Commissioner Maria Luís Albuquerque, in a written answer on 19 June 2026, defended the continued operation of the Rosneft-owned Schwedt refinery under German public trusteeship, arguing that the arrangement prevents Rosneft from receiving economic benefits and thus complies with EU sanctions. The answer, responding to a question from Adam Bielan (ECR), clarifies that the refinery has not been nationalised because transactions with Rosneft subsidiaries are exempted under the sanctions regime as long as a public trusteeship is in place. Albuquerque stressed that Member States are responsible for implementing sanctions, and the Commission monitors compliance. She also noted that similar assets, such as Lukoil-owned refineries in Bulgaria and Romania, operate under strict government supervision. The import of seaborne Russian crude oil into the EU is generally prohibited, with a pipeline exception for certain Member States; Poland and Germany have been unable to legally import Russian crude via pipeline since 23 June 2023. Member States must submit diversification plans under the RePowerEU Regulation by 2027 to fully phase out Russian oil. The answer provides no new concrete measures to end Russian oil imports, instead reiterating existing rules and timelines.
Source✉ Open answer ↗
Asked byAdam Bielan (ECR) · answered by Maria Luís Albuquerque