The National Assembly has voted in first reading to end prematurely the exemption for the import of Russian oil approved by the European Commission. The adopted amendments will ban the import of fuels produced from Russian crude oil from 1 March 2024 and suspend their export from 1 January 2024.

Lawmakers also approved in first reading the abolition of a 20 leva per megawatt-hour trade fee on the import and transit of Russian natural gas. The decision was prompted by Hungary's threat to veto the country's accession to the Schengen area.

At the start of the session, MPs from the Vazrazhdane and There is Such a People parties again tried to disrupt the vote by forming a human chain around the rostrum. They did the same last week during a protest against the demolition of the Red Army monument in Sofia. 

There were physical clashes, but in the end work continued and MPs spoke from the rostrum using a hand-held microphone.