Diana Buzoianu: The Rabla Program could start as early as June

„For the Rabla program, the order will be published today. It must remain transparent for ten days. I am convinced that there will be requests for debate, especially under the new conditions that are being imposed”, said the minister.

According to her, after the public consultation period and possible debates, the order could be approved, following the usual stages of registration and submission of files. Diana Buzoianu specified that the Ministry of Environment intends to keep the calendar used last year.

„We will effectively have the calendar that was last year. The exact same calendar will be this year”, said the minister.

Under these conditions, the first stage of the program could start as early as June, if the administrative procedures are completed according to the estimated deadlines.

The Minister of the Environment also announced an increase in the budget allocated to the program. If last year it was 200 million lei, in 2026 the amount reaches 300 million lei.

„It is an increase of 100 million lei. We thus show that we believe in this program, that we want continuity,” explained Diana Buzoianu.

The official claimed that the new eligibility criteria aim to reduce the environmental impact and stimulate production in Europe. According to her, the difference in ecological impact is significant between transporting a car near Romania and importing it from other continents.

The minister specified that vehicles manufactured in European Union member states, in countries in the European Economic Area and in states included in the Mediterranean Treaty will be eligible for financing.

„If the certificate of origin lists one of these countries as the country of manufacture, it is automatically a car eligible for this program,” said Diana Buzoianu.

In parallel, the Ministry of Environment aims to prioritize programs for water and sewage infrastructure.

According to the minister, the program dedicated to this sector benefits from a budget of 1.5 billion lei this year and is intended to support communities that still do not benefit from essential public services and to reduce the risk of infringement proceedings launched against Romania at the European level.