Project E.V.E.CR.I.: Press Release - Final Conference

Over 130 small and medium-sized businesses were involved in the cross-border Bulgarian-Greek project E.VE.CR.I.
 
Despite the applied economic incentives in Greece, the development of the electric car market in Bulgaria is identical to that in our neighbouring country
 
Over 30 charging stations for electric cars are under construction, and 12 have already been built within the cross-border Bulgarian-Greek project E.VE.CR.I. Each of the points of the project can be found in the created mobile application, which can be downloaded from the Apple, Huawei and Google application stores, as well as on the project site. In the application, you can find information about the type of station - how much wattage is the charging, from which network it is and the type of cables to be used. Involved in the project were the following EV charging station operators: Eldrive, Kia, Fines Charging, ELBUL and BullChargeWith their support to the project informed more than 130 small and medium-sized enterprises about the benefits of electric mobility and the steps to install charging stations for electric vehicles.
 


The data and analyses were presented at the final conference of the E.VE.CR.I. project, which was held on April 10 in the city of Blagoevgrad. The event was attended by Zhenya Dinkova, representative of the INTERREG Greece - Bulgaria programme, Martin Zaimov from the Bulgarian Association for Electric Vehicles (BAEPS), Atanas Pashaliev, representative of the Alliance of the producers of ecological energy - BG  (SPEE-BG) and Athanasios Tamvakos from the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas of the Hellenic Institute of Transport (CERTH-HIT), Maria Petrova, Deputy Mayor of Blagoevgrad and Radoslav Radev from "Enovati". Each of them provided information on the activities that have been carried out within the framework of the project, how the local e-mobility network and infrastructure have expanded under the project, and how the e-mobility market has evolved in the border area.
 
"In order to change the environment, it is necessary to change not only the technical requirements but also the administrative measures that allow them to be fulfilled. Also, establishing a good relationship between the two countries was the implicit goal of the project, and according to colleague Athanasios Tamvakos, it has been achieved. We have managed to convince the two governments with documentation, it remains to be seen what the results will be", said Martin Zaimov.

In 23 municipalities on both sides of the Bulgarian-Greek border, 17 round tables and workshops were held, where possible business models and solutions for small and medium-sized businesses were presented with explanations of the administrative steps and permits that need to be taken to charging stations to be installed and operated in accordance with the regulatory framework of both countries.
 


The purpose of the project E.VE.CR.I. was to enable in the cross-border region of South-West Bulgaria and Northern Greece, and to contribute to a continuously accessible, easy-to-use and widespread network of charging points for electric cars. Taking advantage of the opportunity to create a similar network on both sides of the border of the two neighbouring countries facilitates travel and is essential for business prosperity in these areas. Through E.VE.CR.I. it was made easier for companies operating charging infrastructures to establish themselves more quickly in Greece and Bulgaria, similar to more advanced European countries. Developing and expanding the electric car network in the cross-border region has many advantages. Starting with improved energy efficiency, reduced greenhouse gas emissions affecting air quality and quality of life, improving entrepreneurship in the cross-border region through sharing, partnering and mutual learning and creating a vibrant network of electric mobility advocates, be they small businesses or municipalities.
 
The project E.VE.CR.I. is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and by national funds of the countries participating in the Interreg V-A “Greece-Bulgaria 2014-2020” Cooperation Programme. Its initiators are the Alliance of the producers of ecological energy - BG (SPEE BG), the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas of the Hellenic Institute of Transport (Greece) and the Bulgarian Association of Electric Vehicles (BAEPS).