The decision to suspend the 2025 car fleet renewal program destabilizes the automotive market and public trust in the authorities, warns the Association of Automobile Makers and Importers of Romania (APIA) in a press release sent to AGERPRES on Wednesday.
APIA representatives "condemn this last-minute political decision, which directly hits the automotive industry and, implicitly, the national economy, at a time when stimulus measures, not stagnation, are vital".
"We understand the budgetary constraints and the need for fiscal adjustments, but the coherence and predictability of public policies are the basis for the trust of the private sector and citizens in state institutions and in the commitments already assumed to ensure the quality of life, road safety, pollution reduction and environmental protection. The suspension of the 2025 car fleet renewal program comes after the longest delay in the initiative's history and after a phased launch that has already created confusion and distrust among applicants. The negative effects of this more than 5-month postponement of the program are already visible in the market: car registrations decreased by 32.4% in May 2025, compared to the same month in 2024, generating a 12% decline for the entire year, and electric vehicles recorded a 41.2% decline in the first five months from 2025, compared to the same period last year, placing Romania in last place in the EU in this regard", the organization mentions.
"The suspension of financing through the 2025 car fleet renewal program directly hits the pillars of the automotive industry - from the production and import chains to the distribution network. It is unacceptable that environmental and economic development policies become instruments of political negotiation, generating serious consequences both at the level of companies, but especially of the beneficiaries - individuals, the most vulnerable category targeted by the withdrawal of eco-tickets. APIA requests the urgent resumption of financing, through a real partnership between authorities and consumers", the president of APIA, Dan Vardie said in the same press release.
The Administration of the Environmental Fund (AFM) announced on Wednesday in a press release that, until the formation of the new Government, it is suspending the launch of all financing programs, including the launch of the car renewal program session for individuals, scheduled for Thursday, June 19, at 10:00.
"The negotiations in recent days regarding the formation of a new Government aim to bring balance and stability, which is why it is important that the new government, together with the AFM, prioritize budget allocations based on the current needs of the population. The AFM will maintain its position and promote the financing of environmental programs that have a direct impact on the environment, implicitly on the quality of people's lives. It is important that things are done one by one, with patience and wisdom, which is why the suspension of the AFM programs is a solid argument so that the government's priorities can be honored," the AFM president, Florin Banica was quoted as saying in the press release.
In this context, the AFM said the suspension of the financing sessions "is necessary so that the new Government's priorities can be stablished in a balanced, sustainable and transparent manner."
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