Bulgaria, employing the temporary exception made for specifically for it, buys Russian oil above the price ceiling established by the EU on a legal basis, European Commission (EC) representative Daniel Sheridan Ferrie said.

Bulgaria enjoys a temporary exception to the general ban imposed by the European Union on the import of Russian oil; this exception is limited in time and will expire on December 31, 2024, Ferrie said to reporters on Wednesday at a briefing in Brussels, answering a related question.

He also said that the oil price ceiling does not apply to these imports into Bulgaria, given that it only concerns the transport of Russian oil by sea to and between third countries.

Ferrie said that the exception was provided to guarantee the security of supply to Bulgaria, and recalled that Bulgaria could unilaterally decide not to use this exception.

He said the EC was aware of discussions in Bulgaria about ending this exception earlier than envisaged, and that the country might possibly decide to do so.