Three new companies for manufacture and processing of fish and fish products are approved to export their production in the countries from EU, was reported from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests. These are Buljack-Hladilnika, processing company Buljack-Burgas and Beluga-Vidin. Thus the number of the companies that will export production to EU becomes six.
Source: Sega 

The private shareholders in Sofia City Company – Stara Planina Holding and Sunny Beach Holding, have decided to terminate their participation in it, according to a statement of the two holdings. The two holdings explained their decision with the numerous media publications about the newly-established company lately. According to the statement, Sofia City Company was established in October 2002, but the events following its creation give its founders reason to think they have affected serious economic interests, which will not allow them to realize a good business project of significant social importance.
Source: Sega

Viaggo air airline launches a special promotional price of the tickets for the flights to Wien of EUR 199 for Christmas and New Year, was reported from the airline. The first flight of the new airline to the Austrian capital will be on December 22. The flights will be realized with a French airplane ATR-42, was added from the Viaggo air.
Source: Monitor 

By the end of the year NPS Kozlodui will produce 16 billion kw/h electricity, which is with about 3 billion kw/h less in comparison with 2002. With BGN 130 million less will be the incomes of NPS for 2003. This is due to the stopped First and Second block with a total capacity of 880 Mg/w. About BGN 900 million are necessary for the entire decomissioning of the two reactors.
Source: Standard 

The port in Rousse will become a model for the modernization of other Danube ports. This was decided by the working group “Ports of Secondary Importance” with the international Danube countries community. Rousse is one of the biggest ports down the river and the exploration stage of the project started in it. The result from this stage will give a final form to the model for the modernization of the other ports situated on the banks of the river.
Source: Standard  

USA
Sony and Bertelsmann are close to a binding agreement to merge their recorded music divisions, marking another step towards the long-awaited consolidation of the record industry.  Executives at Sony Music and BMG were on Thursday night finalising the agreement, people close to the negotiations said. Barring any last-minute hitches, the deal is expected to be announced on Friday.  The deal formalises the 50-50 joint venture which the two companies set out a month ago when they announced their intention to merge. It clears the way for regulators in Brussels to start considering the deal. The Federal Trade Commission in Washington has already begun its review.  The definitive agreement is expected to lead to a wide-ranging restructuring at the combined recorded music business, involving about USD 300m of annualised cost savings.  The enlarged company is expected to have about 28-29 per cent of the US album market, the key size measurement for the music industry. Universal Music has just over 30 per cent.  The agreement is a coup for Andy Lack, the Sony Music chief executive who will be chief executive of the combined group, and Rolf Schmidt-Holtz, his BMG counterpart, who will be chairman.
Source: FT