The Constitutional Court has initiated a constitutional case at the request of 51 members of parliament from the 51st National Assembly to establish the unconstitutionality of the Law on Amendments and Supplements to the Law on the Administrative Regulation of Economic Activities Related to Oil and Oil Products,
The changes were adopted by the 51st National Assembly on 07.11.2023 and promulgated in the State Gazette No. 97/14.11.2025 by Decree No. 223/2025 as being in accordance with the provisions of Art. 4, para. 1, of Art. 8, of Art. 17, para. 3, of Art. 19, para. 1 and para. 3, Art. 87, para. 1, Art. 88, para. 1 of the Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria.
The rapporteur on the case is Judge Orlin Kolev.
We recall that for the submission of the request to the Constitutional Court "Vazrazhdane" received support from MECH and "Velichye" and thus a total of 51 signatures were collected with a minimum requirement of 48.
Kostadin Kostadinov criticized the texts in the law, defining them as "an attempt by the Bulgarian state, represented by GERB and DPS, to seize private property in "Neftochim"". According to him, these texts affect the fundamental right of Bulgarian citizens to inviolable private property, which is guaranteed by the Constitution.
„If this law is used in all its force and severity, it will lead to serious damage to the Bulgarian state, as „Lukoil“ and other companies operating in Bulgaria will file lawsuits for billions of levs“, Kostadinov warned.
The issue of the refinery's future is particularly relevant in the context of political and economic changes in the country. Advocates for referring the matter to the Constitutional Court believe that the new texts regulating the oil sector may violate the rights of private companies and lead to serious legal disputes.
On the other hand, representatives of the ruling party and other parties defend the law as a necessary tool for regulating and controlling the industry important for national security.