The Parliamentary Committee on Economic Policy approved the amendments proposed by “Progressive Bulgaria“ to the Law on the Special Administrator of “Lukoil“, which preserve the possibility for the state to exercise control over the company's four companies in Bulgaria, reports the Bulgarian National Radio.
The amendments were introduced after the government's powers to appoint a special administrator in two of the companies – “Lukoil Aviation Bulgaria“ and “Lukoil Bulgaria Bunker“, which trade in oil and oil products.
By including commercial activity in the scope of the law, the state will retain the ability to take measures to protect the public interest and exercise control over strategically important companies that provide supplies of aviation and marine fuel.
Nova TV recalls that the bill was submitted on Saturday, after the Constitutional Court on July 21 repealed texts allowing the appointment of a special commercial manager in some of the companies operating strategic energy infrastructure. According to the submitters, this creates a risk that companies engaged solely in the trade of oil and oil products will remain outside state control.
The proposed changes aim to explicitly include commercial activity in the scope of the law, so as to guarantee the protection of the public interest, energy security and uninterrupted supplies of aviation and marine fuel.