Meeting of the EU Club at BCCI on the occasion of the Danish Presidency of the Council of the European Union
On 10 January 2012 at BCCI, a meeting of the EU Club with the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry was held. The occasion for the meeting was the presentation of the 7th presidency of the Council of the European Union by the Kingdom of Denmark. The meeting was opened by the President of BCCI Tsvetan Simeonov. 14 ambassadors and 17 commercial counselors at Bulgarian diplomatic missions abroad took part in the first meeting of the EU Club for 2012.
The Minister of EU Funds Management Tomislav Donchev, who was special guest of the event, addressed the guests and members of the EU Club. According to him in 2011 our country proved its ability to use European funds. “In 2011 we managed to pay as much money as we did during the entire period 2007 – 2010”, Minister Donchev said. He noted that it is important to show the effects which EU funds absorbed in our country have on the economy, the state and society and especially to demonstrate the disciplining effect of the rigorous standards of openness, transparency and planning. Positive practices follow European money, the Minister said.
H. E. Mr. Leszek Hensel, Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to Bulgaria presented the results of the Polish Presidency in the second half of 2011. Among the highlights in the presidency of his country he emphasized growth, security and openness.
Denmark assumes the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from Poland and in his turn H. E. Mr. Kaare Janson, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Denmark to Bulgaria outlined the priorities of the Danish Presidency. Ambassador Janson expressed his country’s desire to see Bulgaria and Romania becoming members of the Schengen area as soon as possible. The Ambassador noted that the “Arab spring” in the Middle East and North Africa has put pressure on the Schengen system and created the need for a common European asylum system, so that all persons seeking asylum in the EU member-states receive equal treatment. In this regard, the Ambassador said that the Danish Presidency will work to strengthen and improve the functioning of the common European system.
Among the priorities of the Danish Presidency, the Ambassador outlined creating a dynamic Europe by generating economic growth based on innovation. Denmark will also work for a “green Europe” and for adoption of a future-oriented budget 2014 - 2020. The new budget must focus on EU policies which create added value, promote economic growth and increase opportunities to meet the challenges of a globalizing world. The new budget must be dynamic, progressive and not conservative and cautious, the diplomat added.
According to data of UniCredit Bulbank announced at the meeting, in the second half of 2012 a process of consolidation of external demand is expected to begin, which should allow the growth of GDP in Bulgaria on a quarterly basis to accelerate from near 0.0% values at the beginning of the year to approximately 0.5% and 0.7% in the last two quarters of 2012.
The process of stabilization of the labour market which started in mid-2011 may be delayed by the worsened external conditions (detention of capital flows to Central and Eastern Europe and the debt crisis in the Euro Zone). According to the analysis, lasting increase of employment in the country may be expected in 2013.
