March 26, 2026 UPDATE
A roundup of local and world news
Newsroom, 26.03.2026, 20:00
FUELS The government of Romania has passed an emergency order comprising measures for the fuel market to be implemented as of April 1. Under the order, markups used by business operators that produce, import or sell petrol and diesel will be capped at the average margin for last year. Exports and intra-EU deliveries will be an exception, but in case of deviations fines will be applicable, ranging from 0.5% to 1% of the turnover reported last year. Also, business operators are to reduce the biofuel component in petrol from 8% to a minimum of 2% during the period April 1 – June 30, when these protection measures are in force. At the same time, for exports made without the required approvals from the ministries of economy and energy fines will be issued, ranging between 5% and 10% of turnover, and the proceeds will be confiscated. The emergency order also introduces changes in the natural gas market, including rules regarding the minimum stocks and the obligation to exchange and update data between producers, suppliers and the relevant authorities.
ENERGY Romania is ready to act as a guarantor of regional energy security once the Neptun Deep offshore project in the Black Sea reaches the production phase next year, the Senate Speaker Mircea Abrudean emphasised on Wednesday at the Three Seas Initiative (I3M) Parliamentary Summit in Croatia. In his view, in the current geopolitical context, the I3M is increasingly becoming a strategic platform for resilience, security, competitiveness, and regional cohesion.
DRONE A military drone entered 4 kilometers into Romanian airspace and crashed near the town of Parcheş (southeast) after being diverted by the Ukrainian air defence, the Romanian defence ministry reported on Thursday. According to the source, on Wednesday night Russian Federation forces launched new drone strikes on civilian and infrastructure targets in Ukraine, near the river border with Romania, in the north of Tulcea County. Two F-16 aircraft took off to monitor the situation. Residents in the area received a new extreme alert message, warning of the possibility of falling objects and providing recommendations for self-protection.
BUDGET The Constitutional Court of Romania Thursday dismissed the complaints filed by the nationalist opposition party AUR (the Alliance for the Union of Romanians) against the state budget and social security budget bills endorsed by Parliament last week. The Court says it found no irregularities in the legislative process, as claimed by AUR, which complained that the bills had been rushed through Parliament. As for the accusations that the government relied on unrealistic estimates, the Court said those are matters related to state budget policies, rather than unconstitutionality issues. Therefore, the document can now be sent to the Presidential Administration for promulgation.
STATISTICS Romania ranks 21st in the EU in terms of living standards. The latest Eurostat data takes into account the Gross Domestic Product per capita, in particular how much money a person produces in a year, as well as the purchasing power, which differs from one state to another, as prices are different. The EU annual average is EUR 41,600 per person in purchasing power, and comparisons between member states are based on this indicator. Ten of the EU states are above this level, with Luxembourg and Ireland at the top with over 237% of the EU average, which means over EUR 99,000 per person annually. At the opposite end are Bulgaria and Greece, with only 68% of the EU average, that is just over EUR 28,000 per person. Romania is in 21st place, with 78% of the average, or approximately EUR 32,450 per person annually. Hungary is behind Romania, which is in the same position as Croatia and one percent behind Estonia.
TRADE The European Parliament has endorsed the trade agreement signed last summer by the European Union and the United States. The decision was taken despite criticism from several MEPs from all political groups, who believe the agreement is to the detriment of the European bloc. The trade deal eliminates tariffs on hundreds of US products, but places a 15% overall tariff on EU exports to the United States. However, the EP has introduced provisions that enable the suspension of the agreement at any time, if the interests or security of the EU are affected. MEPs also insisted on the inclusion of safeguard measures, as in the case of the agreement with the Mercosur trade bloc in South America, to protect the European market in the event of imbalances. However, this is not the final stage for adoption, as other procedural steps involving negotiations between the parties, as well as within the Union, will follow. (AMP)
