Eurochambres
Eurochambres is the Association of European Chambers of Commerce and Industry. The association is one of the largest business representative organisations in Brussels, representing over 20 million businesses in Europe through 45 members (43 national associations of chambers of commerce and industry and 2 transnational chamber organisations) and a European network of 1,700 regional and local chambers. More than 93% of these businesses are small and medium sized enterprises. Chambers’ member businesses employ over 120 million.
Established in 1958 as a direct response to the creation of the European Economic Community. Eurochambres acts as the eyes, ears and voice of the Chambers and business community.
Eurochambres’ vision is an integrated, globally competitive Europe, where businesses can prosper and drive socio-economic progress. Chambers have an active role to play in the pursuit of this vision. Reflecting this, Eurochambres strives to represent the chamber network and their member companies towards the EU institutions, to identify relevant joint activities and capacity building across the European chamber network.
History
Eurochambres was founded 28 February 1958 as the "Conférence Permanente des Chambres de Commerce et d’Industrie de la CEE" by six members with the mission to promote the views of chamber organisations on the unification of national legislation at the European level and to form opinions regarding the modifications to be made to commercial legislation. An important objective of the Conférence was also to bring closer competences in order to provide an example of the European cooperation of the highest quality level. The Conférence Permanente held its first assembly in Strasbourg on 28 February 1958. Initial members were national association of Chambers of Commerce and Industry from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and Netherlands. The year 1961 saw the creation of the first technical committees and 4 new members joined. A permanent Secretariat was created in 1977 (before the various countries assumed the role in turns).
Eurochambres was registered as an international non-profit organisation in Belgium (AISBL - Association internationale à but non lucratif) in 1977. The network expanded progressively to national associations and transnational organisations of chambers from an enlarged Europe. One of Eurochambres’ most prominent activities is the European Parliament of Enterprises, which is organised in coordination with the European Parliament. The first edition took place in 2008 and gathered some 774 European businesses of all sizes and from all sectors in the European Parliament hemicycle in Brussels. Further editions of the event were also organised in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018.
Current leadership
Information from official website[1].
- Vladimír Dlouhý (President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Czech Republic) - Eurochambres President
- Ian Talbot (CEO of Chambers Ireland) - Deputy President
- Stephan Müchler (President of the Chamber of Czech Republic) - Deputy President
- Marta Schultz (Vice President of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber) - Vice-President
- Alain Di Crescenzo (President of CCI France) - Vice-President
- Sibylle Thierer (Vice-President of IHK Nordschwarzwald) Vice-President
- Michl Ebner (President of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Crafts and Agriculture of Bolzano, Italy) - Vice President
- Marek Kloczko (President of the Polish Chamber of Commerce) - Vice President
- Jose Luis Bonet Ferrer (President of Spanish Chamber of Commerce) - Vice President
- Rifat Hisarciklioğlu (President of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye) - Vice-President
- Ben Butters - CEO
Members
| Country | Name of organisation | Status | Date of affiliation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andorra | The Andorra Chamber of Commerce | Correspondent member | |
| Austria | Austrian Federal Economic Chamber | Full member | 22 November 1966 |
| Azerbaijan | Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Azerbaijan Republic | Affiliated member | 20 May 2005 |
| Belarus | Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry | Affiliated member | 10 October 2002 |
| Belgium | Federation of Belgian Chambers of Commerce | Full member | 28 February 1958 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Foreign Trade Chamber of Bosnia and Herzegovina | Affiliated member | 19 October 2001 |
| Bulgaria | Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry | Full member | 3 October 1994 |
| Croatia | Croatian Chamber of Economy | Full member | 13 April 2000 |
| Cyprus | Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry | Full member | 10 May 1974 |
| Czech Republic | Czech Chamber of Commerce | Full member | 3 October 1994 |
| Estonia | Estonian Chamber of Commerce and Industry | Full member | 7 October 1993 |
| Finland | Finland Chamber of Commerce | Full member | 9 April 1987 |
| France | Chambre de commerce et d'industrie de France - CCI France | Full member | 28 February 1958 |
| Georgia | Georgian Chamber of Commerce and Industry | Affiliated member | 20 October 2004 |
| Germany | Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce | Full member | 28 February 1958 |
| Greece | Union of Hellenic Chambers of Commerce and Industry | Full member | 30 August 1961 |
| Hungary | Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and industry | Full member | 20 April 1990 |
| Ireland | Chambers Ireland | Full member | 30 August 1961 |
| Israel | Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce | Correspondent member | 28 April 1967 |
| Italy | Association of Italian Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Craft and Agriculture | Full member | 28 February 1958 |
| Kosovo | Kosova Chamber of Commerce | Affiliated member | 16 October 2015 |
| Latvia | Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry | Full member | 7 October 1993 |
| Lithuania | Association of Lithuanian Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Crafts | Full member | 7 October 1993 |
| Luxembourg | Chamber of Commerce of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg | Full member | 28 February 1958 |
| Macedonia | Economic Chamber of Macedonia | Affiliated member | 22 May 2003 |
| Malta | Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry | Full member | 5 October 1989 |
| Moldova | Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Moldova | Full member | 10 October 2002 |
| Montenegro | Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Montenegro | Affiliated member | 12 October 2006 |
| Netherlands | Netherlands Chamber of Commerce | Full member | 28 February 1958 |
| Norway | Federation of Norwegian Commercial and Service Enterprises | Affiliated member | 1 December 1967 |
| Poland | Polish Chamber of Commerce | Full member | 17 October 1991 |
| Portugal | Portuguese Chamber of Commerce and Industry | Full member | 28 November 1980 |
| Romania | Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania | Full member | 7 October 1993 |
| Russia | Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation | Correspondent member | 23 April 1993 |
| Serbia | Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia | Affiliated member | 19 October 2001 |
| Slovakia | Slovak Chamber of Commerce and Industry | Full member | 7 October 1993 |
| Slovenia | Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia | Full member | 8 December 1992 |
| Spain | Spanish Chamber of Commerce | Full member | 1 December 1967 |
| Sweden | Association of Swedish Chambers of Commerce and Industry | Full member | 1 December 1967 |
| Switzerland | Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Switzerland | Affiliated member | 10 May 1974 |
| TÜrkiye | Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye | Affiliated member | 17 June 1966 |
| Ukraine | Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry | Affiliated member | 10 October 2002 |
| (AIC Forum) | Forum of the Adriatic and Ionian Chambers of Commerce | Correspondent member | 15 October 2010 |
| (INSULEUR) | Network of Insular Chambers of Commerce and Industry of the EU | Correspondent member | 4 October 2006 |
The headquarters of Eurochambres is based in Brussels, Belgium.
External links
- "Eurochambres". Eurochambres Presidency. Retrieved 21 April 2023.