At an extraordinary meeting on Friday, the Romanian government approved a draft emergency decree aimed at reducing the excise tax on diesel fuel by 30 bani (about 1 Moldovan leu), which will directly reduce the price at gas stations.
The National Crisis Management Center says the energy sector remains volatile and lifting the state of emergency requires caution.
From April 1, 2026, all large natural gas consumers are obliged to enter the free market and buy gas, including through exchange mechanisms.
The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has paralyzed maritime transport, causing ad hoc fertilizer shortages and a spike in energy prices. However, for the potato and ‘chip’ industry worldwide, this means sharply reduced margins and operational uncertainty for the whole of the coming season. The crisis will definitely affect the Moldovan potato industry.
Hundreds of gas stations in France have experienced fuel supply disruptions after the government imposed restrictions on the price of gasoline and diesel.
Russian pipeline gas exports to Europe rose 22% year-on-year in March amid the crisis in the Middle East.
In early March, the National Energy Regulatory Agency (ANRE) extended until the end of June the decision to appoint Moldovagaz JSC responsible for ensuring gas supply to the Transnistrian region. Earlier, in 2023, ANRE revoked the license for natural gas transportation from the Moldovan-Russian company, giving this function to a subsidiary of the Romanian state operator Transgaz. And in 2025 – the license for supply, which is now handled by the Moldovan state-owned company Energocom.
The European Union has warned that oil and gas prices will not come down anytime soon, even if the war in Iran ends.
The prime minister said that as early as next week, the government may go to parliament with ready documents and propose the lifting of the state of emergency regime. The Cabinet of Ministers will not extend it “for a single day longer than necessary”.
U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed confidence in lower energy prices after the end of the U.S. operation in Iran.
