The mission of the EcoLinks Trade and Investment program, which is run through a partnership with the Department of Commerce, is to enhance the flow of environmental trade and investment by fostering business links and partnerships between US environmental goods and service providers and businesses and municipalities in the region of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and Eurasia. EcoLinks seeks practical, market-based solutions to industrial and urban environmental problems in CEE and NIS. Environmental demands cut across the full spectrum of environmental challenges, from remediation, waste management, and pollution control to pollution prevention, cleaner production, production of environmentally friendly goods and services, etc. This program follows the Grants program of Ecolinks, which has been in operation in Bulgaria for over one year, and which has resulted in a number of matches between U.S. and Bulgarian companies for feasibility studies for future environmental projects.

Through USAID's Global Technology Network, an online network of US environmental companies and technology organizations, EcoLinks matches potential partners in the region with appropriate US technology and service providers. When promising business matches are identified, EcoLinks representatives is available to help facilitate meetings between potential US and in-country business partners and clients. EcoLinks has small travel grants (Quick Response Awards) that allow Bulgarian companies to travel to the US to meet their counterparts and reaffirm their partnerships. EcoLinks representatives also assist in mobilizing a full range of U.S. Government resources and services designed to address project-financing barriers.

EcoLinks also strengthens contacts between the US environmental business community and businesses, municipalities, and associations in the region through a partnership with the Environmental Export Council (EEC), a membership alliance of US environmental companies and organizations. Through EEC's partnership with EcoLinks, the Council is fostering closer channels of communication between the US environmental business community and counterparts in the region.

For more information please contact:

Ms. Stanislava Dimitrova
U.S. Commercial Service
1 Saborna St
1000 Sofia
Bulgaria
Phone: +359 2 963-2014/ 963-4062
Fax: +359 2 980-6850
E-Mail: stanislava.dimitrova@N0SPAM.mail.doc.gov
Website: http://www.ecolinks.org