The Ministry of Agriculture has prepared a National Plan for the Development of Organic Farming until 2027. The goal is to establish Bulgaria as leader in a number of bio-products. The sustainability of small organic farms will be promoted through their cooperation. Opportunities for free counseling and professional training for bio-farmers are being launched. From 26,662 hectares in 2011, certified areas for cultivation of bio-cultures in Bulgaria increased to 162,332 ha in 2018. Bulgaria is among the leaders in Europe according to the number of hives, meeting the requirements for organic farming, and is the largest manufacturer of organic rose and lavender oils in the world. Production of essential oil from Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) has also been growing. Organic farming is a priority sector for support under the Rural Development Program.

Life in Bulgaria became slightly cheaper since the beginning of this year, according to the specialized thematic ranking of the digital platform NUMBEO. It is prepared every six months and it takes into account rental prices, store products and prices in restaurants in the country and city. In the current ranking, Bulgaria is 31st in Europe at a "cost of living", which is a one place drop to the last update. However, then and now from all of the EU Members, life is cheaper than Bulgaria only in Romania. The data show that the average cost of eating in a mid-range restaurant is BGN 10, ranging from BGN 8 to BGN 15. The bread costs an average of BGN 1.01, but it can be found for BGN 0.75, a dozen eggs are on average BGN 3.05, and one kilogram of chicken breast costs an average of BGN 8.93. The utilities per month - water, electricity, garbage fee for and etc. are on average BGN 175.98 an apartment of 85 square meters. The rent for one-bedroom apartment in the centre of a big city is about BGN 495 and a square meter is bought for over BGN 2100.

The Bulgarian representation of the Lithuanian payment service company Paysera Bulgaria opened an office and support center in Romania. Local businesses and individuals in the country will now be able to have an account in foreign currencies, make transfers with minimum fees and exchange currency at lower rates. Paysera entered the Bulgarian market in 2016. The company's expectations are the multi-currency account offered by Paysera's platform to facilitate partnerships between Bulgarian and Romanian companies. Organizations in both countries will be able to have accounts in Bulgarian leva or Romanian leu, through which they can be paid faster and easier with low commissions with their partners. Paysera works in 184 countries worldwide, has local representatives in 6 European countries and a network of 50 partner banks. In 2018 alone nearly 400,000 customers have made more than 1.9 million transfers through the Paysera platform for nearly EUR 3.9 billion.

The Commission on Protection of Competition is investigating the technological giant Apple into possible abuse of dominance during negotiations with the Bulgarian Telecommunications Company (BTK), which owns the mobile operator Vivacom. The Commission on Protection of Competition did not name the subject of the dispute. BTK explained that the claim against the US corporation is over a pressure on the conclusion of contracts for the distribution of iPhones. The Bulgarian mobile operator Vivacom has rejected the pressure, because of the unfavorable conditions that were offered, but now it voices discontent that unlike the other competitors on the Bulgarian digital market it cannot offer Apple iPhones.

A public discussion of a ten-year development plan for Bulgartransgaz for the 2019 - 2028 period was held by the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission (EWRC). The plan prioritizes the extension of gas transmission infrastructure in the Bulgarian-Turkish section and to the Bulgarian-Serbian border and maintenance of technically sound, reliable and efficient basic and auxiliary gas infrastructure. For this period, modernization, rehabilitation and extension of gas transmission networks and facilities are envisaged. The plan includes development of system interconnection and expansion of natural gas storage capacity. In the 2019-2028 period, new interconnections with neighboring countries will be built and put into operation. According to the plans, Bulgaria will pass through key cross-border gas pipelines, which will be connected to the existing Bulgartransgaz gas transmission system. The implementation of the current plan is expected to increase the quality and volume of services provided by Bulgartransgaz, related to the transport and storage of natural gas anddirectly contributes to establishing Bulgaria as a significant regional gas hub.

NЕРІ Rосксаstlе, which owns the Sofia malls, Раrаdіsе and Sеrdіcа Сеntеr, has signed a non-binding agreement with the Dutch-based AFI Еurоре for the sale of the entire Romanian portfolio of the company. The agreement guarantees to AFI Еurоре an exclusive right of administration for the portfolio of offices in our northern neighbor, including four buildings valued at around EUR 309.2 million at the end of December last year. AFI has eight weeks to conduct legal and financial checks. The four buildings have a total built-up area of nearly 170,000 square meters. AFI Еurоре, a subsidiary of АFІ Рrореrtіеs, is a company that has been building, managing and investing in buildings in Central and Eastern Europe since 1997. АFІ Еurоре has a strong presence in Bulgaria. It builds and now owns and manages Business Park Varna with a total built-up area of 44,000 square meters. The company is also behind three residential complexes in Sofia - Vіtоshа Тulір, Lаgеrа Тulір and Маlіnа Тulір, which is in the process of being built. AFI Еurоре is planning a logistic park near Plovdiv with a total built-up area of 148,500 square meters.

VMware Bulgaria, part of US-based cloud computing company VMware, said that its net loss widened to BGN 12.5 million in 2018 from BGN 8.4 million the year before, following a rise in expenses for salaries. VMware Bulgaria's expenses for salaries grew to BGN 75.4 million last year from BGN 57.3 million in 2017. The company's total operating expenses increased to BGN 119.9 million in 2018 from BGN 95.4 million in 2017. VMware Bulgaria's sales rose to BGN 108.3 million from BGN 88.9 million in 2017. Assets at the end of 2018 amounted to BGN 50.0 million, up from BGN 41.5 million a year earlier. VMware Bulgaria employed 863 people at the end of 2018, compared to 686 people at the end of 2017. The company expects to keep growing the number of its employees at the same pace in 2019.

Turkey plans to send a fourth ship to waters off Cyprus to search for gas and oil despite European Union moves to curb contacts and funding for Ankara over the issue, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday. “The decisions will not affect in the slightest our country’s determination to continue hydrocarbon activities in the Eastern Mediterranean,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said. The dispute stems from overlapping claims to regional waters by Turkey and Cyprus linked to the split of the island between Greek and Turkish Cypriots. Ankara rejects agreements the internationally recognized Cypriot government has reached with other Mediterranean states on maritime economic zones. Turkey has told energy firms not to work with the Cypriot government and sent ships to drill off the island, divided since a Turkish invasion in 1974 triggered by a Greek-inspired coup.

JPMorgan Chase & Co reported a 16% rise in quarterly profit as higher net interest income and a tax gain more than made up for lower activity at the bank’s trading desks. Net income at the largest U.S. bank rose to $9.65 billion, or $2.82 per share, from $8.32 billion, or $2.29 per share a year earlier. Net revenue rose 4% to $29.57 billion. Analysts were expecting earnings of $2.50 per share and revenue of $28.90 billion, according to IBES estimate from Refinitiv. It was not immediately clear if the reported numbers were comparable with the estimate. JPMorgan’s results are closely watched by investors looking to gauge the health of the U.S. economy. Goldman Sachs Group Inc and Wells Fargo & Co will report quarterly results later in the day.

Malaysia will lodge a complaint with the World Trade Organization over the European Union's plan to phase out the use of palm oil in biofuels, a minister said Tuesday. The Southeast Asian country is the world's second biggest palm oil producer after Indonesia and would be hit hard by the EU's plan to cut its use in biofuels by 2030. "Malaysia will file a WTO complaint... hopefully by November," Teresa Kok, the minister responsible for the edible vegetable oil, told AFP. She said the attorney-general's office was working on the complaint and Malaysia hoped to cooperate with Indonesia in the case. Palm oil is a major ingredient in a wide range of products from food to cosmetics but it has long been controversial as environmentalists say it drives deforestation, with huge swathes of rainforest logged in recent decades to make way for plantations. Its use in food and cosmetics has already dropped in Europe, partly due to pressure from green groups on major corporations, but has been increasing in biofuels.