Eight Bilateral Chambers in Bulgaria announced their Open Position urging the European Institutions to open the doors for the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen space of the EU. It happened during an European Forum organized by the Ministry of Economy and Industry of Bulgaria and the Ministry of Industry and Tourism of Romania on November 23, 2023, at Rousse.

The declaration is initiated and supported by American Chamber of Commerce in Bulgaria, Bulgarian-Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Bulgarian-Swiss Chamber of Commerce, Confindustria Bulgaria, French-Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce, German-Bulgarian Industrial and Trade Chamber, Hellenic Bulgarian Business Council and Spanish-Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce.

The position says: “There are many economic and social arguments for this much-needed political act, that have been stated numerous times in public. Bulgaria’s full membership in Schengen is critically important as a political act of European solidarity and of is a step towards complete integration of both Bulgaria and Romania into the EU. It is also a long-awaited catalyst for accelerating economic growth of the countries and the South East Europe region.”