Characterization of the Main Changes in the Natural Gas Market in Romania on the Context of Current Energy Crisis

The current studies on the European Union natural gas market highlight the high demand for natural gas, despite efforts to achieve the transition to a low-carbon energy system. At the same time, world natural gas production is still dominated by countries from the Middle East region, the Russian Federation, and the USA. The article presents the main results of statistical research aimed at changes on the natural gas market in Romania, highlighting the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and presenting some initiatives to reduce dependence, especially on natural gas supplies from the Russian Federation. The natural gas market in Romania is analyzed from the perspective of natural gas demand, natural gas import and export, domestic production, infrastructure, and price evolution. Also, the impact of the changes on the world natural gas market on the Romanian economy was evaluated and recommendations were formulated for the implementation of measures to mitigate the negative effects of the increase in natural gas prices on the evolution of macroeconomic indicators, under the conditions of harmonization with European Union policies in the field.