Bulgaria stopped importing Russian oil on March 1
On March 1, Bulgaria officially stopped using and importing Russian oil for fuel production following a parliamentary decision that terminated the exemption from EU sanctions.
This is reported by Novinite.
Last year, the Bulgarian government announced plans to end the sanctions exemption on March 1 instead of the previous, self-imposed deadline of October 31.
In December, lawmakers decided to significantly shorten the deadline to avoid indirectly financing Russia amid geopolitical tensions.
In addition, on January 1, Bulgaria also stopped exporting Russian oil refined products.
The day before the ban, Bulgaria's state aviation operator warned that government flights would have to be suspended due to a shortage of kerosene. To solve the problem, the government is proposing to extend the benefits for aviation fuel or alternative mechanisms.
Despite the concerns, Bulgarian industry experts predict that the suspension of oil imports from Russia will not cause a spike in fuel prices.
Author - Olena Madiak, 01/03/2024
