Potential fuel price collusion at the pump has occurred once again in the case of gasoline. It reached a record level of RON 9.7 per liter at OMV and MOL stations, with the price expected to rapidly standardize across most suppliers, coming dangerously close to the threshold of diesel, which is sold at over RON 10.

Consequently, the state's effort to cheapen diesel by reducing the excise duty was quickly absorbed by the market. The price increase for gasoline, a product for which Romania is a net exporter, is difficult to support through economic arguments.

Regional pressure stems from the fact that the European market operates on the principle of communicating vessels. When the crisis hit, refineries in Europe reconfigured their flows to massively produce aviation fuel and more diesel. To this was added the price increase of the Kazakh CPC Blend grade, which exceeded 100 dollars per barrel, influencing Rompetrol stations. Only Romania has a domestic gasoline production that exceeds consumption, which is why the price should not have increased simultaneously at all vendors.

What could the state do? Instead of standing by passively, the Ministry of Finance could have extended the dynamic excise duty mechanism to gasoline as well. There has been clear discrimination, as drivers of diesel cars were partially protected through the reduction of the excise duty, while drivers of gasoline-powered cars did not benefit from any measure.

The excise duty on gasoline currently stands at over RON 3 per liter, and the state could have devised a mechanism to reduce this tax by at least RON 1, meaning a 33 percent decrease. Such a decision would have mitigated the pressure at the pump and put an end to the unequal fiscal treatment, according to the analysis conducted by ROEC.