Romania’s Ministry of Internal Affairs has issued a €3.4 million ($3.7 million) toner tender that appears to sideline remanufacturers, favouring OEMs and raising serious questions about EU procurement and sustainability commitments.
Romania’s Ministry of Internal Affairs (MAI), led by Cătălin Predoiu, has launched a two-year framework worth up to RON 16.6 million (€3.4 million / $3.7 3.7million) for toner cartridges. Covering some 10,240 units for printers and fax machines, the deal equates to €4,700 per day — every day, weekends included.
The controversy lies in the scoring. Forty percent of the award criteria is reserved for “OEM original products,” with 40% for price and 20% for waste collection. On paper, the contract looks competitive. In practice, any non-OEM bid is capped at 60%. Even remanufactured OEM cartridges, reused but still original by design, score zero in the OEM category.
This de facto exclusion raises eyebrows in Brussels. Directive 2014/24/EU states that “contracting authorities shall not refer to a specific make or source… unless justified by the subject matter.” Green Public Procurement guidance for imaging consumables explicitly encourages the use of remanufactured cartridges. The EU’s Circular Economy Action Plan calls for more reuse, not less.
As one Romanian remanufacturer told The Recycler: “The contradiction is starker still given Romania’s domestic industry,” one Romanian remanufacturer told us. “The country has a thriving network of small cartridge remanufacturers — arguably more numerous than in many Western EU member states. These SMEs provide local jobs, lower-cost supplies and a genuine circular economy service. Yet they are shut out while multinational OEMs, none of which are headquartered in the EU, stand to gain millions.
“Taxpayers pay more, the environment pays twice, and local businesses lose. The ministry may argue it is buying ‘quality,’ but the tender appears to run counter to both EU procurement principles and sustainability goals.
“If the Commission is serious about the circular economy, tenders like this cannot go unchallenged. Otherwise, Europe’s green ambitions risk becoming nothing more than toner on paper.”
Comment: A Kick in the Teeth for Europe’s Circular Economy
Romania’s €3.4m toner tender is more than a procurement story. It is a warning.
By weighting 40% of the score on “OEM originals,” the Ministry of Internal Affairs has written a contract that only global printer brands can win. Remanufacturers, even those supplying genuine OEM cartridges in reused form, are effectively excluded.
That would be questionable in any member state. But in Romania, it is absurd. The country has one of the most active remanufacturing sectors in Europe. Hundreds of small businesses collect, remanufacture and resupply toner cartridges. They create jobs, cut waste and keep money inside the local economy. This tender denies them a seat at the table.
The irony is bitter. None of the major OEMs are headquartered in the EU. Every euro spent on this contract will leave Europe. At the same time, Brussels calls for more reuse, more SME participation, and more strategic autonomy.
You cannot champion the circular economy and then allow tenders that sideline it. You cannot demand SME access and then lock the door. You cannot preach sovereignty while paying non-European multinationals.
Romania’s toner deal may look like a local scandal, but it raises a European question. If the Commission does not act, what faith can anyone have in its rules?
For remanufacturers across Europe, this is not just wasteful. It is a kick in the teeth.
