Lyulin Stamenov/Sofia Echo
Maja Wessels
The United States and US businesses in particular strongly support European Union enlargement, and especially Bulgaria’s accession to the EU.
This was said last Tuesday by Maja Wessels, head of the EU Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham).
Wessels, who is also the United Technologies President for External Affairs Europe, visited Sofia to participate in series of meetings between AmCham Bulgaria and Government representatives.
The EU Committee of AmCham is a strong lobby organisation, which represents 140 US companies operating in Europe with investments worth over $600 billion. It has 13 subcommittees, which focus on specific fields such as telecommunications, intellectual property, trade, the environment, transportation and financial services. One of them, the Enlargement Subcommittee, follows the process of Bulgaria’s preparation for EU membership.
Wessels said that although she could not speak on behalf of the US government, she would say that it supports EU enlargement because the US was obviously interested to have stability in Europe. According to Wessels the United States was bothered by the requirement under the EU accession negotiations to the candidates to suspend their bilateral trade agreements with the US before they join the Union.
Referring to Bulgaria’s preparation for EU membership, Wessels said this was a rather difficult question. Bulgaria has already closed 17 of 31 chapters in its negotiations with the EU, but apparently they are the easiest ones to close, she said.
Asked what was the position and what actions the EU Committee of AmCham took regarding the recent steel trade dispute between the EU and the US, Wessels said no particular moves were made. “We had members concerned by the recent developments, but our position coincides with the one of the AmCham and the US business that was against any sanctions imposed by the EU,” Wessels said. According to her this could lead to no results, but only confrontation.
“We strongly support Bulgaria on its way to joining EU structures and NATO and we do appreciate changes and efforts of the country to establish a real working market economy,” Wessels told a lunch meeting organised by AmCham and attended by Labour and Social Policy Minister Lidia Shuleva and US Charge d’Affaires Roderick Moore.
Wessels emphasised the need for fast changes in the country, to speed up negotiations with European and Euro Atlantic structures.
This was said last Tuesday by Maja Wessels, head of the EU Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham).
Wessels, who is also the United Technologies President for External Affairs Europe, visited Sofia to participate in series of meetings between AmCham Bulgaria and Government representatives.
The EU Committee of AmCham is a strong lobby organisation, which represents 140 US companies operating in Europe with investments worth over $600 billion. It has 13 subcommittees, which focus on specific fields such as telecommunications, intellectual property, trade, the environment, transportation and financial services. One of them, the Enlargement Subcommittee, follows the process of Bulgaria’s preparation for EU membership.
Wessels said that although she could not speak on behalf of the US government, she would say that it supports EU enlargement because the US was obviously interested to have stability in Europe. According to Wessels the United States was bothered by the requirement under the EU accession negotiations to the candidates to suspend their bilateral trade agreements with the US before they join the Union.
Referring to Bulgaria’s preparation for EU membership, Wessels said this was a rather difficult question. Bulgaria has already closed 17 of 31 chapters in its negotiations with the EU, but apparently they are the easiest ones to close, she said.
Asked what was the position and what actions the EU Committee of AmCham took regarding the recent steel trade dispute between the EU and the US, Wessels said no particular moves were made. “We had members concerned by the recent developments, but our position coincides with the one of the AmCham and the US business that was against any sanctions imposed by the EU,” Wessels said. According to her this could lead to no results, but only confrontation.
“We strongly support Bulgaria on its way to joining EU structures and NATO and we do appreciate changes and efforts of the country to establish a real working market economy,” Wessels told a lunch meeting organised by AmCham and attended by Labour and Social Policy Minister Lidia Shuleva and US Charge d’Affaires Roderick Moore.
Wessels emphasised the need for fast changes in the country, to speed up negotiations with European and Euro Atlantic structures.
