Even though the proposals for the early cancellation of the derogation for the import of Russian oil failed to garner a sufficient number of votes at today’s sitting of parliament’s Energy Committee, they will be submitted for discussion in plenary tomorrow, the Committee’s chairman Delyan Dobrev announced.

• Finance Minister: The cancellation of the derogation for Russian oil will not affect the Bulgarian market

The bill backed by GERB and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) envisages the lifting of the derogation as of 1 January next year, while the proposal by We Continue the Change/Democratic Bulgaria (PP/DB) plus a group of MPs – as of 15 March, 2024. Both proposals were rejected by the Committee within less than 5 minutes, and without debate.

In their motives, GERB and the MRF say that with the derogation, the country is, to all intents and purposes, circumventing the European sanctions against Russia.

According to the Law on monitoring the implementation of restrictive measures in view of Russia's actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine, the derogation should be abolished by 1 October, 2024, and Lukoil Neftochim Burgas must only process oil of non-Russian origin.