The Hungarian government appealed to the European Commission to begin legal proceedings against Bulgaria due to the fact that Sofia has established a tax on the transit of Russian natural gas through its territory.
Source: APHungarian Minister for EU Affairs Janos Boka, “European Truth”
Details: In a video posted on Facebook, Boca said that he had sent a letter to the European Commission calling on it to initiate a violation procedure against Bulgaria in connection with the transit tax on Russian gas.
The minister expressed dissatisfaction that Sofia did not consult with Hungary before such a move, and said that this was a violation of EU trade rules and allegedly jeopardized the energy security of Hungary and the entire region.
He added that Hungary is ready to file a lawsuit with the EU Court of Justice in this matter by the end of the year if the European Commission ignores Budapest’s call.
Let us remind you:
In October, Bulgaria passed a law that introduces fee of 20 Bulgarian leva per megawatt-hour of gas of Russian origin, which could increase its cost by about 20% of the average price of European gas. Sofia believes that this step will reduce the privileged position of the Russian Gazprom in southeastern Europe, and, accordingly, Russian influence. However, the decision angered Serbia and Hungary, which are still heavily dependent on Russian gas supplies, coming mainly through Turkey and Bulgaria. Following a wave of outrage, the Bulgarian government announced that will negotiate with its European partners on this issue. At the end of October, the European Commission reported that “discussing the issue” with Bulgaria.
2023-11-10 20:03:36
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