Bulgaria curbs powers of Lukoil Neftohim Burgas refinery administrator

The Bulgarian parliament has approved, in its second and final reading, amendments limiting the powers of the special commercial administrator of the Lukoil Neftohim Burgas AD oil refinery, TASS reports.

Lawmakers adopted amendments to the Law on Administrative Regulation of Economic Activities Associated with Oil and Petroleum Products by a majority vote. Under the new rules, the special administrator will be required to report monthly to Bulgaria’s Minister of Economy, and their decisions on transactions may be challenged in court within three months of the deal’s conclusion.

The government of Bulgaria had previously replaced the special administrator of the refinery’s assets, appointing Evgeni Simeonov to the post.

In November 2025, Bulgarian authorities adopted legislation introducing external management over Lukoil Neftohim Burgas AD, Lukoil Bulgaria EOOD, and other companies within the Lukoil group operating in the country. Under the law, management of the affected companies was transferred to a special commercial administrator starting November 17, 2025.

The company has stated that these measures have significantly affected Litasco SA’s investments in its Bulgarian subsidiaries and resulted in substantial losses for the group.

By Jeyhun Aghazada