Since early 2020, EU Member States have been taking restrictive measures to slow down the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. This didn’t stop in 2021, when different waves of COVID-19 outbreaks required the Member States to react, resulting in a considerable decrease in petroleum products consumption in the EU. Consumption of motor gasoline, kerosene-type jet fuel and gas and diesel oil used for transport of people, heating and products were severely affected, and none of the fuels has completely returned to pre-COVID levels. While in 2020, EU Member States showed a combined decrease in motor gasoline consumption of 11% (from 74 million tonnes to 66 million tonnes) compared to 2019 levels, this value stands at a 5% decrease in 2021 (from 74 million tonnes to 70.4 million tonnes in 2021). The biggest declines in consumption were registered in Ireland, Luxembourg and Spain (more than a 20% decrease in each). As every Member State's air transport was profoundly affected, consumption of kerosene-type jet fuel fell drastically in 2020 compared to 2019 (-56%) and did not recover considerably in 2021 (still -46%). In 2020 and 2021, the smallest reductions in consumption were registered in Luxembourg and Belgium, while Croatia, Romania and Cyprus saw the largest decreases. Among the Member States, the largest increases were in Slovenia (21.7%), Slovakia (16.5%) and Portugal (15.9%). In Romania, retail sales increased by 5.6% year-on-year, above the EU average. EU consumption of gas and diesel oil down 7% In terms of gas and diesel oil, in 2020, EU wide consumption fell by 7%, especially in Luxembourg, Italy, Spain and Slovenia. Only in Finland, Cyprus and Romania was consumption greater than in 2019. In 2021, EU consumption increased but was still below 2019 levels (-6%). In some cases, like Luxembourg, Germany, the Netherlands and Greece, consumption in 2021 compared to 2019 levels fell to even lower levels than in 2020, while in 10 Member States the use of gas and diesel oil increased above 2019 levels (Romania, Estonia, Croatia, Poland, Cyprus, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Czechia, Sweden and Latvia).
HILS Development has announced a EUR 200 million investment in a new large-scale mixed-use residential project in northern Bucharest, marking the company’s expansion into one of the capital’s most dynamic growth areas. The development, called HILS Nord, will span 10 hectares near Lake Șaulei and feature 2,705 apartments alongside green spaces, retail areas, and other […]
The “Dimitrie Gusti” National Village Museum in Bucharest is set to host the Saint Andrew Fair between November 29 and December 1, celebrating both the Day of Saint Andrew the Apostle, the Protector of Romania, and December 1, Romania’s National Day. The museum will set up small shops for skilled craftsmen who will bring traditional […]
The Japanese premium skincare brand Onshindo Osaka officially enters the Romanian market through its exclusive distributor, Pharma Brands, marking a new milestone in its European expansion strategy. Following its successful launch in Spain, the company aims to capitalize on the growing interest of Romanian consumers in premium skincare products with clinically proven efficacy and authentic […]
Honor appointed Kerr Cheng as the new country manager for Romania, placing him at the helm during a “key phase” of the brand’s expansion in Central and Eastern Europe. The company said Romania remains one of its most dynamic and strategically important markets in the region, and Cheng will be responsible for accelerating local growth […]
Romania has closed its participation in the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale with the conclusion of Human Scale, the exhibition presented in the Romanian Pavilion at Giardini della Biennale and in the New Gallery of the Romanian Institute of Culture and Humanistic Research. Meanwhile, the project’s official catalogue has been made available to the public. The […]
The forests around the mountain city of Brașov and the Postăvaru Massif may be home to the largest densities of large owls in the world, according to a study by biologist Călin Vasile Hodor from Wildlife Management Consulting and professor Dan Traian Ionescu from the Faculty of Forestry Brașov, as quoted by BizBrasov.ro. The study […]
