Bulgarian Industrial Association (BIA)

BIA is a non - profit making association, non - governmental organization of the Bulgarian industry, established on 25 April 1980.
 
 
Structure

The membership of the Association involves 87 branch (sector) organizations, 26 regional organizations and 58 local bodies, the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, universities and scientific and technical unions, the Central Cooperative Union, over 15 000 commercial companies, out which 263 are among the largest 300 companies in Bulgaria.
 
Management bodies

General Assembly, Board of Management, Controlling Council and Executive Board.
 
Membership in international organizations

BIA is a member of:

• UNICE – Union of the Industrial and Employers' Confederations in Europe;
  
• ICC – International Chamber of Commerce;
  
• IOE – International Organization of Employers.
  

The Association partners and has signed over 30 agreements for cooperation with national industrial and entrepreneur's organizations from the most advanced countries in Europe, Asia, America and Africa, as well as with American, Japanese and European institutions in the field of training, environment, occupational safety and health, and etc.

BIA actively participates in the work of:

• International Labour Organization (ILO);
  
• International Trade Center (ITC / UNCTAD / WTO);
  
• South Eastern Europe Employers' Forum (SEEEF), presided and coordinated by the BIA;
  
• Network of the Employers' Organization in the Candidate Countries for EU Membership (ACEON), coordinated by the BIA;
  
• EU – Bulgaria Joint Consultative Committee, established on the
  BIA's initiative and co - chaired by the Association for the first two consecutive mandates, and etc.
  

Participation in partnership bodies on national level:

BIA is a nationally recognized organization of the employers as regulated in the Labour Code and participates through its representatives in the work of :

• National Council of Tripartite Cooperation;
  
• Economic and Social Council;
  
• Council for Economic Growth at the Council of Ministers;
  
• Council of Tax Policy at Minister of Finance;
  
• State-Public Consultative Commission for Assisting the Customs Administration Development;
  
• National Consultative Committee of Standardization and Council of Accreditation at the Bulgarian Accreditation Office, National Council of Metrology, Bulgarian Council of Voluntary Certification;
  
• Participation in different commissions on national level incl. working groups for the harmonization of the regulatory framework to the EU legislation;
  
• In the supervisory and management bodies of state public institutions aming which:
  • National Social Security Institute;
    
  • National Health Insurance Fund;
    
  • “Labour Conditions” Fund;
    
  • Employment Agency;
    
  • Agency of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises;
    
  • National Institute of reconciliation and Arbitration;
    
  • National Agency for Vocational Education and Training and etc.
    

Activities

• BIA withstands the interests of its members when:
  • Determining the economic policy in Bulgaria;
    
  • Developing and improving the regulatory base related to the economic activity;
    
  • Preparing analyses, studies, and expertise assessments in the area of the industrial, tax and social policy, environmental protection, technical requirements to the products, development of the small and medium - sized enterprises, and etc.
    
  
  
• BIA represents the interests of its members before the state bodies, international organizations through:
  • Participation in partnership bodies on national, branch, and regional level;
    
  • Membership in international organizations;
    
  • Mediation for overcoming and settlement of disputes between commercial subjects, between trade unions and employers, problems with the state administration, and etc.
    
   
  
• BIA assists its members for the realization of their economic activity by providing specific services such as :
  
  • Organization of business forums, meetings and business contacts between Bulgarian and foreign companies, attracting investments. BIA is the co-organizer of the biggest annual economic forums in Bulgaria, like the “Investment Forum” and “ Business in Internet” where statesmen, governmental officials, politicians, economists of world renown, presidents of leading commercial companies, and etc;
    
  • Assistance for technological renovation and implementation of innovations in the production;
    
  • Facilitating the information exchange of the members including through ensuring their participation in international exhibitions and fairs, and providing market information about developing strategies on competitiveness;
    
  • Issuance of electronic certificates and cryptographic keys for e-signing and/or encryption of e-mails and documents, guaranteeing a secured identification on the Internet;
    
  • Developing on - line systems and Internet pages;
    
  • BIA publishes a daily electronic bulletin in English and Bulgarian – Business Industry Capitals (BIA Daily) and a periodic E-Bulletin “Industry and Environment”;
    
  • Preparing the documents needed for registration of commercial companies, concluding trade deals, customs, licensing regimes, and etc.
    
  • Issuance of Certificates of Origin;
    
  • Assistance for registration of intellectual property objects – patents, marks, industrial design, and provides support if infringements of the intellectual property rights;
    
  • Assistance for the introduction of the ISO 9001, ISO 14001 management systems for achieving conformity with the requirements for environmental protection, and etc.
    

Qualification and re-qualification applying a wide scope of nationally approved programmes and directions, including – information technologies. In the BIA functions the CCNP Academy on the Balkan Peninsula, which organizes system network training courses with the participation of the Cisco systems professionals.

Professionalism, defending the positions in a principle way, and taking into consideration the standpoints of the opponents make BIA a preferable and respected partner on national, sector, regional and international level.

1000 Sofia, Bulgaria
16-20 Alabin Str.
tel.: +359 2 932 09 11
fax: +359 2 987 26 04
e-mail: office@bia-bg.com
web: www.bia-bg.com