Funds for the environment

The famous car scrapping program, known as Rabla, is due to start in Romania by the end of the month

Newsroom, 10.03.2023, 14:00

The Bucharest
government has approved the budget of the Environmental Fund Administration
(EFA), which allows the start of the Rabla 2023 car scrapping program by the
end of the month. The Rabla Classic and Rabla Plus
programs have an increased budget, which this year is 1.5 billion lei (305
million euros). This year’s edition brings two major changes compared to
previous years. Thus, for the Classic Rabla program, the
cancellation premium increases from 6,000 lei (1,200 euros), as it was last
year, to 7,000 lei (1,400 euros) to cover the 16% inflation rate registered at
the end of 2022. in total, with two scrapping premiums and a low-emissions
engine, you can get almost a 3,000 euro discount, that is, a quarter of the
price of a new volume car with basic equipment.

In the Rabla
plus program, through which the state offers a bonus of almost 11,000
euros for electric cars, the Ministry of the Environment introduced a threshold
of 75,000 euros for the maximum value of the new car. There is also a new
program – Rabla Local, which will be developed and implemented in
collaboration with local town halls. The budget for this new program is 240
million lei (49 million euros) and 20% of the total is to be covered by the
local authorities. That is, 2,400 lei (490 euros) will be paid from the EFA
budget, and 600 lei (120 euros) from the local budget. Thus, the beneficiary
will receive a total of 3,000 lei (610 euros) for each car older than 15 years
that will be scrapped.

At the same time, in
2023, the program for bicycle lanes continues, with a budget of 50 million lei
(10 million euros), but also Rabla for electrical appliances, with
a budget of 75 million lei (15 million euros ). The government will also
increase funds for environmental programs, such as the Green House, for the
installation of photovoltaic panels, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă said. He stated
that the number of beneficiaries is increasing. PM Nicolae Ciuca:

We decided to double the
funds earmarked for such projects. Approximately 2 billion Euro will therefore
are available for the installation of photovoltaic panels, and that could
benefit around 80 thousand households.

And since we talk
about renewable sources, in order to strengthen its development strategy in
this field, Public Power Corp (PPC), the largest utility company in Greece, is
acquiring the operations in Romania of the Italian group Enel, in exchange for
1.26 billion euros. According to experts, through cheap production costs, PPC
will thus double its production from renewable sources, after, in Greece, due
to restrictions, it was forced to reduce its market share. Since 2005, Enel has
played an important role in the energy market in Romania, where it has over 3
million customers. Through this acquisition, the Greek company, which has 6
million customers, is going to strengthen its geostrategic position in the
Balkan region, becoming the largest player in South-Eastern Europe. (MI)