The Bulgarian Industrial Association - Union of Bulgarian Business (BIA), together with the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), organizes a thematic event "The cost of non-membership of Schengen for the Single Market - impact on Bulgaria and Romania", on 24 September 2024, from 10:00 to 15:00, at Grand Hotel Millennium Hotel - Sofia.
The event is part of the preparation of an opinion on the same topic, rapporteur on which is Mariya Mincheva – Vice President of BIA and member of the EESC.
One of the main priorities of BIA is Bulgaria's accession to Schengen, the Eurozone and the OECD. While lifting the air and sea border controls can be defined as a step in the right direction, the continued land border controls for Bulgaria and Romania lead to significant costs, environmental damage and missed benefits not only for the economies of both countries, but also for the entire EU internal market.
The EESC opinion will address the issue of lost benefits and direct losses related to the continued land border controls for Bulgaria and Romania, but also for the EU internal market, which leads to restrictions on trade and tourism, reduced competitiveness and increased costs for business, political and social costs and negative environmental impacts. Further emphasis will be placed on the need to set a specific date for the abolition of checks at internal land borders. Within the framework of the drafting of the opinion, discussions on the economic dimensions of Schengen for the EU Internal Market are envisaged.
The discussion on 24 September, in addition to the members of the working group on the preparation of the EESC opinion, will include ambassadors of the EU Member States, members of the European Parliament and the National Assembly, representatives of the Ministries of Tourism, Transport, Economy, Finance, Foreign Affairs, Home Affairs, business stakeholders from Bulgaria and Romania, the President and Vice-Presidents of the Economic and Social Council of Bulgaria and Romania and the Bulgarian Academy of the sciences.
Attendance at the event is by invitation only.
The forum is open to media, but with pre-registration, which must be done by September 20 by email: pr@bia-bg.com
