Greeks Flock to Bulgaria for Cheap Petrol

Credit: Greek Reporter

As Bulgaria joined Europe’s borderless question portion connected January 1st, Greeks person been freely flocking to the neighboring country, wherever petrol prices are cheaper, to capable up their tanks.

Bulgaria, on with Romania, are the latest European countries to go afloat members of the European Union’s border-free Schengen area. That means that arsenic of January 1st, 2025 borderline checks for those traveling betwixt the onshore borders of these 2 countries and immoderate different Schengen subordinate authorities person been scrapped.

At the Promachonas borderline crossing, connecting Bulgaria and bluish Greece, the agelong lines of cars and trucks waiting to transverse person vanished and the customs buildings look empty, according to Proto Thema. This hassle-free question has already been driving galore Greeks to caput to Bulgaria to capable up their tanks due to the fact that of the little prices astatine Bulgarian state stations.

How overmuch bash Greeks summation from buying their petrol in  Bulgaria

According to the latest EU Oil Bulletin data, astatine the extremity of December 1 liter (0.26 gallon) of 95-octane unleaded petrol successful Bulgaria was sold astatine 2.50 BNG (1.28 euros/$1.32), portion astatine the aforesaid clip successful Greece, it sold for 1.80 euros ($1.86). At the aforesaid time, the average petrol terms per liter successful Bulgaria from 2015 to 2024 was 2.23 BNG (1.14 euros/$1.18) portion successful Greece, prices person been steadily remained high, astatine times surpassing 2 euros ($2.07) per liter.

Greece maintains 1 of the highest mean petrol and substance prices crossed the European Union, mostly due to the fact that of the taxation imposed by the Greek authorities connected gasoline, which is astir doubly the minimum bounds provided by the EU legislation.

Given each this, a Greek operator with a car that holds a 50-liter vessel (13.2 gallons), volition wage 64 euros ($66.2) to refuel successful Bulgaria, portion doing truthful successful Greece volition outgo him 90 euros ($93). In practice, this means a Greek driver, erstwhile refueling successful Bulgaria, volition prevention 26 euros ($26.9).

While the new, escaped question betwixt Greece and Bulgaria volition assistance fortify ties betwixt the 2 countries, immoderate person raised information concerns, with others citing a imaginable summation successful amerciable activities, involving unlawful transit of goods and substances.

After Bulgaria joined the Schengen portion connected January 1st, the agelong lines of cars and trucks waiting to transverse the Promachonas borderline crossing, connecting Bulgaria and bluish Greece, person vanished. Credit: Greek Reporter

Greeks filling up their tanks successful Bulgaria not a caller phenomenon

Greeks who unrecorded adjacent to neighboring countries, similar Bulgaria and Turkey, person been crossing borders to capable up their tanks years earlier Bulgaria became a afloat Schengen portion member.

In April 2024, Maria Zaga, the president of the Gasoline Stations Federation, raised alarms bells erstwhile again regarding the viability of the Greek state stations near the borderline areas. Especially during times erstwhile gasoline prices soar successful Greece, Zaga said, Greeks instantly caput towards the borderline to capable up their tanks. As a result, Greek state stations successful borderline areas are called to past successful an unfair contention environment, created by the comparatively little prices and taxation systems successful the neighboring countries.

In summation to refueling their cars, implicit the years, Greeks person been flocking to Bulgaria to store for covering and adjacent groceries, arsenic prices determination are estimated to beryllium astir 40 percent cheaper than successful Greece.