Association goals
The Association is established and exists for the benefit of its members to achieve the following goals:
Responsibility in the industry
To take initiatives for objective and realistic formation of functions and responsibilities in the industry.
Quality Improvement
To strive to increase understanding of relocation opportunities, as well as to increase quality and opportunities for collaboration in the field.
Coordinated Efforts
To establish and maintain an organization through which efforts for the development of the industry can be coordinated.
Protects the interests
To protect the interests of its members and to build and enhance the reputation of the professional removals industry.
Support
To support and promote local and international relocation as an activity that benefits the development of modern society.
Collaboration
To develop close ties with organizations in other fields of activity.
Support
To support closer cooperation in the industry.
Professional Ethics
To promote high professional standards among its members and to propose norms of professional ethics.
Representation
To represent its members before Bulgarian, foreign and international institutions and organizations and to protect their rights and interests.
Mission:
Our mission – Your security and satisfaction!
The mission of the Bulgarian Moving Association (BMA) is to raise standards in the moving industry by promoting professional achievements and improving the quality of services.
Our mission is built on the principle of mutual benefit – you get peace of mind and quality, and the traders who are part of BMA develop and establish themselves as leaders in the industry.
We work for:
Clients: To provide you with safe, effective and reliable moving solutions that meet your needs.
Professionals: To support companies in the industry to provide services at the highest level and build trust in every client.
The means by which the Association will achieve its objectives are:
- Creating an appropriate socio-economic and media environment for the industry, discussions with regulatory authorities and participation in consultations and exercises.
- Supporting and promoting recognised industry standards of quality.
- Marketing and promoting members and services in the removals industry to the public through the website and relevant media.
- Providing cost-effective, industry-accessible training and development opportunities for members.
- Providing assistance, advice, information and support to the commercial activities of members.
- Actively promote common interests and improvements in the quality of health care and occupational safety in the industry, technical standards and environmental protection.
- Establish strategic partners from other industries and organizations.
- Establish an approved Code of Good Practices in the industry.
- Reconciliation and settlement of differences and disputes through alternative dispute resolution methods between members and their clients.
- Providing opportunities for regular contacts between members and related organizations and industries, sharing good practices and training through conferences, regional and international meetings, workshops and seminars.
- Status
- Membership
- Membership name
- Commercial offices
- Membership fee
- Changes in circumstances
- Membership termination
The Association is a non-profit legal entity.
The management of the Association is defined in the Association’s Statutes, which may be amended only by a decision adopted at a general meeting, as defined in the Statutes.
The Board of Directors is responsible for the management of the Association and its main function is to determine the strategy and policy of the Association.
Functional Councils represent the interests of their members as follows:
National and European Group Council – all members.
International Relocation Group Council – members of the International Relocation Group.
Office Relocation Group Council – members of the Office Relocation Group.
At least one representative of each of the functional groups must be on the Board of Directors.
The Board of Directors may, at its discretion, form special interest groups to serve the interests of certain sectors of the membership.
Detailed criteria for each category of membership, for each of the functional groups and for special interest groups shall be determined by the Board of Directors.
All members shall demonstrate a commitment to high professional standards and shall conduct themselves in such a manner as to ensure that the interests and good name of the Association are not prejudiced or brought into disrepute.
The decisions of the Board of Directors with respect to applications for membership shall be final and it shall be under no obligation to disclose to any applicant for membership the reasons for any particular decision it has taken with respect to membership, nor to respond to correspondence.
Members shall at all times cooperate to the best of their ability with other members.
There are the following membership categories:
- Membership
- International Associate Members – without voting rights
- Honorary Members – without voting rights
Any Bulgarian trader (regardless of whether he is a legal entity or a capable individual) who approves of these Statutes, the goals that the Association sets for itself and the activities included in its scope of activity may become a member of the Association. Anyone who also predominantly carries out (receives more than half of his income) commercial activity in the field of removals – characterized by the availability of services for packaging, transportation, international or local transportation of goods, unpacking, etc., without the transportation service forming the main part of the price of the service.
International Associate Membership is open to members outside the Republic of Bulgaria.
Honorary Life Membership is awarded at the discretion of the Board of Directors to any individual in recognition of exceptional service to the Association.
Membership Procedure
In accordance with the Association’s Statutes, no member shall be admitted unless:
- the candidate has submitted a written application for membership supported by the Membership Committee (appointed unanimously by the Board of Directors), and
- the Board of Directors has approved the application by a majority of at least 4 (four) votes.
Functional Groups
Members who additionally belong to the National and European Groups may be members of one or both of the following functional groups:
- International Relocation Group.
- Office Relocation Group.
Membership in the International Relocation Group is available to members who wish to promote their expertise in international relocation and who meet the criteria for the group.
Membership in the Office Relocation Group is available to members who wish to promote their expertise in office relocation and who meet the criteria for the group.
Applicants or members whose business profile, name or advertising indicates one of the above specialties are expected to join the appropriate functional group.
Applications to join the functional groups are subject to such requirements as may be specified by the relevant Group Councils, as may be amended from time to time with the approval of the Board of Directors.
MEMBERSHIP NAME/FIRM AND ADDITIONAL NAMES/TRADE NAMES
Applicants must state their principal name under which they usually do business. This is their membership name and may not be the name of the legal entity.
The name given to the Association shall be the name registered with the Association and shall be the only name used by the member for all activities connected with the Association, including correspondence with it and with other members, any correspondence, advertising or publicity carried out by the Association and in all publications of the Association.
When applying for membership in the Association, applicants shall state all trade names which they use, as well as those used by their affiliated companies, in connection with removal activities.
A member wishing to register or use a new trade name shall promptly notify the Association in writing of such trade name. For the purposes of this clause, “trade name” means any name which is not the correct (officially registered) name of the legal entity,
but may include any website, address or Internet domain name owned by a member and used to advertise, promote or sell moving services.
If a member wishes to change its name for the Association, it must notify the Association and seek its approval. The new name may not be used until it has been approved in writing by the Association.
When a member acquires control of another member and continues to use the same trade name, or substantially the same name, the member shall be deemed to be financially and professionally liable for that company or its predecessor in title for two years prior to the date on which any complaint or claim against that company is notified to block.
Franchisees or affiliates that are not members of the Association must comply with all obligations assumed by the membership by the franchisor or controlling member.
Where an applicant or member operates and offers clients access to facilities other than the main operational centres, e.g. other than the main office, such premises must be declared to the Association as premises from which sales are made.
Offices from which sales are made must meet an acceptable standard for retail premises. A physical inspection should be carried out by the Membership Committee to ensure that these requirements are met.
Membership fees are paid by each member and by international associate members.
The annual membership fee is due and payable within … days of the establishment of the Association, and for each subsequent year – by the end of January of each calendar year of the current year.
Each member has the right to receive the relevant document from the Association, proving that he has paid his membership fee.
Each newly admitted member pays within one month the initial full amount of the one-year membership fee for the year in which he was admitted, regardless of when this happened.
The membership councils for functional groups and special interest groups may vote for additional membership fees.
Honorary life members do not pay any membership fees.
Changes in circumstances, control or ownership
The circumstances in which the ownership or control of a member has changed shall be notified to the Association.
Members shall notify the Association in writing within 30 days of any change in the company’s capital structure, control, legal status or name of the company, the registration of a branch or any change of address.
In any case where there is a change in ownership or control in a member, the General Assembly may, within 60 days of the date of its notification, in its absolute discretion (and without giving any reason) terminate or suspend the membership of the member concerned until the successor in title of the member concerned has been determined.
If a member fails to give notice within the relevant period as required by the rule above, for any reason whatsoever, that member shall automatically terminate its membership upon the expiry of a period of 30 days in which the member concerned is in default and without the Board of Directors giving written notice of termination of membership.
Membership is not transferable.
Each member has the right to terminate his/her membership by following the procedure for doing so.
Membership is terminated upon written notification sent to the registered office and management address of the Association.
