The Rabla program will have a larger budget in 2026, after the Ministry of Finance decided to increase the funds of the Environmental Fund Administration (AFM) by 100 million lei.
The announcement was made by the interim Minister of Finance, Alexandru Nazare, who stated that the measure will allow a larger number of Romanians to replace their old cars and, at the same time, support the economy.
According to him, the increase is on top of the budget initially proposed by the Ministry of Environment for the Rabla program.
"The Rabla program continues in 2026, with an additional 100 million lei, compared to the initial value of the program proposed by the Ministry of Environment. We have increased the AFM budget for this year so that more Romanians can change their old cars and support the economy at the same time," transmitted Alexandru Nazare in a Facebook post.
The AFM budget for 2026 includes both ongoing programs and new investments in infrastructure and the environment. Among these are Rabla Clasic and Rabla Plus, funding for photovoltaic panels, energy efficiency in buildings, charging stations for electric cars, efficient public lighting, recycling, water, and sewage.
The interim Minister of Finance says that the Rabla Program has direct effects not only for the population but also for the auto industry.
"The program has a direct impact on people, the auto market, and the economy: it supports the replacement of old cars, stimulates purchases, and maintains a predictable funding flow for an important sector," explained Nazare.
Funds also for projects from the PNRR and local infrastructure
Additionally, the AFM budget will also include funding for projects taken from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), waste collection centers, digitized ecological islands, and recycling capacities.
The Ministry of Finance states that it has chosen to maintain funding for programs considered to have quick effects on the economy and the population, given the budget pressures this year.
"It is a responsible budget decision in the current context: we are maintaining and supporting programs that work, funding concrete investments, and directing resources where they can have tangible effects on the economy and for the population," stated Alexandru Nazare.
Minister of Environment: There are other priorities that need funding
The increase in the Rabla budget comes after the Minister of Environment, Diana Buzoianu, recently stated that Romania can no longer afford to allocate over a billion lei annually to this program, given that there are more urgent environmental issues.
"I don't think we can go back to projects of over a billion lei for Rabla, simply because Romania has systemic environmental issues that have not received funding for years and need to be prioritized in the coming years," said Diana Buzoianu.
The Minister cited waste heaps that "poison people," lack of investments in water and sewage, or landfills for which Romania pays annual fines as examples. According to her, AFM funds should be divided between programs for the population and underfunded infrastructure and environmental projects over the years.