Oldest Bulgarian Business Association Opens Commercial Mediation Center
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| BCCI’s Sofia headquarters and home to the new Commercial Mediation Center |
On October 27, 2005, the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) officially opened its Commercial Mediation Center. BCCI is the largest Bulgarian business association with a 110 years' tradition. It already has experience in the area of alternative dispute resolution through its prominent Court of Arbitration. The managers of the Chamber made the decision to further expand the services they offer to businesses in Bulgaria by venturing into the yet novel field of mediation. Given its size and history, the center is uniquely positioned to reach a vast number of Bulgarian and foreign businesses.
The opening serves as recognition by the Bulgarian business community that mediation is an effective and economical method for dispute resolution. The court referral of cases to mediation relieves the court dockets and allows judges to focus their time and attention on more complex disputes. These advantages of mediation have made it one of the preferred dispute resolution methods in the USA and EU member countries.
The center received extensive support from USAID’s Commercial Law Reform Program. USAID provided training for the mediators of the center, supported BCCI in selecting a coordinator of the center as well as helped develop the internal documents and tariffs needed to operate the mediation process. USAID also facilitated the contacts between the Chamber and the Sofia District Court, which resulted in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for the referral of commercial cases appropriate for mediation. USAID will continue to work closely with the center to ensure its professionalism and sustainability
The English language website of the Commercial Mediation Center of BCCI is http://www.mediation.bcci.bg/english/.
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