Executive overview
Oil and fuel market controls return after their June expiry
Parliament has reinstated the temporary intervention framework previously applied between April and June, restoring limits on commercial margins, export controls and reporting obligations while replacing the fixed diesel excise reduction with a variable mechanism until 31 October 2026.
The heating and cooling reform returns after its rejection in June
A new legislative proposal was introduced and adopted during Parliament’s extraordinary session, restoring sustainability and traceability requirements for energy biomass, reporting obligations for operators and measures affecting district heating.
Legislative Updates
Oil and fuel market controls return after their June expiry
What is changing
Parliament has adopted L452/2026, registered with the Chamber of Deputies as PL-x 526/2026, reintroducing and revising the temporary intervention framework previously applied to Romania’s oil and fuel market.
The previous crisis regime was introduced through Emergency Ordinance No. 19/2026 and applied between 1 April and 30 June 2026. It limited commercial margins for petrol and diesel, imposed reporting requirements and established controls affecting exports and intra-EU supplies. The commercial margin applicable to each operator was linked to the average margin it had applied during 2025.
A separate measure, Emergency Ordinance No. 24/2026, temporarily reduced the excise duty applicable to standard diesel by RON 300 per 1,000 litres and introduced a solidarity contribution on revenues obtained from crude oil and petroleum products produced from crude oil extracted in Romania. The excise reduction also applied until 30 June 2026.
Both temporary mechanisms expired at the end of June. The new law restores the market intervention until 31 October 2026, while changing several elements of the previous framework.
Commercial margins for petrol and diesel remain limited by reference to the levels applied by each operator, with the maximum permitted level adjusted for inflation. Retailers may generally increase pump prices only once per day, while refining activities and the first sale of petroleum products are excluded from this restriction.
The law replaces the previous fixed excise reduction of RON 300 per 1,000 litres with a variable mechanism. The reduction may range between 5% and 25% and would be recalculated every two weeks according to international quotations and average pump prices.
Exports and intra-EU supplies of diesel and crude oil would require prior written approval from the competent ministries. The law also revises the contribution payable by crude oil producers and introduces monthly reporting obligations and additional information requirements for operators.
Failure to comply with the permitted commercial margin may be sanctioned with a fine ranging from 0.5% to 1% of turnover. Unauthorised exports may attract fines ranging from 5% to 10% of turnover, together with confiscation of the relevant goods.
The crisis period may be extended through successive Government decisions. A new crisis period may also be declared if statutory conditions are met, including significant increases in Brent or Platts quotations, increases in average pump prices or risks to security of supply.
Why this matters
The law does not introduce an entirely new compliance framework. Oil and fuel operators were already subject to margin limits, reporting requirements and trade controls during the second quarter of 2026.
The immediate change is the return of those controls after a one-month interruption, combined with revised pricing, excise and fiscal rules. Companies cannot simply reactivate the procedures used under the previous ordinances without checking the new calculation methods and reporting requirements.
For producers, importers, refineries, distributors and retailers, the commercial-margin rules require reliable historical data and a clear audit trail showing how permitted margins and sale prices are calculated.
The variable excise mechanism adds a recurring operational adjustment. Unlike the previous fixed reduction, the applicable level may change every two weeks according to market indicators, requiring faster coordination between tax, accounting, commercial and pricing functions.
The export-authorisation requirement may affect existing cross-border supply arrangements and the flexibility to redirect crude oil or diesel between Romanian and regional markets.
The possibility of extending the crisis regime also creates uncertainty regarding the duration of the intervention. Although the current period ends on 31 October 2026, operators may remain exposed to the same controls beyond that date if the Government considers that market or supply conditions justify an extension.
The heating and cooling reform returns after its rejection in June
What is changing
Parliament has adopted a new legislative proposal concerning the decarbonisation of the heating and cooling sector during the extraordinary session held at the end of July.
The initiative restores the policy framework previously included in a proposal rejected by the Senate on 29 June 2026. That earlier proposal received 66 votes in favour but required 68 votes because it was treated as an organic law.
The rejection did not remove the underlying commitment linked to Component 6, Reform 6, Milestone 128 of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. A new proposal was subsequently introduced and passed through both Chambers within several days.
The adopted text introduces sustainability, certification, traceability and reporting requirements for forest biomass used for energy purposes. Installations of at least 7.5 MW using solid biomass and at least 2 MW using gaseous biomass fuels would be required to use certifiable biomass.
Operators covered by the law must submit annual sustainability reports accompanied by independent verification. Companies placing forest biomass on the market for energy use must demonstrate that the biomass is sustainable and traceable.
The law also provides for voluntary programmes to replace older or inefficient heating installations with heat pumps, geothermal systems, solar energy, storage or recovered heat.
For district-heating operators, the text introduces additional monitoring, investment and efficiency requirements. It also postpones until 31 December 2030 the deadline for individual metering and heat-cost allocation systems in buildings connected to centralised heating systems.
Why this matters
The main development is not simply the introduction of biomass requirements. It is the rapid return of a PNRR-linked reform that had failed at the final parliamentary vote one month earlier.
For biomass suppliers and operators of larger energy or industrial installations, the law creates a compliance chain based on sustainability evidence, traceability, independent verification and annual reporting.
The requirements may affect procurement contracts, supplier selection, internal documentation and the ability to demonstrate the origin and sustainability characteristics of biomass.
District-heating operators face a broader set of obligations concerning monitoring, efficiency, investment planning and decarbonisation indicators. At the same time, the extension of the metering deadline to 2030 removes an immediate implementation deadline for condominium owners and heating operators.
The fast parliamentary procedure also leaves significant practical questions to secondary legislation, including reporting formats, verification arrangements and the methodology for replacement support programmes.
A new EUR 150 million support scheme targets stand-alone battery storage
What is changing
Ministry of Energy Order No. 745/2026 establishes a state aid scheme for new stand-alone electricity storage installations financed through the Modernisation Fund.
The scheme has an estimated budget of EUR 150 million and targets at least 2,174 MWh of installed storage capacity. It is open to microenterprises, SMEs, large companies and newly established companies developing individual projects connected to the transmission or distribution networks.
Eligible installations must have a capacity of at least 1 MW, a capacity-to-power ratio of at least 2:1 and a minimum discharge duration of two hours.
Aid may cover up to 100% of eligible costs, subject to a maximum of EUR 69,000 per MWh and EUR 15 million per undertaking. Projects will be ranked competitively according to the amount of aid requested per MWh, with lower requests receiving higher scores.
The scheme excludes hybrid generation and storage projects, replacements of existing installations, partnership applications and batteries based on lead, nickel-cadmium or nickel-metal hydride technologies.
Projects must be completed and commissioned within 48 months from the award of the aid. The scheme may operate until 31 December 2030.
Why this matters
The scheme creates a dedicated financing route for stand-alone storage and introduces a competitive model based primarily on aid efficiency.
For developers, the maximum aid ceiling is not the expected award level. Applicants seeking the full EUR 69,000 per MWh may rank below projects able to demonstrate viability with lower public support.
The exclusion of hybrid production-storage projects narrows the eligible market and directs funding towards independently connected storage assets. Developers must also demonstrate financial capacity, rights over the project site and readiness before submitting the financing application.
The minimum two-hour duration and 2:1 ratio define the type of projects the scheme is intended to support. These requirements may affect equipment configuration, grid connection planning and revenue assumptions.
Newly established companies are eligible, but they must have paid-up share capital of at least RON 100,000. Delays are subject to daily penalties, while failure to complete the investment may result in full recovery of the aid.
