In April 2011, the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry held the fourth meeting of the "PLATO" project. The meeting focused on the topic "Access to Foreign Markets and Business Networks". The host of the meeting was one of the participants in the PLATO project group – TANGRA-AV Ltd. The company is an associate member of the BCCI and specializes in ventilation, air-conditioning, and heating technology.
The guests at the lecture were members of the PLATO project.
The speakers during the meeting were Mr. Angel Milev (Coordinator of the Enterprise Europe Network for Bulgaria) and Mr. Veselin Iliev (Expert in foreign trade and customs issues, market access, international marketing, and management).
The participants in the meeting were introduced to the services provided by the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) – the largest information and advisory network in the world. The network offers a wide range of support, assistance, and consulting services, including:
• services for integrating businesses into the European market;
• technology transfer and innovations;
• consultations and support for companies’ participation in EU programs and projects.
The BCCI is one of the host organizations of EEN and provides these services to its members.
Later in the meeting, various issues regarding the internationalization of companies were discussed, such as:
• market access and export of goods and services to the EU and third countries;
• "expanding companies’ presence in international markets and finding new market „niches”;
• competitiveness of various Bulgarian products in international markets;
• tariff and non-tariff barriers and regulations in trade and services;
• trade defense measures, and others.
The meeting held is part of a series of nine meetings under the "PLATO" project, which aims to enhance the competitiveness of Bulgarian companies through organizing training meetings, creating partnerships, exchanging best practices, and implementing joint projects. The BCCI intends to continue the project’s activities even after its completion by expanding the network and attracting new participants.
