Romania Declares Oil Market Crisis, Imposes Price Controls and Export Restrictions

The Romanian government is set to introduce an emergency ordinance declaring a crisis on the oil and petroleum products market, alongside a package of measures aimed at shielding both the economy and consumers. The move follows a meeting of a special working group tasked with assessing the surge in fuel prices and identifying ways to limit its impact. The session was convened by Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, according to official information cited by Agerpres.

The planned measures will initially remain in force for six months, with the option to extend them in three-month intervals if the conditions that triggered the crisis persist. Authorities intend to intervene directly in pricing, with a cap on commercial mark-ups for gasoline, diesel, and the raw materials used in their production, applying across the entire supply chain.

Additional restrictions are also being introduced on fuel exports and intra-EU deliveries, which will only be allowed with prior written approval from both the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Energy. As part of the effort to ease pressure on end prices, the government will temporarily reduce the share of biofuels blended into gasoline.

Oversight during the crisis period will be intensified, with the Ministries of Finance, Economy and Energy working jointly with the Competition Council to track market developments and assess whether further interventions are required.