The Association for Intelligent Energy (AEI) addresses an open letter to the Romanian Government to signal the urgent need to adopt a coherent and effective action plan to reduce the economic and social impact of the increase in the price of diesel fuel, according to a press release.
”The accelerated increase in fuel costs, especially diesel, has direct effects on the national economy, influencing transportation costs, prices of goods and services, as well as the financial stability of some economic sectors. Transporters, agricultural producers, logistic operators and, finally, consumers are already feeling these pressures, underlines In this context, we believe that a strategic and coordinated intervention by public authorities is necessary, including immediate measures, but also medium and long-term solutions to reduce the economic vulnerabilities caused by fluctuating fuel prices,” AEI officials say.
Given Romania's difficult macroeconomic situation, we believe that the most effective short-term fiscal measure is neither a general price cap nor a full excise tax cut (this measure can be applied when we enter a crisis phase), but targeted compensation for activities with systemic effect.
In support of this endeavor, AEI is submitting to the Romanian Government a Draft National Action Plan which proposes a set of concrete measures designed to:
- reduce the impact of diesel price increases on the economy;
- support the most affected economic sectors;
- stabilize transport costs and supply chains;
- Accelerate the adoption of alternative, sustainable energy and technology solutions.
The proposals included in the draft plan have been developed after analyzing the current situation in the energy market and the economic impact on productive sectors, with the aim of protecting the competitiveness of the Romanian economy and reducing pressure on consumers. .
”Given the urgency of these problems, we ask the Romanian Government to analyze and initiate, as a matter of priority, a process of consultation and implementation of the proposed measures, as well as to develop a public policy framework that will provide stability and predictability to the economic environment,” AEI officials added.
What are the AEI proposals
Romania needs a good plan to prepare for the ”fuel price showdown” in the coming weeks if the war continues and the Strait of Hormuz is blocked. The government should not try to „beat the market” but to do 3 things simultaneously: cushion the immediate shock, protect critical sectors and reduce structural dependence on diesel. Romania starts from a context in which the average pump price for diesel is 8.69 lei/l in 08.03.2026 The national action plan we propose has 3 horizons.
1. In the first 72 hours command and transparency
The government should immediately activate an inter-ministerial task force with Finance, Energy, Transportation, Agriculture, Competition Council, ANAF, ANRMPSG and ASF, with daily reports on: the ARA diesel price, crack spread, commercial stocks, import levels, pace of refinery supply and pump margins. Romania and the rest of the EU are operating under the obligation to maintain minimum stocks of oil and petroleum products under Directive 2009/119/EC, so the first step is not panic, but to clarify exactly what stocks are available and at what rate they are being depleted.
Communication is essential. No panic, no lies. At this stage, the state should publish an official daily bulletin with 5 simple figures: ARA price, Brent, stocks, average pump price in Romania, estimated margin. This reduces panic buying and cuts room for speculation.
2. The first 2 weeks need targeted protection, not general subsidy
Taking into account the difficult macroeconomic situation in Romania, we believe that the most effective fiscal measure in the short term is neither a general price cap nor a full excise tax reduction (this measure can be applied when we enter a crisis phase), but targeted compensation for activities with systemic effect: freight transport, public transport, agriculture, food distribution, sanitation, ambulances, fire brigades and utility operators. Romania already has a scheme for refunding excise duty differentials for road transportation of goods and passengers, approved in December 2025; this should be temporarily extended and accelerated upon payment.
Specifically, we recommend 4 immediate actions at this stage:
A. Accelerated excise duty refund for critical sectors. Not for all consumers initially, but for the operators that keep the economy moving. Payment should be made monthly, not with long delays.
B. Temporary voucher for county and urban public transportation. Eurostat shows that Romania has one of the highest shares of collective transport in road energy consumption in the EU, so supporting public transport can cushion part of the shock more effectively than the universal subsidy at the pump.
C. Special line of state-guaranteed working capital for transportation, agriculture and food firms, because the initial problem is often liquidity, not profitability.
D. Monitor competition and price pass-through. We do not recommend tough administrative price controls, but we do recommend rapid audit of wholesale and retail margins. If the ARA benchmark goes up and the pump goes up too fast or too far above the cost justification, the Competition Council should intervene on transparency and possible investigations.
3. Avoiding populism in the use of strategic stocks should be done only partially and under well established conditions
Romania should not quickly „burn” strategic stocks just to temporarily cheapen the price. Reserves should only be used if physical supply disruptions occur, not just high prices. The EU directive on minimum stocks exists precisely for continuity of supply, not to smooth any market movement.
Limited stock releases should only be undertaken if significant physical delays, visible decreases in refinery/warehouse deliveries and the risk of regional shortages occur simultaneously. Otherwise, better to hold products and fiscally offset prices.
4. Measures for the next 1-3 months
The aim here is to reduce the transmission of the shock into inflation and the food chain.
Transport and logistics
The statute may introduce temporary:
- operational priority for essential transport;
- rapidly increasing rail freight capacity on certain corridors;
- incentives to shift part of heavy domestic flows from truck to rail, where feasible.
Agriculture
Need to create a separate mechanism for farmers as agricultural diesel directly hits the cost of food. Compensation here should be linked to area worked and type of activity, not to consumption declared without verification.
Public procurement
All large public institutions should switch to the 5-10% fuel reduction plan: more efficient routes, limiting unladen runs, fleet optimization. It doesn't solve the crisis, but it signals and reduces marginal demand.
5. What the Romanian government should not do immediately
AEI's recommendation is not to make a:
- rigid overall price caps at the pump;
- universal and non-differentiated tax cuts for all consumers;
- administrative export ban without European coordination;
- broadcasting public messages like „nothing will happen”, ”we're not cutting anything” if the market is already transmitting stress.
These measures tend to cost a lot, create distortions and shift consumption, not manage it.
At the same time, if the conflict continues and prices continue to rise, a second plan is needed, a Crisis Plan with a total rethink of taxation and protection of all fuel consumers. Of course these Plans must be realized in time, but they must be implemented successively.
6. Structural component: 6-24 months
This is the part that matters most, because Romania remains a very diesel-dependent road transport economy; in the EU, diesel remains the main road transport fuel, with a share of 64% in 2023.
We propose 5 courses of action:
a) Accelerating rail freight. Every percentage of freight shifted from road to rail reduces exposure to diesel shocks.
b) Renewal of public and urban transport fleets. More electric buses, trolleybuses and associated infrastructure.
c) Incentives for efficient commercial fleets. New vehicles, telematic management, reduction of empty kilometers.
d) More biodiesel/HVO where sustainable and technically compatible. Not as a total solution, but as a dependency buffer.
e) Tax policy reconfiguration ahead of ETS2. EPG estimated that ETS2 could add between 0.74 and 1.16 lei/l to diesel between 2027-2030, so Romania needs time to put in place a social and economic mechanism to absorb the future shock, not just the current one.
7. Plan in short, as Government Decision
Phase 1: 0-14 days - ordering, daily data, targeted clearing, prompt payments, margin monitoring, technical preparation for possible limited stock release.
Phase 2: 2-12 weeks - support for public transport, food logistics and agriculture, working capital loans, optimization of public consumption, partial shift to rail.
Note: If the price goes over 10 lei/l it is necessary to activate the second plan of the Crisis Plan by rethinking the tax for all fuel consumers.
Phase 3: 6-24 months - reducing structural reliance on diesel through public transport, rail freight, fleet efficiency and preparation for ETS2.
Romania does not need a spectacular measure, but a disciplined one. The best combination at the moment is: targeted compensation - transparency - with reserves used only for continuity of supply - with structural reduction of diesel dependency.
AEI publicly requests the Romanian Government, through an open letter, to develop and implement a National Action Plan to reduce the impact of the diesel price increase. At the same time, the organization submits a Draft Plan to the authorities.