(Bucharest, 15 September 2008) Already considered last year due to results of the year 2006 as being a relatively sophisticated market and one of the key wholesale market in the Eastern Europe, Romania realizes a stunning jump in the ranking presented by Data Monitor in its annual issue “European Wholesale Power Market Development” (July 2008). Thus, based complex assessment including among other criteria the current status, electricity demand, wholesale and retail market fragmentation (opposed to concentration) as well as potential for interconnectivity, Romania is placed among the first eight electricity markets of European Union, considered as being established markets. While last year Romania was placed among nascent markets, its ascension among established market means the “burning” of the interim stage: emergent market. More than that, keeping the same position and its consolidation until 2012 is forecasted, notwithstanding the steps forward expected from other six countries placed behind Romania in the Data Monitor ranking for the year 2007. The two coordinates of development are maturitaty and liquidity. Avoiding breathless, we have to note that in 2012 if not even 2009, the criteria will be more exigent so Romania has to deploy further efforts to help this forecast become true, so keeping this position menaced by Poland, Czech Republic and Austria. OPCOM has had its contribution to this performance, by scoring decisively at criterion “current status” through: liquid market with over 30 permanent participants, reporting mechanisms and price discovery, available indices etc.

For further information, please contact Data Monitor (www.datamonitor.com)

PRESS RELEASE 15.09.2008