Romania: Calls for legislative reform to pass diesel tax cuts to consumers

Business organizations and political actors in Romania are calling for legislative changes to ensure that diesel excise tax reductions are effectively passed on to consumers and producers.

IMM România and the Federation of Romanian Transport Operators (FORT) have urged the Government and Parliament to amend Law no. 162/2026. They argue that current legal exceptions allow commercial margins to absorb tax benefits within the distribution chain. Specifically, they point to provisions that exclude refining, the first sale of processed crude, and certain imports from commercial markup limitations, preventing the full reduction from reaching pump prices.

Simultaneously, the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) has introduced a legislative proposal to simplify how farmers access reduced excise taxes. Currently, farmers must pay the full price at the pump and wait months for reimbursement. The proposed amendment to the Fiscal Code seeks to apply the reduced rate directly at the point of purchase, utilizing an electronic registry to verify eligibility and avoid the financial burden of delayed refunds.