Romanian Senate Adopts New Bill On Car Pollution Tax

The bill, sponsored by the Government, was adopted with 57 votes for, 51 votes against and four abstentions. The Senate therefore adopted the favorable report on the bill, drafted by the administration committee.

The bill will now be debated in the Chamber of Deputies.

The new car pollution tax bill, which was approved by the Government end-August, states the new 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 bill 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.