This paper contributes to the literature on the Europeanization of energy policy in Central and Eastern Europe, by looking at the development of the domestic discourse on renewable energy in Romania. It explores the extent to which the economic crisis has provided an impetus for further investment in renewable energy and how actors engage with the EU rules: the business community which focuses on reaching EU targets, championing the use of extensive incentives; government actors concentrating on gaining EU approval for domestic initiatives and using the EU as a legitimation device as well as a scapegoat for delays and feet dragging; and environmental NGOs looking at the EU for support on promoting renewable energy at the expense of further nuclear energy expansion. The argument is that domestic change caused by Europeanisation varied from transformation to inertia after 2007, depending on the coalition of stakeholders and context of decision-making.
