The measure is part of a bill that brings national legislation in line with EU standards and changes the principles of functioning of the oil products market.
Operators owning storage facilities will be able to participate in this system only if they have an authorization issued by the National Energy Regulatory Agency (ANRE). The authorization will be valid for five years and will be issued free of charge. At the same time, the state is introducing stricter control over fuel storage activities when they involve emergency stocks, in order to guarantee the availability of sufficient fuel in critical situations.
Another important change is the introduction of a new financial mechanism called “contribution to the establishment and maintenance of emergency stocks”. The authorities claim that this mechanism is necessary to cover the cost of maintaining strategic reserves.
The legislative changes also update the definitions in the energy sector and expand the powers of ANRE, which will deal with the licensing and accounting of operators participating in the system.
The stated objective is to reduce vulnerabilities associated with import dependency and to ensure a minimum stock of fuel that can be used in emergencies. The project is currently at the stage of public consultation.
