The Director General of BPI Co. Angel Zaburtov opened a working meeting of representatives from state institutions and experts who will discuss the electronic processing of ship documents in maritime transport under the “Maritime Single Window” concept.
The implementation of Maritime Single Window is one of the European Union’s priority policies in maritime transport, aimed at increasing the competitiveness of maritime transport by reducing and simplifying the formalities in the reception and processing of ships and cargo in EU ports. According to the national regulatory framework, Bulgarian Ports Infrastructure Company is responsible for creating and maintaining a maritime traffic information service system that complies with EU regulations for providing electronic services in the sector (DIRECTIVE 2002/59/EC on vessel traffic monitoring and maritime information and DIRECTIVE 2010/65/EU on reporting formalities for ships arriving in and/or departing from ports of Member States).
In 2009, Bulgarian Ports Infrastructure Company built and launched a pilot project “Information Services for the Seaports of Varna and Burgas”. An electronic document management environment was created where ship captains and agents can submit all necessary documentation and use electronic signatures. Access to this information environment was provided to all institutions involved in the process.
Within the currently implementing VTMIS – Phase 3 project, funded under the Operational Programme “Transport”, BPI Co. is establishing a National Center for Electronic Document Management in Maritime Transport with new software that fully complies with the upcoming European requirements for electronic data exchange in maritime transport, which will take effect on June 1, 2015.
The working meeting being held today in Sofia is part of the “AnNa – Advanced National Networks for Administrations” project, which is funded by the European Commission and implemented by 14 countries. The aim of this project is to develop European-wide standards and recommendations for data exchange and implement pilot projects for the deployment of the “single window” concept in EU countries.
Mr. Roeland van Bockel – project manager of AnNa, participates in the meeting.