Fuel market crisis in Romania! Government caps markups and imposes strict restrictions for 3 months

The Romanian Government has adopted an Emergency Ordinance declaring a state of crisis on the fuel market from April 1 to June 30, 2026, introducing a broad set of measures aimed at keeping prices under control and ensuring supply.

Commercial Markups Capped at 2025 Levels

The most important provision targets the limitation of commercial markups applied by producers, importers, distributors, and retailers.

According to the decision, each economic operator will only be allowed to apply the average commercial markup recorded in 2025, a significant change compared to the initial version, which proposed reducing it to 50% of that value.

The data must be reported to the National Agency for Fiscal Administration, and the procedure will be quickly established through an official order.

Hefty Fines for Violations

Authorities are introducing strict penalties for companies that fail to comply with the new rules:

• between 0.5% and 1% of turnover for exceeding markup limits
• between 5% and 10% of turnover for illegal exports
• confiscation of goods involved in violations

These measures aim to combat speculation and prevent unjustified price increases.

Exports Strictly Controlled

During the crisis period, exports of diesel and crude oil will only be allowed with prior approval from authorities.

This decision comes amid a major imbalance: a surplus of gasoline but a shortage of diesel on the domestic market.

Approvals will be issued by the Ministry of Economy, Digitalization, Entrepreneurship and Tourism and the Ministry of Energy.

Key Changes to Fuel Composition

To avoid supply disruptions, the Government allows reducing the biofuel content in gasoline:

• from 8% to a minimum of 2%

This is a temporary measure designed to increase operators’ flexibility under crisis conditions.

Strict Monitoring and Monthly Reporting

Companies in the sector will be required to submit monthly detailed reports to several institutions, including:

• the Competition Council
• the National Authority for Consumer Protection
• the Ministry of Energy

The goal is to ensure compliance and prevent market abuses.

Measures Also Target Natural Gas Market

The ordinance also introduces clarifications for the natural gas sector, with stricter rules regarding:

• allocation of available quantities
• calculation of stocks and consumption
• periodic adjustment of allocations
• data exchange between operators and authorities

Authorities say these changes are necessary to prevent supply disruptions and major imbalances.

Possible Extension of the Crisis State

The Government states that the measures may be extended successively, depending on international developments and the evolution of the energy market.

A governmental working group will continuously monitor the global context and propose additional measures if necessary.