The Government has approved, at the initiative of the Ministry of Energy, a draft law amending certain normative acts, establishing clearer rules for the storage of petroleum products intended for emergency stocks and strengthening the fuel supply security mechanism.

The draft law was developed to align the existing legislative framework with Law No. 119/2026 on the Security of Petroleum Product Supply, through which the Republic of Moldova transposes into national legislation the provisions of Directive 2009/119/EC concerning the obligation to maintain a minimum level of stocks of crude oil and/or petroleum products.

“This is a concrete measure to protect the market and the economy against potential supply disruptions. The petroleum products market is going through a rather challenging period, while the conflict in the Middle East, which has had a significant impact on market volatility and created logistical difficulties, has once again shown how vulnerable fuel supplies can become when external factors emerge. Since the beginning of this year, we have faced several crises caused by external factors, and for a country such as the Republic of Moldova, it is essential to have instruments that allow us to respond quickly and protect consumers,” said Minister of Energy Dorin Junghietu.

Currently, the legal framework governing the petroleum products market is primarily regulated by Law No. 461/2001 on the Petroleum Products Market. Although it contains general provisions on the import, sale, and storage of fuels, the current legislation does not establish a separate authorization mechanism for operators intending to provide storage services for emergency stocks.

The new draft law therefore proposes a clear distinction between ordinary commercial storage and the storage of petroleum products intended for the establishment and maintenance of emergency stocks.

Under the proposed legislation, operators of storage facilities that store petroleum products intended for emergency stocks will be required to obtain a special authorization from the National Agency for Energy Regulation (ANRE). The authorization will be issued free of charge for a period of five years and will apply exclusively to the storage of fuels intended for the establishment and maintenance of emergency stocks.

At the same time, operators using their facilities exclusively to store commercial stocks will not be required to obtain this authorization or to adapt their facilities to the specific requirements applicable to emergency stocks.

The new framework will also allow authorized private operators to participate in the mechanism for establishing and maintaining emergency stocks, which could stimulate the development of petroleum product storage infrastructure in the Republic of Moldova.

ANRE will be responsible for collecting and consolidating data related to the authorization regime, including information on applications submitted, authorizations issued, authorized storage capacities, processing times, and any non-compliance identified.

On July 28, 2026, the Government introduced an energy alert status for a period of 30 days as a preventive measure amid disruptions in the regional fuel market, partial diesel shortages at some filling stations, high logistics costs, and volatility in international prices. The measure aimed to ensure continuity of petroleum product supplies amid the rapidly deteriorating situation on international markets and logistical disruptions affecting the region.