Rabla Program includes vehicles made in China, but dealers say it will end in a minute or two, according to sources interviewed by Energynomics.
The program will be launched on July 20, and anyone who has all the documents “uploaded” to the AFM website can participate, but they have to be “quick with their hands,” as the sources told us.
“Everything will end in a minute or two,” dealer sources told Energynomics.
The Environmental Fund Administration announced on July 7 the launch of the registration session for the 2026 Junk Car Program for individuals starting July 20, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. The session will remain open until December 31, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. or until the allocated budget is exhausted.
“This year, we have allocated a budget of 300 million lei for the Rabla Auto Program for individuals, a larger budget than last year. We want to support Romanians who want to exchange their old and polluting cars for new, more efficient and less polluting vehicles. We are thus continuing the process of renewing the national car fleet and supporting the acquisition of electric and hybrid vehicles, as well as vehicles with internal combustion engines, including LPG/CNG, to offer beneficiaries the opportunity to choose the right solution, while contributing to reducing the impact on the environment and cleaner air,” said Florin Bănică, president of the Environmental Fund Administration.
Environmental performance, energy efficiency and emission levels must remain the main eligibility criteria for the Rabla program, and any change with a major impact on the market must be substantiated by impact analyses, clear application mechanisms and a real consultation process with the industry, argues the Association of Automobile Manufacturers and Importers of Romania (APIA).
According to a press release from the organization, the introduction of an eligibility criterion based exclusively on the place of manufacture of the vehicle would have represented a fundamental change in the philosophy of the “Rabla” program, transforming an environmental policy instrument into an economic selection mechanism, without sufficient substantiation and without demonstrating an additional benefit in terms of reducing emissions.
In these circumstances, APIA welcomes the decision of the Ministry of Environment, Waters and Forests (MMAP) to launch the Rabla Auto 2026 Program for individuals based on the criteria applied in the last session of the program, a decision that will ensure the continuity and predictability of an essential mechanism for renewing the national car fleet and reducing emissions from transport.
“APIA appreciates that the objective of the rapid launch of the program prevailed, avoiding a new period of uncertainty for consumers, manufacturers, importers and car distribution networks. During the public consultation period regarding the draft amendment to the Scrap Metal Program Guide, APIA conducted an extensive consultation process with its members and submitted detailed technical and legal observations to the Ministry of Environment, completed by participating in the public debate organized by the ministry and through direct dialogue with the Minister. As part of these efforts, APIA showed that the introduction of an eligibility criterion based exclusively on the place of manufacture of the vehicle would have represented a fundamental change in the philosophy of the Scrap Metal Program, transforming an environmental policy instrument into an economic selection mechanism, without sufficient substantiation and without demonstrating an additional benefit in terms of reducing emissions,” reads a press release from the Association, sent to Agerpres on Wednesday.
