Romanian President Passes Law On Car Pollution Tax

The draft law on the car pollution tax, which amends the first registration tax criticized by the Court of Justice of the European Union, was adopted by the Parliament on December 15.

The law will take effect after it is published in the Official Journal.

Under the new regulations, the car pollution tax will be charged for both new and used cars registered for the first time in Romania, regardless of whether the vehicle was produced in the country or abroad, as well as for cars registered before 2007, for which the tax was not paid.

The law also lowers the tax by as much as 25% and allows car owners who paid a higher tax after July 1, 2008 to request a refund of the difference. The tax rate will be determined according to the engine’s type and size, CO2 emissions and vehicle depreciation.