Energy #22 Legislative focus

ANRE adopted Order no. 57/2026, replacing the annex that establishes the minimum quality requirements for natural gas traded in Romania.

The new rules update the limits applicable to methane, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, oxygen, hydrogen and sulphur compounds. They also introduce minimum and maximum values for the Wobbe Index and revise the requirements concerning calorific value and water and hydrocarbon dew points.

Specific rules and technical exceptions apply to production points, transmission system entry and exit points, commercial delivery points, cross-border interconnections and biomethane injection installations. Certain parameters may temporarily exceed the standard limits with the agreement of the adjacent system operators and subject to the applicable operational conditions.

Technical projects developed on the basis of previously issued grid connection approvals must be adapted if they are still undergoing design, verification, authorisation, construction or reception. Operators of existing installations within production perimeters must comply with the new requirements within 12 months.

The order has direct implications for gas producers, transmission and distribution operators, storage operators and developers of biomethane injection projects.

Projects already under development may require technical revisions before authorisation, construction or reception can continue. Existing production installations may also need changes to gas treatment, measurement, monitoring or quality control systems to meet the new parameters within the 12-month deadline.

The specific treatment of biomethane injection points provides a clearer technical reference for future projects. However, developers must still assess whether the quality of the gas produced and the planned injection equipment can comply with the limits applicable at the relevant network point.

ANAF adopted Order no. 1075/2026, modifying Form 100 to allow the declaration of the exceptional revenue contribution introduced by Law no. 162/2026.

The contribution applies during the declared crisis on the crude oil and petroleum products market. It is payable by petroleum agreement holders that extract crude oil in Romania and obtain revenue from selling it or from selling energy products resulting from its processing, including processing performed through affiliated companies.

A new position, “Exceptional revenue contribution”, has been introduced in the list of liabilities reported through Form 100. The contribution must be declared monthly by the 25th day of the following month.

The liability is reported in the section covering taxes and other obligations that are not paid into the single account.

The order makes the obligation established by Law no. 162/2026 operational by setting the reporting form, frequency and deadline.

Affected petroleum agreement holders must now integrate the contribution into their monthly tax reporting and payment procedures. The scope includes both revenue from crude oil sales and revenue from processed energy products where the statutory conditions are met.

The reporting obligation creates an immediate need to align tax, accounting and commercial data, particularly where crude oil is processed through affiliated entities.

The Ministry of Transport published a draft Applicant Guide for Submeasure 1 of the e-Mobility RO state aid scheme.

The programme has a budget of EUR 100 million from the Modernisation Fund and will support the construction, installation, extension or modernisation of public charging infrastructure on motorways, express roads and national roads within the TEN-T network administered by CNAIR.

Microenterprises, small and medium-sized enterprises and large companies may apply individually or in partnership. Newly established companies are not eligible. Support may cover up to 100% of eligible costs, subject to a ceiling of EUR 30 million per beneficiary across all competitive sessions.

Eligible expenditure includes charging stations, grid connection works, electrical installations and the necessary adaptation of project sites. The infrastructure must remain permanently and non-discriminatorily accessible to the public.

For light vehicles, each location must include at least two charging points of at least 150 kW each and a total installed capacity of at least 600 kW. Higher requirements apply to heavy vehicle infrastructure, depending on whether the site is located on the core or extended TEN-T network.

The requested aid per installed kW accounts for 85% of the project score, while total proposed capacity accounts for 15%. The draft therefore gives a clear advantage to projects requesting less public support per kW and installing more charging capacity.

The consultation closes on 15 September. The first call must be launched within 30 days after the final guide is published in the Official Gazette. Projects will be submitted through MySMIS 2021 and must be completed within 30 months after application, without exceeding 30 June 2030.

The draft guide gives charging infrastructure operators the first detailed view of the eligibility, financing and scoring conditions that will determine access to the EUR 100 million budget.

The high weight given to the requested aid per kW may favour applicants able to provide a larger own contribution or deliver projects at a lower cost. Site rights, technical capacity, financial resources and the ability to secure grid connection works will also affect project readiness.

The draft concerns Submeasure 1, covering public charging infrastructure. It does not establish the application conditions for the separate submeasure supporting projects that combine charging infrastructure with renewable generation and storage.