BCCI PRESIDENT MR. TSVETAN SIMEONOV MET WITH THE VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION ANTONIO TAJANI
During his work visit in the country, the Vice-President of the European Commission Antonio Tajani, Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship, had a working lunch with representatives of the business and the NGOs. Two members of the Management Board of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry took part in the meeting – the President of the Chamber, Mr. Tsvetan Simeonov and Mr. Ivo Rusev.
The representatives of the Chamber stressed the need of further education and training in the field of entrepreneurship at all levels. They pointed out that the deadlines for payment by the state institutions to companies must be shortened and described as unacceptable the state’s approach to make deductions from payments. In response to this, Commissioner Tajani explained that a Directive of the European Union on shorter deadlines for payment to companies has been adopted. It envisages all payments to be made within 30 days, and in extraordinary circumstances - 60 days. Commissioner Tajani explained that the member-states would have 2 years to transpose the Directive into the national law.
During the meeting it was recommended that clusters are formed with the participation of universities, in order to shorten innovations’ path to the manufacturers. Thus, ways to shorten the process from determining the means of financing to the end user will be searched. It was pointed out that the financing procedures are unsatisfactory in the European financial institutions as well and the national banks delay payments the most.
According to Commissioner Tajani serious work is needed in this direction. The proposed measured were approved by the representatives of the business and the NGOs.