site.btaLukoil Neftochim Says Oil Products Exports Comply with Established Quotas and Restrictions

The Lukoil Neftochim refinery of Burgas said in a position on Saturday that it welcomes and will cooperate with an unbiased professional investigation because it will refute any false allegations against the company. It was reacting to an alert to the prosecution service filed by Movement for Rights and Freedoms Floor Leader Delyan Peevski and Energy Committee Chairman Delyan Dobrev MP of GERB. They called for an investigation into Lukoil's possible processing and export, including to other EU countries, of refined products made from Russian crude oil in breach of an EU ban on Member States' trading in products made from Russian oil.

The company said oil products made by Lukoil Neftochim Burgas from Russian crude oil are exported in strict compliance with the established quotas and restrictions. Each batch of oil products is exported under the control and with prior approval of the Customs Agency.

In 2022, the European Commission granted Bulgaria a derogation from the EU embargo on oil imports from Russia due to the country's specific geographic exposure. Under recent legislative amendments, effective October 13, 2023, the exemption is to be conclusively revoked on October 1, 2024, three months ahead of the December 31, 2024 deadline.