Automotive Cluster Bulgaria (ACB) has officially become a full member of CLEPA – the European Association of Automotive Suppliers, the leading European organisation representing the interests of the automotive supplier industry before the institutions of the European Union.

Through its membership in CLEPA, Automotive Cluster Bulgaria will represent the interests of the Bulgarian automotive industry in the organisation’s expert committees and working groups. This will give companies within the Cluster’s ecosystem access to expert analyses, strategic insights, European best practices, international partnerships, and opportunities to take part in joint research and innovation projects.

In addition, membership will make it possible for the positions of the Bulgarian automotive industry to be presented as early as the discussion and drafting stage of European policies and legislative initiatives in areas such as competitiveness, technical and environmental regulations, electrification, digitalisation, international trade, and research and innovation.

“Automotive Cluster Bulgaria’s accession to CLEPA is a strategic step not only for our organisation, but for the entire Bulgarian automotive industry. This membership allows us not merely to follow the development of European policies, but to actively take part in shaping them together with leading manufacturers and European institutions. Our goal is to ensure that the voice of the Bulgarian automotive industry is heard at the right time, and that companies in Bulgaria make a real contribution to shaping the future of the automotive sector in Europe,” said Arch. Lyubomir Stanislavov, Executive Director of Automotive Cluster Bulgaria.

Membership in CLEPA, together with the participation of Automotive Cluster Bulgaria’s Executive Director, Arch. Lyubomir Stanislavov, in EURIAS (the European Commission’s Expert Group on Research and Innovation in the Automotive Sector) and IWG7 (the EC’s Expert Working Group on Batteries), strengthens the Cluster’s international representation at expert level in Brussels and expands opportunities to participate in the European policy-making process shaping the future of the automotive industry. This confirms ACB’s role as an active participant in the European dialogue and creates new opportunities to represent the interests of Bulgarian companies at the highest international level.

Founded in 1959, CLEPA brings together over 120 of the world’s leading automotive suppliers and more than 20 national and sectoral associations, representing over 3,000 companies across the entire automotive industry supply chain. The organisation is a key partner of the European institutions in the development of sector policy and legislation, and its members provide 1.7 million direct jobs in the European Union.