EUROCHAMBRES is the Association of European Chambers of Commerce and Industry. The association is one of the largest business representative organisation in Brussels, representing over 20 million companies through its network of 2000 Chambers of Commerce and Industry. About 93% of these enterprises are SMEs, of which 56% are small (1-49 employees) and 37% are medium sized (50-249 employees). Over 92% of them are based in the EU27
EUROCHAMBRES' direct members are national associations of Chambers of Commerce based in the 27 EU countries, EFTA 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.
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 45 national associations plus two transnational organisations of Chambers from an enlarged Europe.
In 2008, EUROCHAMBRES organised the first "European Parliament of Enterprises" that gathered some 774 Eurpopean businesses of all sizes and from all sectors in the European Parliament hemicycle in Brussels. The opening session was led by Hans-Gert Pöttering, President of the European Parliament, José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, Hervé Novelli, French Minister of State for Business, Trade, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, Tourism and Services and Pierre Simon, then President of EUROCHAMBRES. Three sessions of debates and votes followed, each in the presence of an MEP and a European Commissioner.
French Presidency of the EU (14/10/2008) - The first European Parliament of Enterprises [1].
Norway mission to the EU (29/09/2005) - EC President Barroso spoke to Eurochambres Congress in Stavanger [2]
The CCI system in Europe (March 2009)[3]
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