On October 24, 2025, the National Association of Bulgarian Forwarders (NSBS) gathered its members, combining a discussion on how to build an effective partnership between people and technology in logistics and the past year since the last General Meeting of the Association.
During the Management Conference on "People and Technology – Partners for Success in Logistics," important issues facing the freight forwarding and logistics sector were discussed, such as:
the challenges and opportunities of digitalisation for people in transport, freight forwarding and logistics
the import of workers from third countries as a solution to the shortage of personnel in the transport sector
effective HR policies and people management in transport and logistics
training and qualifications as a competitive advantage for any transport and logistics company
NSBS members had the opportunity to share their views on the above topics, share their experience, and make suggestions for more effective involvement of people in companies' business processes and opportunities for digitization of the sector.
During the General Meeting, the NSBS Management Board reported on its activities over the past year. In addition to its active work in protecting the interests of the industry and ensuring its equal representation and positioning in the most authoritative international and national organizations, the role of the Association's Training Center in preparing the specialists needed by the Bulgarian freight forwarding and logistics industry was also noted. The budgets of the NSBS and the Training Center for 2026 were approved, as well as the main guidelines for work in the coming year.
An important item on the agenda of the General Assembly was the updating of the rules for regular membership in the NSBS in accordance with FIATA's definition of freight forwarding and logistics services. This change creates opportunities both for increasing the membership of the NSBS with established providers of freight forwarding and logistics services and for better and more comprehensive representation of the industry before the competent state authorities and institutions, national and international partners.
I. REQUIREMENTS FOR REGULAR MEMBERSHIP APPLICANTS
1. Full members of the NSBS may be sole traders and commercial companies registered under the Commercial Law of the Republic of Bulgaria and entered in the Commercial Register, which provide freight forwarding and logistics services of any kind related to transport (by a single mode of transport or multimodal transport), consolidation, storage, handling, packaging or distribution of goods, as well as ancillary and consulting services related thereto, including, but not limited to, customs and tax matters, declaration of goods for official purposes, conclusion of cargo insurance and collection or provision of payments or issuance of documents related to the goods. Freight forwarding services also include logistics services using modern information and communication technologies in connection with the transport, handling or storage of goods, as well as de facto comprehensive supply chain management. In order to achieve flexibility, the services provided may be tailored to the customer's requirements.
2. Companies applying for regular membership of the NSBS must meet the following conditions:
- The freight forwarding and logistics services listed in point 1 must constitute at least 50% of the company's annual financial turnover.
- The company is familiar with, agrees to accept, and undertakes to comply with the NSBS Statutes and the NSBS Professional Code.
- The company agrees to accept and undertakes to implement the objectives, tasks, and decisions of the NSBS, as well as to actively participate in the activities of the Association.
- When providing freight forwarding and logistics services, the company will be guided by the provisions of the applicable international agreements and conventions, FIATA documents, General Freight Forwarding Conditions (GFFC), the General Warehouse Conditions (GWC) or specific provisions and conditions applicable to the relevant type of activity and the legislation of the Republic of Bulgaria and the EU.
- The company agrees and undertakes to provide statistical information – quantitative and qualitative indicators of its activity for the completed financial year, for the purpose of maintaining a public database for analysis of the freight forwarding industry.
- The company agrees and undertakes to conclude an insurance contract covering its professional liability.
- The company agrees and undertakes to pay the prescribed admission fee and to pay its annual membership fee to the NSBS within the established deadlines.
- The company has not been declared insolvent and is not in insolvency proceedings.
- The representative and manager of the company has not been convicted of an intentional crime.
II. DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR REGULAR MEMBERSHIP
A trader who wishes to be accepted as a regular member of the NSBS shall submit the following documents to the Management Board:
Standard application form
- Declaration of regular membership
- Motivated recommendations from two regular members of the NSBS
- Income statement for the last full financial year
Currently, the NSBS represents 117 freight forwarding and logistics companies, which is indisputable proof of the growing trust in the association. Since its establishment in 1992, the Association has strengthened its organization, developed in line with the needs of its members, expanded the range of services to facilitate their activities, and worked in the interests of the Bulgarian transport, freight forwarding, and logistics sector.
