Background information

The Romanian government has adopted an emergency ordinance, no. 19/26 March 2026, declaring a state of crisis in the crude oil and/or petroleum products market—specifically gasoline and diesel—and establishing measures to protect the economy and the population during the crisis, as well as amending certain energy-related regulations.

The emergency ordinance adopted by the government declares a crisis in the crude oil and/or petroleum products market for the period from 1 April 2026 to 30 June 2026 and establishes a package of measures to protect citizens and the economy. The period of application of these measures may be extended successively for periods of up to three months each if the circumstances that led to the crisis persist.

Content of measure

The measure adopted by the government primarily establishes the following measures:

• The markup applied by economic operators that produce, import, distribute, and/or sell gasoline and diesel is limited to the average markup applied in 2025 by each economic operator. Exceptions are made for exports and deliveries within the EU. The measure aims to discourage potential misconduct by economic operators and potential speculative tendencies, which could lead to unjustified price increases for these products. The average annual mark-up for 2025, as well as the calculation used to determine that value, shall be reported to the National Agency for Fiscal Administration (ANAF). The reporting procedure shall be established by order of the ANAF President, issued within three business days of the effective date of this ordinance. Within five days of the date of publication of the ANAF President’s order, economic operators shall report the average annual value of the mark-up.

• If mark-ups exceeding the limits set forth in the regulatory act are found, fines ranging from 0.5% to 1% of the turnover achieved in the year prior to the sanction shall be imposed.

• Economic operators are permitted to reduce the biofuel content in gasoline volumes placed on the market from 8% to a minimum of 2% for gasoline during the period of application of the protective measures. The application of this measure avoids the risk that economic operators might encounter difficulties in simultaneously ensuring the necessary volumes of fuel and complying with biofuel content requirements, which would lead to disruptions in the supply of the domestic market.

Use of measure

The impact of implementing the legislative act will be assessed periodically to allow for adjustments to the measures based on market developments.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Does not apply to workers	Sector specific set of companies	Applies to all citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government	No special funding required

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	No involvement	No involvement
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• No involvement
• Main level of involvement: N/A

Involvement

There is no publicly available information about the social partners' involvement in designing, implementing and monitoring the measure.

Views and reactions

The Confederation of Entrepreneurs and Investors in Romania (CAIR) called on the government to adopt urgent measures and initiate a dialogue with social partners to ease the pressure on the business community.

The organisation warns that some companies may resort to layoffs and price increases of up to 25%.

Sectors and occupations

This case is not occupation-specific.

Sources

• 20 March 2026: The business community is calling on the government to take action: rising fuel prices risk leading to layoffs and price hikes (Mediul de afaceri cere intervenția Guvernului: scumpirea carburanților riscă să ducă la concedieri și creșteri de prețuri) (stirileprotv.ro)
• 26 March 2026: Emergency ordinance no. 19/ 26 March 26 on the declaration of a crisis in the crude oil and/or petroleum products market, specifically gasoline and diesel, and on the establishment of measures to protect the economy and the population during the crisis (Ordonanță de urgență nr. 19 din 26 martie 2026 privind declararea situației de criză pe piața țițeiului și/sau a produselor petroliere, respectiv benzină și motorină, și pentru instituirea unor măsuri de protejare a economiei și populației pe durata situației de criză) (legislatie.just.ro)
• 30 March 2026: The government is taking measures in response to the fuel crisis (Guvernul adoptă măsuri în contextul crizei pe piața carburanților) (www.juridice.ro)