being before the authorization stage, with commissioning estimated for 2029.

The ACER report of May 20, 2026, explains the wholesale price spikes in the summer of 2024 through a combination of factors: high demand, including during periods of extreme weather, insufficient flexible resources, and limited import possibilities. In the evening, when solar production declined, covering peak consumption depended on a relatively small number of generation capacities that could respond quickly. Limited cross-border capacity, aggravated by scheduled line outages, restricted access to cheaper electricity. Price differences between south-eastern and central Europe persisted in 2025 and at the beginning of 2026.

The measures supported in Zagreb include increasing the grid capacity made available for cross-border trade, lower-cost upgrades, and digital solutions. Regulators are encouraged to promote efficient use of grids and system flexibility. Energy storage and adapting consumption to its availability are identified as means of integrating renewable sources and stabilizing prices.

Participants from the Energy Community are invited to accelerate the transposition and implementation of the package for electricity market integration, so that they can participate in the European single market. The plan calls for alignment with these rules and a positive opinion from the European Commission in the process of verifying transposition, alongside technical and organizational measures by market and transmission system operators. Market coupling with EU states is one of the measures recommended for limiting price fluctuations in the region. For next-day deliveries, a common algorithm matches demand and supply in different markets and simultaneously allocates the available cross-border transmission capacity.

For gas, the documents focus on more intensive use of existing infrastructure and removing barriers that hinder market integration. The Trans-Balkan Pipeline has a program of measures for south–north transportation. The plan provides for Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, and the Republic of Moldova to take actions due in 2027, including monitoring implementation of the roadmap, ensuring access to the route, and examining technical solutions for reverse flow on the T2 and T3 pipelines. The deadline concerns this program of measures and does not confirm that reverse flow on T2 and T3 will be operational by 2027. Ministers also call for harmonizing gas-quality parameters and adapting agreements between operators.

Through the addendum signed in Zagreb, Czechia and Poland participate in CESEC activities on the same basis as the other members. Cooperation thus brings together 11 EU member states and eight contracting parties of the Energy Community, including the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine.

The ministerial conclusions do not create legal rights or obligations, and the expansion addendum records a political intention without new legal commitments or financial implications. Commissioning deadlines in the plans remain estimates. For Artsyz–Isaccea, an intergovernmental agreement and, subsequently, cooperation agreements between operators are still awaited.

https://2eu.brussels/ro/news/ministrii-energiei-cer-finalizarea-interconectoarelor-intarziate-din-europa-centrala-si-de-sud-est