The prospect that a Rabla type program could be limited to states in the European Union and those that have conventions with the EU is, in principle, a project that can meet the conditions, according to the Competition Council, declared, on Thursday, at the end of the Government meeting, the Minister of Environment, Waters and Forests, Diana Buzoianu.

“We will launch a new ‘Rabla Auto’ Program for individuals, which will have a budget of 300 million lei. It is a budget 100 million lei more than last year, a budget that will be divided as it was divided last year in terms of the value of the vouchers and a budget that we hope will be used mainly on the European criterion. We have already sent a question to the Competition Council, we received a response that, in principle, the prospect that a “Rabla” type program could be limited to states that have conventions with the European Union and the states in the European Union is a project that can meet the conditions. We are also waiting to send a question to clarify the last details to the Ministry of Economy, precisely in view of the emergency launch of the Order regarding the “Rabla” program Guide. We want the “Rabla” Program to be launched urgently, after the approval of this budget. “If all competent authorities confirm that the version of the Guide that applies to cars produced, assembled, manufactured in Europe or in states that have strategic conventions with Europe, we will also make transparent a guide that will make this transition from the previous “Rabla” Program, which was open to absolutely any kind of car, regardless of the continent where it was made, to cars that return value, including in the economy, at the European level,” Buzoianu mentioned, according to Agerpres.

Asked if the value of the vouchers granted in the 2026 edition of the “Rabla” program will change, the head of the Environment said that the respective amounts remain unchanged compared to last year.

“There will be no other changes. The vouchers will be identical, the application conditions will be identical. We will most likely set a condition, a limitation for motorcycles and mopeds, because last year they were not and they managed to fit into 30% of the budget. The main purpose and orientation of the project must go to cars. So, we will probably have a limitation of probably 10% of the budget, which can also go to motorcycles and mopeds,” said Diana Buzoianu.

She added that, in the case of legal entities, the “Rabla” Program will remain suspended “until we identify the necessary budget.”

“On the budget that is made this year, there should clearly be no additional money left, because we have provided for all projects, we have directed the money to absolutely vital projects. I know that the public interest is especially in the “Rabla” area, but we are very proud that we managed to put 1.5 billion for water and sewer. It is an amount that will manage to get tens of thousands of Romanians out of some conditions that are hard to imagine for 2026,” Buzoianu emphasized.

Recently, the Association of Automobile Manufacturers and Importers of Romania (APIA) classified as “worrying” official statements that referred to the exclusive support of vehicles “produced or assembled in the European Union.”

“The Ministry of Environment cannot unilaterally redefine economic and commercial notions related to European legislation and the market. Currently, there is no official European definition applicable to the “Rabla” program that would establish exactly what “produced” or “assembled” means in the European Union in the context of eligibility for a national incentive program,” APIA President Dan Vardie explained in a press conference.

For his part, the organization’s vice president, Dan Cuțui, pointed out that if the “Rabla” Program were to start, the term “Made in Europe” would spark discussions “and the program could be temporarily halted for purely legal reasons, such as legal attacks by producers who will consider themselves disadvantaged.”

In 2025, the eco-tickets granted through the “Rabla” Program had the following values: 18,500 lei – for the purchase of a new purely electric or hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, 15,000 lei – for the purchase of a new plug-in hybrid vehicle or an electric motorcycle; 12,000 lei – for the purchase of a new vehicle with a hybrid propulsion system; 10,000 lei – for the purchase of a new vehicle with a thermal propulsion system (with internal combustion, including LPG/CNG engine) or a motorcycle.