The Romanian Foresters Association - ASFOR has asked the Romanian Senate to extend the National Excise-Free Diesel Programme so that forestry, forest management and logging operations are also covered by the proposed tax mechanism.

The organisation submitted a memorandum and nine amendments concerning legislative proposal B437/2026. The bill currently under parliamentary review aims to allow diesel used in agriculture to be purchased directly without the standard excise duty, replacing the existing mechanism under which eligible users first pay the full fuel price and subsequently request reimbursement of part of the tax.

ASFOR supports the proposed fiscal simplification but argues that the list of beneficiaries should also include forestry and logging operators. These activities are essential to the supply of raw wood, timber and other wood materials required throughout the wood processing and wood products value chain.

🌲 What ASFOR Is Asking the Senate to Change

The proposed amendments would explicitly include forestry in the title and scope of the legislation, introduce the concept of “Marked Diesel for Agriculture and Forestry” and establish a Forest User Certificate

Potential beneficiaries would include certified logging companies, forest districts and forest administrators. Eligible diesel volumes could be calculated according to the authorised volume of wood to be harvested, forest accessibility, terrain gradient and the forestry technologies used.

According to the proposal, eligible activities could include tree felling, cross-cutting, wood collection, skidding and forwarding, silvicultural work, technological transport to the primary landing, forest fire prevention, pest-control operations, and the construction and maintenance of forest roads.

🌲 The Fiscal and Legal Argument
ASFOR refers to Council Directive 2003/96/EC, which allows European Union member states to apply taxation levels down to zero for energy products and electricity used in agriculture, horticulture, fish farming and forestry. From this perspective, including forestry would not create an entirely new exemption, but would extend an existing legal option to another primary economic activity.

According to the figures presented by ASFOR, Romania's standard diesel excise duty has been RON 2,804.29 per 1,000 litres since 1 January 2026, while the reduced rate applicable to mechanised agricultural work is RON 106.72 per 1,000 litres. Logging and forestry operators currently pay the full standard excise duty.

ASFOR estimates that extending the programme to the forestry sector would have an annual budgetary impact of approximately RON 80-135 million, equivalent to around 13-22% of the funding allocated to the agricultural scheme for 2026.

🌲 Potential Impact on the Wood Industry
For logging companies, diesel represents a significant component of the cost of harvesting, collecting and moving wood to the primary landing. A reduction in excise duty could improve company liquidity, make operating costs more predictable and support the execution of forestry work in remote or difficult terrain.

The effects could also reach sawmills, timber traders and wood processing companies through a more stable supply of raw wood and reduced cost pressure within the wood supply chain. However, the final impact on wood prices, timber prices and the cost of finished wood products would depend on the version of the law adopted, the implementation rules, market conditions and the effectiveness of the control system.

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Control, Traceability and the Parliamentary Process
ASFOR proposes linking the Forest User Certificate to the logging certification system and to Romania's digital wood traceability platform. The authorised harvesting volume would provide a verifiable basis for calculating eligible fuel consumption.

The association's proposal concerns fuel used for forestry operations and technological transport within the harvesting process. Road transport of timber outside the forest area would not be included in the calculation described by ASFOR.

The Romanian Senate is the first parliamentary chamber reviewing the proposal, while the Chamber of Deputies is expected to have the final decision. The legislation remains under parliamentary procedure, and the inclusion of forestry will depend on the amendments accepted, the institutional opinions issued and the final parliamentary vote.

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Sources: ASFOR Romanian Senate ForestMania EUR-Lex