The authors of the project say that the liberalization of the national energy market, price fluctuations, and the presence of an increasing number of energy companies on the capital market constitute the premise situation from which cyber attackers start when carrying out an operation against the Romanian state.
Other reasons listed for the establishment of the center, according to the draft ordinance cited by News.ro, are “the increasing risks to Romania’s defense and national security, in the context of cyberattacks generated by the Russian Federation’s war in Ukraine, which requires the creation of a sectoral Cybersecurity Incident Response Center in energy, hereinafter referred to as CSIRT, capable of supporting the national and interinstitutional effort to prevent and combat cyberattacks on energy companies and infrastructure.”
The urgency of adopting the Emergency Ordinance is also justified by “the increased possibility of a multiple cyberattack, likely to affect elements of national infrastructure in the cyber sector, which would create panic among the civilian population."
The draft Emergency Ordinance mentions that the establishment of the Cybersecurity Incident Response Center in Energy is essential to ensure continuous monitoring, prompt incident response, forensic investigations, and self-protection against cyberattacks, as elements of the national energy policy.
“[...] the establishment of a sectoral CSIRT is necessary, and in its absence, the damages generated by cyberattacks can be significant, with consequences on energy prices,” the draft further states.
The ministry also notes that Romania, as a supplier of electricity to the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, as well as a regional security provider, has the obligation to urgently consolidate the cybersecurity of the energy sector to preserve this status and provide strategic knowledge to other sectors and partner states in the future.
As a result of the high stakes involved, the Response Center will need specialists in cybersecurity. The document states that the positions necessary for the operationalization of the center must be of the highest possible level in terms of experience and performance in the specialty field.
To attract talent, the new agency is prepared to match average industry salaries of EUR 4,500 to EUR 5,000, and will go even higher for advanced skills, to around EUR 20,000.
Plans for a Response Center in Energy have been ongoing since last year. Moreover, Romania’s National Cybersecurity Directorate, which aids public institutions to fend off attacks, has also allied itself with Ukrainian and Moldovan counterparts this year for better coordination.
(Romania-Insider.com, August 19, 2025)