WCC-DB proposed that the state regain control over Rosenets oil port, currently used by Lukoil

GERB-UDF, “We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria” (WCC-DB) and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) propose termination of the concession of the oil port "Rosenets", which is used by oil refinery Lukoil Neftochim Burgas. The news was announced early in the morning on July 19 by WCC co-chairperson, Kiril Petkov, and this gave GERB-UDF and MRF a reason to claim authorship of the idea, which Petkov was quick to announce.

The proposed legislative changes would end the concession of the port of Rosenets. The transport ministry has said it can operate the port and Lukoil will be able to use it for a fee. Thus, those who submit the proposal believe that the possibility of Russia using Bulgarian infrastructure to finance the war will be ended.

Petkov said that, if adopted, this proposal would terminate the concession of the port. He accused the former caretaker cabinet of extending it by 24 years, in his words, with no motives. GERB-UDF leader, Boyko Borissov accused Petkov of rushing to announce the news and insisted on a larger scale of the bill. MPs on the economic policy committee quickly passed the bill at first reading.

"This proposal would terminate the concession of the port “Rosenets”, which was extended by the former caretaker government by 24 years without motives. Our strategic goal is to enter Schengen and this is a big and clear step towards it. The Ministry of Transport told us yesterday that it can operate this port. Instead of concession fees, there will be revenues from the operation of the port, but entirely under Bulgarian control," Petkov emphasized.

This step is also in line with the European Union's regulation on sanctions against Russia.

Atanas Atanasov, MP of WCC-DB: "Since the Bulgarian state has no control over this port, smuggling is going on there, i.e. a large part or a certain part of the oil that is imported is not declared to the Bulgarian state and the revenues that the concessionaires make go to support Russia in the war."

According to GERB-UDF leader, Boyko Borissov, their partners in government are in a hurry and need to work on their non-coalition culture because the proposal for the Rosenets port is by GERB-UDF, MRF and DB:

"Since they are in such a hurry, let me just say that our proposals of the colleagues of DB, MRF and us (GERB_UDF) included the transport pipes and the figure of a special administrator. That is to say the state should take over the whole control. There was fierce opposition from the WCC about the pipes and the special administrator. And now I hear on your TV channel how Kiril Petkov is urging me to support him for something that yesterday we were arguing about how much bigger in terms of scale it should be. But let's say they're young, they're learning, they're going to learn a non-coalition culture.

Delyan Peevski of MRF confirmed that the initiative was of MRF, GERB-UDFand DB:

"We gave the minister a week's deadline after the Parliament accepts that Rosenets should be taken away from Lukoil and end the uncontrolled gateway. In our opinion, the war is financed through Lukoil This must be stopped. We need the state to take absolute control of the company. A private company should not own a gateway into the state border.