Finance
EU Commission probes Romania's revised plan for CE Oltenia restructuring
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 27, 2026
1 min readLast updated: February 27, 2026
Quick Summary
The European Commission has opened an in-depth State aid probe into Romania’s revised restructuring plan for lignite power group CE Oltenia, to assess compliance with EU aid rules. The move re-scrutinises changes to a plan previously approved in 2022, when Brussels cleared up to €2.658bn of restruct
EU opens in-depth probe into Romania’s CE Oltenia restructuring plan
Main Overview
European Commission Investigation
Scope of the Probe
EU State Aid Rules Assessment
BRUSSELS, Feb 27 (Reuters) - The European Commission said on Friday it had opened an in-depth investigation into Romania's amended restructuring plan for state-owned lignite power holding company CE Oltenia.
The Commission will assess whether the revised restructuring plan complies with EU State aid rules, it said in a statement.
Reporting and Editing Credits
(Reporting by Gianluca Lo Nostro; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta)
Key Takeaways
- •CE Oltenia’s restructuring is already backed by an EU-approved package of up to €2.658bn (grants, state guarantee, capital injection and Modernisation Fund support), with conditions running through the end of 2026—any amendments can trigger a fresh compatibility check. (eur-lex.europa.eu)
- •The original plan centred on replacing lignite with new capacity—two gas plants (475 MW at Turceni and 850 MW at Ișalnița) and eight solar PV parks (~725 MW)—with significant funding expected from the EU ETS Modernisation Fund. (eur-lex.europa.eu)
- •Romania has signalled schedule pressure: local reporting indicates Bucharest/CE Oltenia have contemplated pushing back coal-closure milestones because replacement gas/solar projects are behind, a key risk area for State aid scrutiny (viability, proportionality and competition distortions). (romania-insider.com)
References
Frequently Asked Questions about EU Commission probes Romania's revised plan for CE Oltenia restructuring
1What did the European Commission announce about Romania’s CE Oltenia plan?
It opened an in-depth investigation into Romania’s amended restructuring plan for the state-owned lignite power holding company CE Oltenia.
2Why is the European Commission investigating the revised restructuring plan?
The Commission will assess whether the revised restructuring plan complies with EU State aid rules.
3Which company is covered by Romania’s revised restructuring plan?
The plan concerns CE Oltenia, a state-owned lignite power holding company in Romania.
4Where was the Commission’s announcement reported from?
It was reported from Brussels.
