/ world today news/ Bulgaria needs TPTI to stimulate its economy and for the creation of new jobs.
This was stated today by Deputy Prime Minister Meglena Kuneva during the opening of the conference “The Transatlantic Partnership for Trade and Investment: Perspectives for Small and Medium Businesses”, organized by the American Chamber of Commerce in Bulgaria and Confindustria Bulgaria.
TPTI will lead to significant growth of the European economy and improve its competitiveness. 119 billion euros per year will be the benefits, Kuneva specified. For that, we need a dialogue that is not based on fear. Europe will do its utmost to take advantage of this moment, Kuneva quoted EC President Jean-Claude Juncker.
According to the Deputy Prime Minister, the agreement will contribute to the elimination of bureaucratic measures before the exchange of goods between the USA and the EU. All this will affect the pocket of the end user in his favor. There is no move that will be profitable if it is not supported by the people, stressed Kuneva. What is really happening with the Transatlantic Agreement? All parties participate in the negotiations and it will be approved by the Council of Europe, i.e. from all European countries, said the Deputy Prime Minister. Nothing outside the negotiation process will be imposed on the Bulgarian government, she assured.
It is said that through the agreement, GMOs will be launched on the Bulgarian market, Kuneva continued. The EU will not compromise its high standards on this point. Until now, the current legislation will continue to function and each country will decide the issue, as now, she noted. It is written that through the agreement, the ACTA will be released through the back door, which, according to the Deputy Prime Minister, is not the case. She also stated that the unification of standards will not happen so quickly. Europe does not intend to give up its social legislation, but we will have cooperation in terms of standardization and social protection, Kuneva pointed out. The point of arbitration in resolving disputes between companies and parties is indeed one of the sensitive topics related to the agreement. Companies will indeed have that option to go to arbitration courts if they decide that individual countries are creating rules to their detriment, Kuneva said.
But Bulgaria also has its own internal task and that is to reform the Bulgarian judicial system so that we can all be calm. The engagements here will be spelled out very precisely, she assured.
In Bulgaria, an analysis should be made of the state of small and medium-sized enterprises and measures should be taken to help them find their place in the future large market, explained Kuneva. We will have our Bulgarian position and this is an area in which our country will have its strong voice and we will insist that small and medium enterprises be part of the package that we will present. The official position of the Bulgarian side is that the progress of the negotiations requires a greater transparency in order to prepare the business for the advantages and difficulties, to give an answer to the civil society because of its concerns. Such a document must be supported by the people and our task is to make the agreement liked by Bulgarian Europeans, concluded Kuneva.
TPTI is useful, said Peter Lithgow, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Bulgaria, at the opening of the forum. All these obstacles will be overcome in the name of growth and jobs, and here in Bulgaria we can cooperate, he said. We need to see what the challenges are to speed up the negotiation process, because any delay is not wanted, Lithgow stressed.
We need flexibility and space to improve the agreement, said Pietro Gia, chairman of Confindustria Bulgaria. I do not recommend anyone to look at this agreement in a timid way, but to try to overcome the barriers in different spheres, he said. We have dedicated this conference to small and medium-sized enterprises, as we believe that in this agreement will be seen the real basis for their development. The first goal is to create a commercial environment that helps them and does not put brakes on entrepreneurship. From now on, small and medium-sized enterprises must think about the challenges ahead, think about the benefits, not the dangers. We have to go on the attack and not close in on defense, stressed Gia.
I believe that TPTI will be relevant for all business representatives, said the US ambassador to our country Marcy Rees. Trade between the US and Bulgaria is not great, but there is an increase in trade this year, and we want to encourage American companies to invest here. The United States is fully committed to successfully negotiating this agreement to increase economic growth. A number of countries have such bilateral agreements, she reminded. Two of the important groups that should participate in it are small and medium-sized enterprises. Over 90% of all companies in both the US and Europe are categorized as small companies – small and medium enterprises, they create many jobs. The economic benefits of exporting outside of Europe are clear to all. The importance of TPTI is important not only for Europe, but also for Bulgaria. A study by BAS shows that the agreement will lead to a growth of our exports by 7.7%, Marci Rees referred to the scientists’ opinion. She also focused on various bureaucratic difficulties in the current exchange of goods, especially for small and medium-sized businesses that do not have enough personnel to enter foreign markets. TPTI will give them a hand by reducing unnecessary bureaucratic obstacles and for them to reduce their costs. Marcy Rees gave an example of the increase in trade after the signing of the NAFTA agreement, also indicated that the income of every European citizen will increase after the TPTI. Consumers in the US and EU should see a new horizon for products in their market to benefit not only from lower prices, but also because of the variety of these products, Marci Rees pointed out. There can also be progress and benefit in safety standards, she said, giving the example of the auto industry. I believe that liquefied natural gas will increase the sources of energy in the EU, said the ambassador. This agreement will bring benefits to both producers and consumers, as well as small and medium-sized businesses, is the opinion of Marcy Rees. TPTI will be a mutually beneficial economic partnership, she added.
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