OREANDA-NEWS  The National Energy Regulatory Agency (ANRE) of Moldova has stripped the joint venture Moldovagaz with Gazprom of its license to supply gas to the country, explaining the decision by the energy company's failure to comply with the requirements for its separation or sale of assets. This was reported by TASS with reference to the agency's press service.

The license revocation is related to Chisinau's obligations to the EU energy community to implement the provisions of the Third Energy Package, which provide for the division of Moldovagaz into three enterprises that will supply, transport and distribute gas.

The process was supposed to be completed by 2026, but against the background of the termination of the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine and Gazprom's supplies to Moldova, this period was shortened. The Moldovan authorities announced the transfer of the supply license to the state-owned company Energocom for a period of three years back in May.

According to Vadim Cheban, acting chairman of the Board of Moldovagaz, the restructuring of the company did not suit the Moldovan regulator, and the main shareholder of the company does not agree with the sale of assets.

Another problem with the separation of the company was debts to Gazprom for gas supplied to Moldova. According to the results of an audit conducted by the Norwegian Wikborg Rein Advokatfirma AS and the British Forensic Risk Alliance, Moldova recognized only about 9 of the 709 million dollars owed to Gazprom. Among other things, the country's president, Maia Sandu, spoke about this, calling the reluctance to agree with the audit results a problem of the concern itself.