DOC // Official Journal publishes amendment to fuel price-setting mechanism during state of emergency

The Government of the Republic of Moldova has approved new regulations for the petroleum products market, with the decision being published in the Official Journal. The measures, adopted on Thursday during an extraordinary meeting of the Cabinet, aim to amend the price calculation methodology and ensure the necessary fuel stocks throughout the 60 days of the state of emergency declared at national level.

The new legal provisions are intended to adapt state intervention to the instability on international markets, after the regional energy infrastructure was affected, causing the disconnection of the strategic Vulcănești-Isaccea power line.

According to the document, the National Energy Regulatory Agency (ANRE) will change the reference interval used to set price caps. Thus, in determining tariffs, the average of international quotations for a period of seven days will be taken into account, replacing the previous 14-day term.

This reduction of the reference interval is intended to increase the speed at which pump prices react to external markets. In periods of declining international quotations, the new mechanism will allow a faster pass-through of these reductions to final consumers in the Republic of Moldova.

The Government’s decision introduces strict rules to maintain the flow of fuel and prevent speculation:

- Sale of premium diesel at the standard price: Fuel stations that temporarily do not have standard diesel are obliged to sell other available types of diesel at the price cap set for the standard product. The measure prohibits forcing consumers to buy more expensive fuels in the absence of basic ones.

- Monitoring of imports: Importers of petroleum products are required to submit to ANRE a procurement plan for the next five days. At the same time, they are prohibited from importing in April quantities smaller than those reported for March, in order to ensure the necessary reserves.

- Use of local resources: The authorities have allowed the use of existing resources of the company Lukoil, which owns the most extensive network of stations in the country, exclusively for the purchase of petroleum products on the local market and their sale through the national network, thus facilitating citizens’ access to fuel at the pump.

The measures entered into force immediately after publication and are valid exclusively for the duration of the state of emergency, established as of 25 March 2026.