Bulgaria says it will veto EU oil sanctions against Russia if it does not receive a derogation

SOFIA (Reuters) – Bulgaria will not support a new set of European Union sanctions against Russia unless the Balkan country receives a derogation from a proposed ban on buying Russian oil, Deputy Prime Minister Assen Vassilev said late Sunday.

European Union governments on Sunday approached the adoption of tough sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, but scheduled more talks Monday to work out how to ensure that the countries most dependent on Russian energy can cope.

“Talks will continue tomorrow, and on Tuesday, a meeting of the leaders may be needed to end them. Our position is very clear. If there is a derogation for some of the countries, we want to get a derogation,” Vassilev told national television. BNT.

“If not, we will not support the sanctions. But I do not expect to come to this based on the talks at the moment,” he said.

Hungary, Slovakia and the landlocked Czech Republic, which are heavily dependent on Russian oil supplied through Soviet-era pipelines, face the challenge of providing alternative sources and have called for a derogation from the ban. Bulgaria has also requested a derogation.

The European Commission proposed changes to its original planned embargo on Russian oil on Friday to give the three countries more time to shift their energy supplies, while no concessions have been offered to Bulgaria, EU sources said.

Vassilev said Bulgaria should also receive a derogation, as its only refinery in the Black Sea port of Bourgas needs time to upgrade its desulfurization facilities, which are needed to switch to processing only non-Russian crude oil.

The Neftochim Burgas refinery, owned by Russia’s LUKOIL, is the dominant fuel supplier in the Balkan country, the poorest in the 27-nation bloc. Currently, half of the oil it processes comes from Russia.

The lack of exemptions will either create serious environmental risks for the Burgas region, or force the refinery to reduce processing, which will create a deficit and further increase fuel prices, he said.

(Report by Tsvetelia Tsolova; edited by Diane Kraft)