The removal of the environment tax will result in more old cars being registered in Romania, which will increase pollution and affect human health, especially in big cities, according to the Automotive Manufacturers and Importers Association (APIA).

Romania already has one of the oldest car parks in Europe, with an average car age of about 13.5 years and over 1.6 million vehicles whose age exceeds 15 years. Removing the environment tax will only worsen the situation, reads the APIA press release.

The measure will cancel the effort to clean up Romania’s car park supported by the state-backed Cash-for-Bangers (Rabla) program.

APIA representatives also showed that an environment tax is not unique or illegal, as 19 EU member states have a tax depending on factors such as the CO2 emissions.

PwC: Romania needs an environment tax

editor@romania-insider.com