The Chamber of Deputies adopted, as a decision-making body, the draft law approving the emergency ordinance 186/2022, which provides for the establishment of the solidarity tax for companies in the energy sector. According to the legislative initiative, the solidarity contribution will be paid by commercial companies that carry out activities in the sectors of crude oil, natural gas, coal and refineries. According to News.ro, the law will be sent to the Romanian Presidency for final approval.
The provisions of the law amending GEO no. 186/2022 regarding the 60% solidarity contribution on the ″excessive profits″ of companies in the crude oil, gas, coal and refining industries, intended to compel OMV Petrom to pay the contribution and to which the company reacted virulently, calling them unconstitutional, subsequently being the subject of the request for re-examination by President Iohannis, were completely removed from the text of the normative act, according to Profit.ro.
Instead, a fixed amount tax was introduced on the crude oil processed in the refineries, which will be due only by the companies that simultaneously practice crude oil extraction and refining activities. The only Romanian company in this situation is OMV Petrom.
″Refining margins during the period of application of GEO no. 186/2022 are superior to margins obtained under normal market conditions. Although in 2023 it is estimated that the margins will decrease, they will still be superior to margins obtained under normal market conditions, the refining activity not being taxed additionally,” argued the Coalition, at the introduction of the new tax.
The draft law has as its regulatory object the approval of Government Emergency Ordinance 186/2022, which establishes the legal framework necessary for the application in the national legal space of the provisions of Regulation (EU) 2022/1854, in the context of Romania’s fulfillment of its obligations derived from its capacity as a member state of the European Union, in order to ensure the financing of investments in strategic energy projects and the resources necessary to protect the population from the effects of the increase in energy prices.
The solidarity contribution will be paid by the commercial companies that carry out activities in the crude oil, natural gas, coal and refinery sectors.
Proceeds from the solidarity contribution will also be used to finance financial support measures for final energy consumers, especially for vulnerable households, to mitigate the effects of price increases.
The Senate re-examined, on Tuesday, at the request of President Klaus Iohannis, the law that instituted the solidarity contribution for companies that are active in the extraction of crude oil, natural gas, coal, the manufacture of coke oven products and products obtained for oil refining.
GEO 186/2022 established the amount, calculation method and destination of the solidarity contribution. According to the European regulation, this is temporary.