Date Target Vendor Investor Size Comment
May 16 To double production output of sanitary ware ROCA Bulgaria (bought local Fayans from Swiss Laufen in 1999) ROCA Bulgaria EUR 10 mln ROCA is the largest Spanish investor in Bulgaria: EUR 16 mln up to 2004
May 16 Investment in the technology, media and communications sectors in CEE CEE companies 3TS Central European Fund II (private equity firm 3TS Capital Partners) EUR 100 mln 3TS Capital Partners is jointly owned by its management team, 3i Group Plc and SITRA, the Finnish National Agency for Research and Development
May 16 A professional services delivery team in Bulgaria or Romania Cisco Bulgaria, Cisco Romania Cisco Systems N/A High skilled engineers to service Cisco clients in the region of southeast Europe
May 16 Buyout of 99.66% of Eurobank Bulgaria-registered Eurobank Piraeus Bank (Greece) EUR 50 mln Bulgarian National Bank approved
May 12 Purchase stake in German owner of two Bulgarian Power Distributors E.ON (Bulgaria) European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) N/A E.ON paid EUR 140.7 mln, Oct 2004, for the majority stakes in the power distribution utilities at Black Sea port of Varna and in Gorna Oryahovitsa
May 12 Setting up investment funds Two SEE Investment Funds Greek Global Finance EUR 450 mln Fund investors: EBRD; IFC, private investment arm of World Bank; Greek bank EFG Ergasias, AIG and regional banks. Global Finance has so far invested in eight companies in Bulgaria and in eight in Romania
May 12 Loan for upgrade of coal-fired power plant AES Corp. European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) EUR 157.5 mln One of the largest foreign investment projects to date: AES Corp. will build and operate two power plants at Maritsa East I coal-fired power plant in Central Bulgaria
May 12 Upgrade of wine and liquor production facilities Vinprom Peshtera Vinprom Peshtera (Bulgaria) EUR 7.2 mln Plans EUR 10 mln investment in new grapevine plantings; export markets: Japan, USA, UK and EU
May 11 Syndicated loan Bulgarian Central Cooperative Bank (CCB) Managers - German HSH Nordbank, Raiffeisen Zentralbank EUR 10 mln CCB, Bulgaria's 12th largest bank by assets, is controlled by the Bulgarian foreign trade firm Chimimport, which holds 95% jointly with affiliate companies
May 11 Fibre-optic line extension Sofia-Thessaloniki Vestitel BG Vestitel BG (Overgas) EUR 8 mln Plans to invest EUR 88.9 mln in 10 years in telecom network; Bulgaria has licensed more than 10 companies to set up, operate and maintain public fixed-line networks since it liberalised its telecoms market in 2003
May 11 A TV sets and flat screens manufacturing plant Veliko Tarnovo SVA Group Co. (China) EUR 1 mln For the last two years SVA has a joint venture with Bitova Elektronika, Veliko Tarnovo for production of TV monitors
Deals, contracts, tenders and outsourcing for a total value of more than BGN 2 mln. and projects of strategic interest to Bulgaria
With the contribution of SeeNews (published by AII Data Processing Ltd) and Rivas
GOVERNMENT AND EU | REAL ESTATE AND FINANCE | EU TOPICS
Date Subject Institution Comment
May 17 Real Estate Fair in Sofia, start 19 May Imoti Expo 2005 EUR 1 bn - total value of real estate projects to be presented
May 13 Bulgaria: economic growth estimated to 5.3% for 2005 Bank Austria Creditanstalt (BA-CA) BA-CA forecast estimates FDI inflow to stay EUR 2 bn per year
May 13 SE Europe to grow strongly despite global slowdown Fitch rating agency Bulgaria's sovereign credit fundamentals continue to improve
May 13 Bulgaria expects to draw EUR 2 bn in investments in its telecommunication sector over the next five years Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications Based on public and private deals activity
May 12 EU Approves Builder of Bulgarian Railway Stretch (part of a major transport route linking Western Europe with the Middle East and of a EUR 340 mln project) Finance Ministry Terna (Greece) is believed to have ranked first in the evaluation report with an offer of EUR 85.7 mln
May 12 Bulgarian government approved a draft penal code required by the European Union Government If the new parliament (following June general elections) continues to work without going on a summer leave, the draft could be adopted as soon as September
May 11 Bulgaria ratifies EU Entry Treaty Parliament The treaty will come into force after it is ratified by all 27 countries that signed it
News and events important for investors related to the Bulgarian legislation, government and EU policy, financial and real estate sectors.
With the contribution of SeeNews (published by AII Data Processing Ltd) and Rivas

The Bulgarian transport company Biomet to build a logistics centre for the bathroom fixture manufacturers Ideal Standard Bulgaria and Ideal Standard Vidima, owned by U.S. American Standard Companies.

Investment: EUR 3.6 mln
Size: 10,000-square metre
Jobs: 70 workers
Launch: October 2005
Location: Ideal Standard Bulgaria and Ideal Standard Vidima, located in northern town of Sevlievo

Since 1993 American Standard has so far invested EUR 150 million to build the Ideal Standard Bulgaria porcelain bathroom fixture plant and to upgrade its Vidima factory and employees 4 000 people. The facility represents a technological cluster of 5 plants: a fully integrated supply chain and an European production and IT support hub. 90% of the production is for export to EMEA.

BIOMET Ltd. is founded in 1991. It is one of the fastest growing leading transport companies in Bulgaria and in Europe with offices in large West European countries. The company owns over 150 freight auto-compositions, including liquid fuel tanks, tanks for LPG supplies and autobuses.

BIOMET Ltd. has its own additional rolling stock of auto tanks. They service the petrol stations of SHELL-Bulgaria, SHELL-GAS, OMV-Bulgaria and EKO-ELDA Hellenic Petroleum.
Showcase of important issues, deals, and events.
With the contribution of Rivas
May 18, 2005