site.btaDeputy PM Kuneva: Bulgaria NeedsTTIP

Deputy PM Kuneva: Bulgaria
Needs
TTIP


Sofia, December 2 (BTA) - Speaking at a conference on
"Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership: SMEs
Perspective" underway in Sofia on Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister
for
European Policy and Institutional Affairs Meglena Kuneva said
that Bulgaria needs the Transatlantic Trade and Investment
Partnership (TTIP) agreement between the EU and the US as one of
the instruments to develop its economy, increase its
competitiveness and invest in bigger markets, which will also
ensure more jobs.

Kuneva recalled that according to preliminary estimates of the
EC and leading world economists, TTIP will lead to a
considerable economic growth in the EU, calculated at 119,000
million euro annually. She argued that TTIP is also necessary
with a view of the level of investment in the EU which has
dropped by about 15 per cent. In Bulgaria direct investments in
January-May totalled 302.6 million euro, which is a third less
than in the previous year. Kuneva stressed that SMEs have
serious problems with investing.

In addition to the benefits from TTIP, Kuneva also dwelled on
Europe's fears about it. She singled out the concern that TTIP
will allow genetically-modified organisms on the Bulgarian
market, shale gas and meat from cloned animals. "This is not
true. Neither Bulgaria nor the EU will concede their high
standards about safety, health, environmental protection, and
consumer protection," Kuneva said. She also rejected the fears
related to ACTA and the concerns in the social sphere.

In respect of the arbitration mechanism, Kuneva said that
Bulgaria has a task of reforming its judicial system and said
that the commitments in regard of this will be presented soon in
the form of a road map. The Deputy Prime Minister said also
that Bulgaria will insist that SMEs form a special part of the
negotiation package presented by this country.

In his speech at the conference Economy Minister Bozhidar
Loukarski said that Bulgaria expects that the future free-trade
agreement will help intensify the trade between Bulgaria and the
United States and have a positive impact on the country's
competitiveness and productivity. Loukarski said that improving
the access to the US market of Bulgarian goods, services and
public procurement will help boost the economic growth,
innovations and employment in this country. The regulatory
harmonization and the effective protection of intellectual
property rights too are expected to yield positive effects.
Loukarski stressed that Bulgaria attaches particular importance
to the opportunities the agreement will create for SMEs, which
he said have a small share in this country's exports.

Addressing the conference, US Ambassador Marcie Ries said that
two of the key groups in the TTIP negotiations are SMEs and
consumers. In Europe, 25 per cent of these enterprises export,
with 13 per cent of exports targeting countries outside Europe.
Although this percentage is low, the economic benefits from it
are apparent to all, the US Ambassador said. She went on to say
that the share of SMEs in Bulgaria is 86 per cent of all
companies. In her view, one of the main hurdles for export faced
by SMEs is overcoming the bureaucratic procedures in the
foreign countries. The diplomat said that the focus may be
placed on increasing exports which also will mean increased
economic growth. Ries said that consumers stand to benefit as
well, not only from the lower prices but also from the bigger
variety.

Italian Ambassador Marco Conticelli noted that SMEs give jobs to
two thirds of the people and cover more than 90 per cent of the
business. The problem is that the exports by these enterprises
is small. The diplomat said that the partnership will not be
just yet another agreement but will be based on common ideas and
principles. Both the United States and the EU should be very
flexible, Conticelli said. The ultimate outcome must be a
complex partnership, he said, adding that a steady campaign
should be conducted to inform the civil society. PK /ZH/


/СН/