The RO e-Transport system is used to monitor the transport of goods with an elevated tax risk within Romania. The provisions which came into effect in January 2024 expanded the scope of the system, enabling it to control all types of goods transported across the country as part of international shipments.
Changes were included in Regulation OUG 115/2023, through which the Romanian legislator introduced a number of changes regarding the RO e-Transport system. The new regulations will significantly impact road freight transport in this country.
The key change is the inclusion of all goods transported across Romania as part of international shipments under the control of the RO e-Transport system. Its implementation imposes new duties on transport organizers related to the necessity of reporting data on cargo. These duties rest upon:
- the recipient listed on the import customs declaration or sender listed on the export customs declaration in the case of goods subject to import/export operations;
- beneficiary in Romania, in the case of an intra-community acquisition of goods;
- supplier in Romania, in the case of intra-community supply of goods;
- those running a customs warehouse, in the case of goods subject to intra-community transit transactions, both with reference to goods unloaded in Romania for storage or the formation of a new shipment from one or more shipments of goods, and in relation to goods loaded after storage or after the formation of a new shipment on the territory of the country from one or more shipments.
In the system, data regarding the sender and beneficiary, names, features, quantities, and values of transported goods, locations of loading and unloading, and details concerning the used means of transport are reported.
The new provisions have some exemptions: it applies only to vehicles with a maximum permissible weight of at least 2.5 tonnes, carrying goods with a total gross weight exceeding 500 kg, or with a total value of at least 10,000 RON.
Drivers’ vehicles must be equipped with systems that allow for the real-time collection and transmission of information regarding the vehicle’s location throughout the route.
Moreover, drivers have new obligations as part of the expanded catalogue of monitored goods.
The new regulations have been in effect since the beginning of 2024, but the penalties for their non-observance will come into force on July 1, 2024. Before that drivers have several months to adapt to the new realities without fear of financial consequences. From July onwards, violations of the mentioned obligations will be subject to a fine ranging from 5 to 10 thousand RON.
Legal entities that do not meet the requirements specified in the new regulations will face significantly higher penalties.
