The declaration of a crisis situation on the crude oil and/or petroleum products market comes into force on Wednesday and will remain valid until 30 June, with a package of measures being introduced during this period in order to protect citizens and the economy, according to the Emergency Ordinance published in the Official Journal on 26 March 2026.
The enforcement period of these measures may be successively extended for periods of up to three months, as long as the circumstances that led to the crisis persist.
The Emergency Ordinance stipulates capping the commercial markup applied by economic operators who produce, import, distribute and/or sell petrol and diesel to the average markup applied by each operator in 2025. Exports and intra-EU deliveries are exempt.
According to the Executive, the measure aims to discourage potential improper behaviour by economic operators and possible speculative tendencies which could lead to unjustified price increases for these products. The annual average commercial markup for 2025, as well as the calculation used to determine this value, will be communicated to the National Agency for Fiscal Administration (ANAF).
In cases where commercial markups exceed the limits set by the regulation, fines of between 0.5% and 1% of the turnover recorded in the year prior to the sanction will be applied.
Furthermore, in order to ensure domestic supply, the export of diesel and crude oil will be allowed only after obtaining approval from the ministry responsible for economic affairs and the relevant sectoral ministry. Thus, during the crisis situation, the conclusion and/or execution of export and/or intra-EU delivery contracts for diesel and crude oil may be carried out by economic operators exclusively with the prior written approval of the Ministry of Economy, Digitalisation, Entrepreneurship and Tourism and the Ministry of Energy.
Exports carried out without the required approvals will be sanctioned with fines of between 5% and 10% of turnover, as well as the complementary measure of confiscating goods intended for, used in, or resulting from the offences.
The main changes regarding natural gas are: the introduction of a clear mechanism for proportional allocation of available quantities based on the estimated consumption of each supplier's customers; the inclusion of detailed provisions on the breakdown of quantities by consumption categories; the establishment of explicit calculation rules, including determining minimum stocks, calculating differences between estimated consumption and allocated quantities and recalculating quantities according to consumption developments; the regulation of a mechanism for periodic recalculation and adjustment based on data provided by market operators; and the introduction of obligations for the transmission and updating of data between producers, suppliers and the competent authorities.
The regulation adopted by the Government also establishes a mechanism to verify the implementation of these provisions by state institutions and, in cases where the measures are breached, a set of sanctions that will be enforced.
The declaration of the crisis situation and the measures introduced were, according to the Emergency Ordinance, determined by the current circumstances, characterized by the volatility and steady increase of international crude oil, petrol and diesel prices, particularly diesel, with a direct impact on pump prices in Romania, as well as by the fact that events in the Middle East have had major repercussions on the global oil market, especially regarding international crude oil and diesel prices, which have risen by at least 25-50% compared with early February 2026, putting pressure on the domestic market.
Other reasons mentioned were: Romania's reliance on crude oil imports, which account for around 75% of its supply, with rising international prices placing significant pressure on the domestic oil market; disruptions to global trade and energy flows, generating uncertainty and heightened volatility in international crude oil, petrol and diesel markets, with direct effects on domestic supply and pricing; the recent sharp increase in prices across Europe, which is likely to feed through sooner or later into consumer price dynamics, the general rise in inflation rates at EU level is a widespread concern, and the fact that higher fuel prices have a direct impact on transport costs, with knock-on effects on the prices of consumer goods, particularly in the agriculture, food industry and retail sectors.
The regulation also aims to prevent a blockage among taxpayers engaged in the trade and transport of goods with high fiscal risk, which could have negative consequences both for the future conduct of their activities and for the accumulation of new debts to the state's consolidated budget due to difficulties in meeting tax obligations on time, as well as to avoid the risk that economic operators may struggle to simultaneously secure the necessary fuel volumes while complying with biofuel content requirements, which could disrupt the supply of the domestic market.
The Ordinance also seeks to prevent and halt possible speculative tendencies.
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