The Bulgarian Parliament did not support the ban on the supply of Russian oil to the LUKOIL plant

The Bulgarian parliament did not support the bill, according to which the LUKOIL company is prohibited from using Russian oil for production at the Bulgarian oil refinery LUKOIL Neftohim Burgas.

94 deputies voted for the adoption of the bill, 55 were against, and 61 abstained, as follows from the broadcast on the parliament’s website. Prior to this, the issue of using Russian oil was considered by the Bulgarian Security Council. According to his decision, the optimal period for abandoning Russian oil without risks to production is until October 2024, and the minimum possible period is until March 1.

In October, the Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) party proposed canceling the exception for the use of Russian oil by the LUKOIL Neftochim Burgas refinery. The idea was supported by the Movement for Rights and Freedoms. If the deputies had adopted the bill, the Bulgarian oil refinery would have had to refuse to process Russian oil.

In September, Bulgarian MPs voted to reduce the plant’s use of Russian oil to 80% by the end of 2023. The Russian company noted that a refusal in such a short period of time could lead to a sharp increase in the cost of fuel on the Bulgarian market. The refinery must completely abandon Russian oil by October 2024. According to GERB deputies, only LUKOIL benefits from the deferment, and not the Bulgarian consumer.

About the reduction in Russian oil supplies to the EU – in the Kommersant article “Russian share in the EU oil and gas market is going to other suppliers.”

Polina Motyzlevskaya