The Bulgarian Shipowners Association ( BSA), is a legal entity, registered according to the Bulgarian Law. The Association was established on 30.09.2003 in the city of Varna by eight private shipowners, being legal entities. Presently the Association consists of 13 members (physical persons and legal entities) with a secretariat office in Varna and representatives in Varna and Ruse. [link to „members”] The total deadweight of BSA members’ owned fleet is over 1 million DWT.
The BSA main activities are: - Participation in public-private partnership activities in the water transport sector. Involvement in setting up of strategies for the development of water transport, navigation and related activities of the sea and river shipping; – Provision of program, informational services and consultancy concerning the safety, security and protection of environment with regard to the sea and river shipping; Provision of R&D activities in the sphere of sea and river transport; – Research, feasibility studies, analysis of specific maritime related issues on behalf of the members, public or private organizations. – Representation and protection of its members’ interests and assisting the development of sea and river companies via participation in the realization of different international projects and programs; – Assistance in development and realization of training and educational programs focused on sea and river transport issues, for training of personnel and human resources development.
BSA main objectives include: - to support and hasten the business activities of its members in the country and abroad; – to disseminate the international and national best operational practices in the area thus ensuring achieving of high standards of safety and quality in ship operation and realization of efficient transport services; – to represent the sector before national and foreign institutions and support the maritime and river sector on the way to full accession to the European Union; – as a forum of employers to defense the rights and interests of its members and to rise their international prestige; – to assist in improvement of coordination and partnership of the existing different structures in the transport sector .
The General Meeting is supreme body of the Association. The Association’s administrative body is the Council, supported by the Secretariat. A full member of the BSA may be a legal entity registered in Bulgaria or a physical person of Bulgarian citizenship, who has assumed the responsibility of operation of ship(s) as defined in the ISM Code. Other legal entities or physical persons acting in the sphere of maritime or river shipping, wishing to contribute to the objectives of the BSA may become associated members. The membership may be one of the following types: full member, associated member with a vote in the General Meeting, associated member without a vote in the General Meeting and a honorary member. BSA is a full member of the KRIB. On a national level BSA participates in a tripartite dialog as a member of Union Vuzrazdane. The Association contacts with Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, Executive Agency ”Maritime Administration”, Executive Agency “Port Administration”, Executive Agency “Exploration and Maintenance of the Danube River” etc. BSA is in close cooperation with other Non – government Organizations witch having interests in water transport: Bulgarian Chamber of Shipping, Bourgas Marine Association, Bulgarian Association of Ship Brokers and Agents, Association of the Bulgarian Ports, Port Operators and Concessionaries, Bulgarian National Forwarders Association. The BSA Secretariat is situated in the city of Varna.