The program for the financing of the charging stations for electric cars is in a deadlock due to the legislative bloackages and the frequent changes at the Ministry of Environment, says Andrei Iorgulescu, general manager for projects within the Environmental Fund Administration (AFM). He told energynomics.ro that a new legislative initiative is expected, and this could increase from 80% to 100% the amount of the state funding.
Until then, not even the funding applications submitted in 2016 were approved. “Unfortunately, the program for the development of the charging stations is currently in a deadlock due to the legislative changes. The program started at the end of last year, about 50 applications were submitted, unfortunately their administrative analysis concluded the lack of legal regulations that would allow us to finance them”, said Iorgulescu at a conference organized by Business Mark.
“During the last year, major changes have taken place at the Ministry of Environment, and the legislative changes also depend upon these changes”, said Iorgulescu. He argues that there is a new legislative initiative that could be approved in the upcoming period. Priority will be given to files already submitted in 2016.
“We do not know how the strategy that the Ministry of the Environment will adopt would actually look. There are discussions in the sense of starting a more complex strategy, which also includes obligations, if we are talking about construction, new parkings and so on. We are looking for solutions for financing this from the AFM funds, but we have to see how we can attract the institutions and public authorities, even by measures – not necessarily coercive, but more accountable”, he said. “Our budgets are limited if we relate to the existing national needs”.
He explained for energynomics.ro that the elimination of the environmental stamp drastically reduced the budget of the AFM by almost 24,3%, from 700 million lei in 2016, to 530 million lei this year. Both the financing budget for the purchase of electric vehicles and the construction of the stations budget, reach 45 million lei each.
Last year, AFM received 48 requests for the construction of electric stations, totaling 259 stations. According to the old legislation, AFM would cover 80% of the investments, but not more than 200.000 euros for each project.
