Major fuel market operators complied with the provisions on capping commercial markups during the April-June 2026 period, and their margins did not exceed the average level recorded in 2025, according to a preliminary analysis published on Tuesday by the Competition Council.
"The main operators in the fuel market for which comparable data are available complied with the provisions regarding the capping of commercial markups during the April-June 2026 period (...) Thus, the margins they reported did not exceed the average level recorded in 2025. Regarding the major producers and distributors included in the Price Monitornamely OMV Petrom, Rompetrol, MOL Romania, and Socar Romaniathe analyzed data do not indicate margins for the April-June 2026 period that are higher than those from 2025. Further clarifications are required for Petrotel-Lukoil, Lukoil Romania, and Nis Petrol/Gazprom, as some of the reported information is incomplete or contains inconsistencies," the competition authority notes, agerpres reports.
According to the cited source, based on data submitted to the National Agency for Fiscal Administration (ANAF) by economic operators involved in the production, import, distribution, and sale of gasoline and dieselin compliance with obligations established by Emergency Ordinance No. 19/2026the average commercial markup applied by each company between April 1 and June 30, 2026, was capped at the average annual markup applied by that company during the previous year.
"We are continuously monitoring the fuel market, especially at a time when prices are high and there is natural concern among consumers. Data analyzed so far indicate that major market operators have complied with the regulations regarding the capping of commercial markups. The analysis is ongoing, and we will finalize it in the near future," stated Bogdan Chiritoiu, President of the Competition Council, in a press release sent to AGERPRES.
He noted that diesel fuel is currently about 50-53 bani per liter cheaper than it was before the excise duty cut, meaning the measure is effective and the price paid by the consumer is lower. "The price of diesel is influenced not only by crude oil quotes but also by trends in refined product prices, the diesel shortage, and supply issues. International diesel prices remain high, and price pressures stem primarily from the refining sector," Bogdan Chiri?oiu emphasized.
In total, 824 economic operators were identified in the database provided by ANAF as having reported information for at least one of the periods analyzed; of these, 536 submitted reports for both the year 2025 and the analyzed period of 2026.
"A preliminary analysis identified 65 instances where the values reported for 2026 appear to exceed the 2025 reference level for at least one of the analyzed products or sales channels. These cases require individual verification and do not, at this stage, constitute final findings regarding non-compliance with the commercial markup cap. Additionally, some cases revealed potential reporting errors or inconsistenciessuch as product misclassifications, overlaps between initial and revised declarations, missing unit-of-measurement data, and seemingly erroneous figures. The Competition Council will continue its analysis in collaboration with ANAF and, where necessary, request further information and clarifications from the economic operators," the institution noted.
Based on the monitoring of current fuel price trendsby aggregating data from the Fuel Price Monitor and information requested directly from companiesthe 20% reduction in the diesel excise duty, implemented on August 16, 2026, amounted to 68 bani per liter.
"Immediately after the measure was implemented, the average price of standard diesel fell from approximately 10.74 lei/liter to 10.10 lei/liter. Thus, major operators reduced the price at the pump by 68 bani/liter. The only exception was a company already under state supervision, which applied a reduction of 53 bani/liter. Following a subsequent increase of approximately 13-15 bani/liter, the average price reached around 10.23 lei/liter," stated representatives of the institution.
The Competition Council states that the trend of fuel prices in Romania during this period is similar to that on European markets.
"Thus, on August 17, the price of diesel including taxes in Romania was virtually equal to the European Union average: 2.030 per liter in Romania, compared to the EU average of 2.033 per liter. Between August 10 and 17, the price of diesel in Romania rose by approximately 1%, whereas 16 other member states recorded steeper increases of up to 9%. At the same time, the pre-tax price in Romania was about 6% below the EU average: 1.142 per liter versus 1.210 per liter. In the case of gasoline, prices in Romania were even lower: approximately 6% below the EU average for the price including taxes and 8% below the EU average for the pre-tax price. On August 24, the average price of standard gasoline in Romania was approximately 9.55 lei per liter," the cited analysis states.
The competition authority highlights that, following the recent amendment to the methodology for capping markups in the fuel market, prices in Romania have seen a smaller decline relative to the European average compared to the April-June period, when the previous cap was in effect. At that time, prices including taxes were up to 10% below the European Union average, while prices excluding taxes were up to 20% lower.
