The Commission for Protection of Competition (CPC) announced on Friday that it has initiated proceedings to establish possible violations of national and European competition law by Lukoil Neftohim Burgas AD and Lukoil Bulgaria EOOD.
The CPC has repeatedly found violations of the competitive environment in the fuel market, imposing sanctions on companies from the Lukoil group totalling BGN 262,907,629, the Commission points out.
The statement notes that the CPC received reports in 2024 and 2025, including from a participant in the fuel sales markets, containing allegations of deliberate restriction of fuel imports and wholesale trade in the country. This information was added to data and information collected during regular sector monitoring, the regulator said.
The decision to initiate proceedings is based on a preliminary investigation, which the CPC announced on June 2, following an alert from MRF – New Beginning leader Delyan Peevski about a possible fuel cartel involving Lukoil. The preliminary investigation identified indicators of possible distortion of the competitive environment in the vertically related markets for the sale of A95H petrol and diesel fuel.
The proceedings aim to establish whether there are new instances of abuse of a dominant position that could affect the overall market structure, the behaviour of other participants and the interests of consumers, the CPC notes.
In conducting the proceedings, the CPC may cooperate with the National Revenue Agency, the Consumer Protection Commission, the Customs Agency and other competent authorities.
On June 2, the CPC announced that it would analyse the factors affecting the market for fuel imports and sales. On June 3, the Commission took up the matter on its own initiative and announced that it would conduct an in-depth investigation to determine whether the economic interests of consumers had been harmed in the retail trade of fuels. After communicating with the CPC regarding the determination of fuel prices by Lukoil Neftohim Burgas AD and Lukoil-Bulgaria EOOD, there were reasonable grounds to suspect potential harm to all consumers, the CPC said.
/NF, MT/
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