Romania Targets Euro Adoption by 2035 as Fiscal Consolidation Continues

Romania is targeting euro adoption by 2035 and must leave the EU’s excessive deficit procedure by 2030. The plan puts fiscal consolidation, a credible 2027 budget and stronger competitiveness at the centre of the country’s economic strategy.

Romania is planning to adopt the euro by 2035, with exiting the European Union’s excessive deficit procedure by 2030 forming an essential part of that plan, according to the Finance Minister.

The Ministry of Finance presented euro adoption as a broader national economic objective rather than simply another fiscal target. The statement does not introduce a new tax, fiscalization or retail compliance obligation. Instead, it describes Romania’s medium- and long-term fiscal policy direction and connects the country’s existing EU fiscal commitments with a possible euro-adoption timetable.

Romania has been subject to the EU’s excessive deficit procedure (EDP) since April 2020. The procedure is used when an EU Member State does not comply with the fiscal requirements established under the EU framework, particularly where the government deficit exceeds the Treaty reference value of 3% of gross domestic product (GDP).

In July 2025, the Council of the EU revised Romania’s corrective path after concluding that sufficient action had not previously been taken. Under the revised recommendation, Romania is expected to end its excessive deficit situation by 2030. The Council also established annual limits for the growth of net expenditure as part of the adjustment path.

Impact on affected businesses

For retailers, POS providers, Fiscal Device providers, this announcement creates no immediate technical or fiscalization requirement.

There is currently no new obligation arising from the 2035 euro target to modify Point-of-Sale Systems, Fiscal Devices, Fiscal Receipts, VAT transaction treatment or retail reporting processes. Euro adoption remains a long-term policy objective, while Romania must first continue its fiscal adjustment and satisfy the broader EU convergence requirements.

The indirect business impact is nevertheless worth monitoring. Continued fiscal consolidation may eventually result in changes to taxation, public expenditure or other economic measures adopted through future budgets and legislation. Such measures could affect consumer demand, operating costs or tax compliance, but no specific future retail tax measures should be assumed from Nazare’s statement alone.

What should businesses monitor?

Businesses operating in Romania do not currently need to make POS, Fiscal Device or transaction-processing changes because of the announced 2035 euro target.

They should, however, monitor the 2027 budget and subsequent fiscal legislation, particularly for measures introduced to support the deficit-reduction path. Retailers and solution providers should distinguish such future measures from the euro-adoption objective itself: only specific adopted tax, VAT, fiscalization or reporting rules would create direct compliance changes.

In our view, the main issue to follow is therefore not the 2035 date itself, but how Romania implements fiscal consolidation between now and 2030. The 2027 budget will provide an early indication of how the government intends to continue reducing the deficit while supporting economic activity and preserving investor confidence.

The principal EU basis is the Council’s excessive deficit procedure for Romania. The Council revised Romania’s corrective path on July 8, 2025, requiring the country to end its excessive deficit situation by 2030. The European Central Bank’s convergence criteria confirm that a country cannot meet the fiscal criterion for euro adoption while it remains subject to a Council decision establishing an excessive deficit.

From a retail compliance perspective, the distinction is important: Romania’s 2035 euro objective is currently a strategic economic policy development, not a change in the country’s fiscalization framework. Any concrete consequences for POS systems, VAT, Fiscal Receipts or transaction reporting would need to come through separate legislation or implementing measures.

The main source for this article is the Novinite.com website with the news regarding the planned adoption of the euro in Romania by 2035. Source

Ivana Picajkić, Medior Legal Consultant at Fiscal Solutions

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