site.btaNo Infringement Procedure against Bulgaria Regarding Application of Sanctions against Russia

The European Commission denied media publications circulated on Friday that it was conducting an investigation against Bulgaria related to application of EU sanctions against Russia over its military attack on Ukraine. On Thursday, Politico wrote on that the Commission would demand an explanation from Bulgaria over the data on Russian oil exports through the Burgas refinery. Politico’s article was based on a report by the Center for the Study of Democracy. It said that the Neftochim oil refinery in the Bulgarian Black Sea city of Burgas, majority-owned by Russian company Lukoil, has circumvented an EU ban on member states to trade in products made from Russian oil, and by taking advantage of a derogation concerning the import of Russian crude oil and oil products, the refinery has earned big profits.

The EC explained that it was in contact with the Bulgarian authorities as well as with other EU countries regarding the application of European sanctions against Russia.

On Friday, a spokesperson for the Commission denied having anything to say about an investigation being undertaken. The EC oversees the application of the sanctions by working in cooperation with EU countries. No such procedure is currently under way, he emphasized.

The EC is a defender of European law and if ever an EU country does not comply with European law, there are infringement procedures, he added. The EC is in contact with national authorities for a uniform application of sanctions, the spokesman further noted.