The Government today approved the draft law on the security of petroleum product supply, developed by the Ministry of Energy. The draft establishes the legal framework for creating a national system of emergency stocks of petroleum products and sets out the institutional mechanism responsible for their management.

According to the draft law, the function of Central Stockholding Entity will be performed by an entity established or designated by the Government. It will contribute to the establishment and maintenance of the state’s emergency stocks, enabling the Republic of Moldova to respond rapidly in the event of supply crises or major disruptions on international energy markets.

For the first time, the Republic of Moldova is establishing a national emergency stockholding mechanism for petroleum products, aimed at reducing the country’s vulnerability to external shocks and ensuring continuity of fuel supplies for the economy and citizens.

The system is designed in line with the model applied in the European Union and transposes Directive 2009/119/EC on the obligation of Member States to maintain minimum stocks of crude oil and/or petroleum products. Under the draft law, Moldova will maintain stocks equivalent to at least 90 days of net imports or 61 days of domestic consumption, whichever is greater.

Minister of Energy Dorin Junghietu emphasized that the draft comes amid increasing regional and international instability.

“Recent geopolitical developments, including tensions in the Middle East, have once again demonstrated how fragile the stability of international energy markets and petroleum product supply chains can be. Under such circumstances, security of supply is no longer a technical or abstract concept, but something that directly affects prices at the pump, people’s mobility and the functioning of the economy in everyday life,” Minister Dorin Junghietu stated.

The Minister also noted that the Republic of Moldova is almost entirely dependent on imports of petroleum products, as the country has no domestic crude oil production and no oil refineries. Consequently, any external crisis, regional conflict or logistical disruption can quickly affect domestic supplies and prices.

The model proposed by the draft law is a hybrid one: 50% of the stockholding obligation will be assigned to the Central Stockholding Entity, while the remaining 50% will fall on companies importing petroleum products. The authorities consider that this formula allows responsibilities to be shared between the state and market participants, without placing the entire financial burden either on the public budget or on economic operators.

The system will be implemented gradually over a period of eight years, allowing storage infrastructure and the market to adapt progressively. The full level of strategic stocks is expected to be reached by 1 July 2034.

At least half of the emergency stocks will have to be stored within the territory of the Republic of Moldova. The remaining stocks may be held in other countries on the basis of bilateral agreements or in other forms permitted by law.

The draft law also introduces a permanent mechanism for monitoring emergency stocks. The Ministry of Energy will administer the national emergency stock register, while the National Agency for Energy Regulation will oversee compliance by economic operators with their stockholding obligations.

To finance the system, the draft law provides for the establishment of a contribution intended to cover the creation and maintenance of emergency stocks. The contribution will cover the costs of purchasing fuel for the reserves, storage, stock rotation and financial expenses related to their management.

During the transition period, the indicative level of the contribution is set at MDL 0.48 per litre of gasoline, diesel or kerosene and per kilogram of fuel oil and LPG. The system is therefore based on a fair and proportional principle, under which each market participant contributes to petroleum supply security according to the quantities placed on the market and consumed.

In the event of a crisis, the decision to use the emergency stocks will be taken within the national crisis management mechanism, enabling the state to respond rapidly and in a coordinated manner to prevent major disruptions in petroleum product supplies.

The establishment of a national emergency stockholding system represents an important step towards strengthening the energy security of the Republic of Moldova and reducing the impact of external crises on consumers and the national economy.