Eurochambres

Eurochambres logo

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 companies 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.

Eurochambres' direct members are national associations of Chambers of Commerce based in 25 European Union countries, European Free Trade Association countries, and some Eastern European, Western Balkans and Mediterranean countries.

Eurochambres represents, serves and promotes European Chambers of Commerce and Industry through lobbying, development of projects and services to members.

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, the Association of European Chambers of Commerce and Industry was registered as an international non-profit organisation in Belgium (AISBL - Association internationale à but non lucratif) in 1977. The network expanded progressively to 43 national associations plus 2 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].

Luc Frieden, President of Eurochambres for 2022-2023

• Luc Frieden (Finance minister of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and current president of the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce) - President. Elected in October 2021.^[2]
• Vladimir Dlouhy (President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Czech Republic) - Deputy President
• Ian Talbot (CEO of Chambers Ireland) - Deputy President
• Stephan Müchler (President of the Chamber of Czech Republic) - Deputy President
• Marta Schultz (Vice President, Austrian Federal Economic Chamber) - Vice President
• Pierre Goguet (President of CCI France) - Vice President
• Wolfgang Grenke (Member of the Board of the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce – DIHK) - Vice President
• Michl Ebner (President of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Crafts and Agriculture of Bolzano, Italy) - Vice President
• Marek Kloczko (Vice President and Director General of the Polish Chamber of Commerce) - Vice President
• Jose Luis Bonet Ferrer (President of Spanish Chamber of Commerce) - Vice President
• Ben Butters - CEO

Members[]

Currently Eurochambres has 45 members, 43 of them being national chambers and 2 transnational chambers:

Its General Secretariat office is based in Brussels, Belgium.

See also[]

• Business association
• British Chambers of Commerce
• Lobbying
• Non-governmental organization
• Trade group
• Trade union
• United States Chamber of Commerce

External links[]