A fruitful meeting of the President of the BCCI and experts from the AC at the Chamber with representatives of the Chamber of Mediation, Conciliation and Arbitration of Occitania

On 18.03.2024, a virtual meeting was held between the Chairman of the BCCI Mr. Tsvetan Simeonov and experts from the AC and BCCI, with representatives of the Chamber of Mediation, Conciliation and Arbitration of Occitania (Chambre de Médiation, de Conciliation, et d'Arbitrage d'Occitanie –CMCAO) located in the city of Toulouse, France.

From the French side, the event was attended by Mr. Jean-François Ravina, lawyer, President of the Chamber and arbitrator from the list of CMCAO arbitrators, Ms. Vasilka Clique, lawyer, Vice President of the Chamber and arbitrator from the list, Mr. Abdelmajid Nedjari, lawyer, secretary of the Chamber, arbitrator from the list, as well as Prof. Laurent Pozoco - Chairman of CMCAO from 2021 to 2023. The meeting was also attended by Mrs. Vesela Todorova - Mozettig, Director of the French-Bulgarian Trade and Chamber of Industry, courtesy of which the discussion was organized.

At the beginning of the session, Mrs. Klicke introduced the Bulgarian participants to the work of the CMCAO and the creation and in connection with the need to support business for the timely resolution of disputes arising between companies from the aviation industry with headquarters in the Toulouse area outside the system of state justice . It also informs about CMCAO's attempts to provide its clients with services at the level of arbitration institutions in Paris, organizing information campaigns, trainings and scientific conferences for this purpose. For the organization of these events, are in close cooperation with other arbitration chambers in France.

The Chairman of the CMACO, Mr. Ravina, joined the discussion, who informed the Bulgarian participants about the possibility of organizing joint scientific conferences, for the promotion of arbitration proceedings, sharing their experience in the field, in cooperation with chambers from Italy and Andorra.

Mr. Ravina extended an invitation to the Chairman of the BCCI and the College of ACs at the BCCI to join the organized events in a hybrid or present form.

Mr. Simeonov thanked the colleagues from CMCAO for the initiative, saying that the quality of arbitration in the AC at the BCCI is also at the highest level. The chairman of the BCCI emphasized the digitization of the arbitration process in the SC at the BCCI, listed the advantages of arbitration, compared to the proceedings before the state court, namely:

- Faster proceedings, with cases being resolved within 12 months,

-Case information is available online for the parties and their legal representatives in electronic case files.

- The SC at the BCCI has provided technical support for online arbitration sessions even before the COVID 19 pandemic.

-According to the Statute of the AC at the BCCI, there is the possibility of including foreign citizens who meet the requirements of the Statute of the AC, in the lists of the AC at the BCCI in international affairs.

The possibility is added in the Statute of the AC, namely "In internal cases, when a party to the dispute is an enterprise with a predominant foreign participation, arbitrators may also be persons who are not citizens of the Republic of Bulgaria."

 Mr. Simeonov specified to the foreign participants in the meeting that the lists of arbitrators are determined by the Presidium of the AU, and it is their competence to consider applications for the inclusion of new arbitrators.

The list of ACs at the BCCI is about to be expanded, so that AC customers have a greater choice. Mr. Simeonov suggested to the French colleagues, if they have eligible candidates, that they deposit their documents so that their applications for inclusion in the list of the AU on international affairs can be considered.

Regarding the organization of a scientific conference by the AC at the BCCI, Mr. Simeonov invited CMCAO representatives to participate with theoretical reports.

Mr. Simeonov emphasized the uniformity of the legal system, of the economic relations in France and in Bulgaria, in the field of arbitration, since the UNCITRAL model law has been implemented in the ZMTA since 1988 and has so far been updated in accordance with the practical needs of the judiciary system in Bulgaria.

The President of the ICCP informed the French colleagues about the numerous arbitration agreements concluded by the AU at the ICCP with institutions around the world, proposing that such a cooperation agreement be concluded with the Chamber of Mediation, Conciliation and Arbitration of Occitanie

In its 127-year history, the Court of Arbitration at the ICC has adapted to modern conditions and, although it was established as a conciliation court, it currently has links with numerous partner organizations.

The Chairman of the CMACO, Mr. Jean-Francois Ravina, introduced the Bulgarian colleagues to the activities of the CMCAO, including the fact that under the leadership of Prof. Pozoco, the cooperation with the University of Toulouse Capitol 1, where new arbitrators are trained, has developed extremely this study is also open to international students. 

Apart from the academic activity aimed at popularizing arbitration, the Chamber also organizes arbitration trainings.

Mr. Simeonov shared the Bulgarian experience, informing his colleagues that in the training of all future lawyers in the upper course of the university, a training module on arbitration process was added, and the AC at the BCCI, with the assistance of the BCCI, organizes training for commercial lawyers every year arbitration, including at the time of the meeting.

The President of the BCCI informed the French colleagues that the BCCI has a daily newsletter that reaches ten thousand subscribers and the topics covered at the meeting will reach a wide readership.

Mr. Simeonov emphasized the fact of the excellent cooperation of the BCCC with the French Embassy in Bulgaria and the Franco-Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and in particular with Mrs. Vesela Todorova Mozettig - director, for which he thanked her.

At the end of the meeting, Mr. Simonov emphasized again that joint activities in the field of arbitration will be welcome, both as participation in joint scientific conferences and in exchange of visits of arbitrators and experts to exchange experience.

The French colleagues thanked for the warm attitude, remaining ready to exchange invitations to common events.