Description: Romanian Ministry of Energy has flagged the potential sale of E. ON Energie Romania to Hungarian’s MVM Group as a national security risks as concerns over their connection to Gazprom and the Russian government have been raised. Shadow influence of the Russian government within MVM Group has been identified from the Romanian Foreign Direct Investment Energy Commission which additionally prompted the Romanian government on enhanced oversight and possible transaction seizure.
Impact: E. ON Energie is one of Europe’s largest energy and oil producers and suppliers and its potential sale to MVM Group could deepen Europe’s energy dependency on Russia. The natural gas and energy crisis in Europe being in full swing, Europe should enforce laws on its members to further protect their critical infrastructure and independent energy capabilities. Possible Russian infiltration within the energy sector in Eastern and Central Europe could inflict subsequent damage to Europe’s energy independence and plunge the continent on continued reliance on Russian natural resources.