Status and Scope of Activity

According to Art. 115 l of the Maritime Spaces, Inland Waterways and Ports of the Republic of Bulgaria Act (MSIWPRBA) Bulgarian Ports Infrastructure Company (BPI Co.) is a legal person within the meaning of Art. 62, para. 3 of the Commercial Law, with Headquarters in Sofia and Branches – Territorial Directorates in Burgas, Varna, Lom and Ruse.

The State grants to Bulgarian Ports Infrastructure Company property – public and private state property, determined by the Council of Ministers for implementation of the scope of activitiy.

The Bulgarian Ports Infrastructure Company is the governing authority of the Bulgarian public transport ports and provides vessel traffic and shipping information services in accordance with the Maritime Spaces, Internal Waterways and Ports of the Republic of Bulgaria Act. The scope of activity of BPI Co. includes:

  • building ports and port terminals – property by the state, and reconstruction, rehabilitation, and maintenance of port terminals – property of the state, from the public transport ports;
  • maintaining the existing and building new approach canals, port water areas, marine and river depots for disposal of dredging mass, breakwaters, protection facilities, grids, and facilities of the common technical infrastructure, including access infrastructure in the ports under article 106a of the Maritime Space, Inland Waterways and Ports of the Republic of Bulgaria Act and in the public transport ports – property of the state;
  • management of state property in the public transport ports;
  • drafting, maintaining, and keeping a record, containing data about port infrastructure – property of the state;
  • supporting the Minister of transport and communications in exercising supervision on implementation of concession agreements and agreements with single owner commercial companies for performance of port services and activities set forth in article 116a, paragraph 1 of the Maritime Space, Inland Waterways and Ports of the Republic of Bulgaria Act;
  • responsibility for the existence, performance, and maintenance of the plans for security of port areas, which include a port for public transportation;
  • provision of access to public transport ports;
  • construction and maintenance of facilities servicing the system for monitoring of ship movements and information and the Bulgarian river information system;
  • securing the navigation safety in the territorial sea, the internal sea waters, the canals and the port aquatory;
  • building, maintenance and administration of a national system for electronic exchange of information in the public transport ports.

The Bulgarian Ports Infrastructure Company is a national coordinator for European Maritime Single Window environment (EMSWe). The Bulgarian Ports Infrastructure Company provides:

  • services through the Global Maritime Distress & Safety System (GMDSS);
  • telecommunication ship-shore / shore-ship services;
  • services pertinent to traffic control and information support of shipping and the provision of river information services to ship traffic;
  • hydrometeorological information.
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