Hellenic-Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry

A short acquaintance with the Chamber's objectives and activities.

The Companies - Members of the Chamber
Concise profiles and links.

The Board of Administration

Organisations supporting Romania's image worldwide, contributing at the same time to the improvement of the investment environment.

The most important events organised from the year 2000 up to now.

Selected links for accurate and more detailed information.

The Hellenic Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry is a non-profit Association of persons founded in 1999, initially with the name HELLENIC ROMANIAN BUSINESS COUNCIL, and operating unceasingly since January 1st, 2000.

The title of "Chamber" was granted by the Presidential Decree nr. 41, issued on February 22nd, 2007 and published on the Official Gazette of February 28th 2008, nr. 48.

The Chamber's objectives encompass the development and reinforcement of the entrepreneurial and economic ties in general between Greece and Romania, by fostering cooperation among both countries' economic players, as well as by promoting the investment activities, while in parallel attaching great importance to the promotion of a spirit of solidarity between the two countries in wide ranging fields of their social life.

The Chamber, in order to achieve those goals, is actively involved in a wide range of activities, which stretch from the collection and management of statistical data regarding the economic and market situation of the two countries, the organisation of events with economic content, such as congresses, seminars, as well as events which promote friendship and harmonious coexistence of the two peoples. Furthermore, particular attention is paid to the intensification of the cooperation with bodies, foundations, Chambers and other authorities having the same or similar aspirations, or working with the aim to enhance the entrepreneurial connections between Greece and Romania, a first step in that direction being the Chamber's Cooperation Agreement with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Bucharest.

Its members, a list of whom is provided in the members' page, are companies with a leading presence in the Greek market, as well as with an intense investment activity in Romania. The members in question account for 80% of the Greek invested capital in Romania, which exceeds the amount of 3.5 billion euro.

ACTIVITIES

Since its establishment as Hellenic-Romanian Business Council, it started making a series of contacts with government officials of the two countries, as well as with economic players, which resulted in a close and fruitful cooperation that enables the Chamber to promote the Greek investment activity in Romania, to contribute to the resolution of the problems its members encounter within their activity in the country, but also in general to contribute to the shaping of a new entrepreneurial environment which emerges from the accession process of Romania to the European Union and the reforms arising therefrom.

Therefore, the Chamber attaches considerable importance to its constructive cooperation with the Romanian authorities.

Within that cooperation, the Chamber has contributed to the successful outcome of the bilateral economic relations, organising meetings with distinguished Greek entrepreneurs - members of the Chamber during the state visit of the then President of Romania Ion Iliescu in Athens, in November 2001 (event presentation - photo album), during his visit in February 2003, (event presentation - photo album) when a luncheon was organised with the then Minister of Economy and Finance Mihai Nicolae Tanasescu while at the same time having organised jointly with the Romanian Embassy in Athens a business forum on the occasion of the visit of the then Prime Minister Adrian Nastase in January 2003 (event presentation - photo album).

During the year 2005 two meetings on the highest level took place, the first one on February 2005 with the Counselor of the President of Romania Mr Theodor Stolojan in the presence of the Greek Ambassador in Bucharest and the second one on June 2005 with the Prime Minister Mr.Calin Popescu Tariceanu. (event presentation - photo album) On both meetings the representatives of the companies-members of the Chamber focused on the strengthening of the Greek investment activities in Romania as well as on the further reinforcement of the bilateral economic relations.

The Chamber, besides its contacts with state officials, has inaugurated a round of regular contacts with the Foreign Investors' Council of Romania, exchanging views on how to improve the business environment in the country and has carried out informative meetings also with the Board of Directors of the Romanian Agency for Foreign Investments, aiming at promoting the Greek investment initiatives in the country.

Simultaneously, the Chamber is in regular contact and cooperation with the Romanian Embassy in Athens and the Greek Embassy in Bucharest, as well as with the Commercial Attaches of both countries, with a view to timely and validly exchange information and coordinate joint activities which promote the bilateral economic connections.

Moreover, the Chamber pays great attention to the cooperation with the Greek authorities in its endeavour to actively support the intensification of Greek investment activity in Romania.

Therefore, it has participated in all the visits of Greek officials in Romania, starting from the then Prime Minister Simitis' visit in Bucharest in February 2002, as well as the visit of the President of the Hellenic Republic Karolos Papoulias in February 2007.

The cooperation with the Vice-ministers of Foreign Affairs in charge of economic cooperation and the implementation of the Hellenic Plan for the Economic Reconstruction of the Balkans ( HIPERB) has been also particularly constructive.

In its unflagging efforts to encourage as effectively as possible its aspirations and its members' activities, the Chamber has inaugurated the cooperation with the FORUM INVEST ROMANIA, an entity which promotes the Romanian economy and its investment prospects at the international level, organising congresses and other similar events.

That cooperation started in June 2000 with the joint organisation and sponsorship to the Hellenic-Romanian Economic Forum within the Hellenic-Romanian Economic Week in Athens. That event, which brought together a high number of economic players and enterprises in combination with the high level of the Romanian delegation, proved once again the upward trend of the bilateral relations, but also the dynamism of the Greek investment presence in the country.

Subsequently, the Chamber extended the efforts to promote its members within the single European space, by participating in the FORUM INVEST ROMANIA events in many European cities.

In parallel, it has organised additional Hellenic-Romanian economic fora in 2002, 2005 and 2007 in Athens, which saw a great participation of entrepreneurs and companies' executives both from the two countries and from companies with an international presence and activity in Southeast Europe, while high state officials of both governments, officials from state companies and bodies, as well as representatives of European and international organisations were among the speakers.

A very significant event in April 2001 was the seminar entitled "The experiences Greece gained out of the Accession to the European Union and their utilization by Romania" in Bucharest, organised by the Council in cooperation with the Ministry of Economy and Finance and with the support of the Romanian Ministry for the Accession to the European Union and the Commission for the Accession to the European Union of the Romanian Parliament. That seminar, which was widely covered by the media, included speeches by representatives of the political and economic world, as well as by distinguished scientists and was attended by members of the Romanian government, officials from state bodies and representatives of the most outstanding economic sectors.

During the seminar, issues concerning all aspects of the country's accession to the European Union were addressed and the Greek experience out of that process was put forward in addition to the steps that Romania should undertake for the most rapid and comprehensive adoption of the acquis communautaire.

Its successful outcome is given by the fact that further cooperation gained momentum through the organisation of bilateral working meetings among experts from the two countries having as their final aim to enable Romania to use to the utmost the Greek experience obtained by the accession process to the European Union.

As part of its endeavours to promote bilateral relations, it contributed to the organisation of the Symposium entitled "Traditions and Present status of the Hellenic-Romanian Bilateral Relations in the European and Euro-Atlantic prospect" by the Romanian Embassy in Athens and the Institute for Balkan Studies. That Symposium, attended by politicians, academics, researchers, as well as by representatives of the economic world, was an opportunity to ascertain once again the high level of relations between the two countries in all fields and in all eras of their parallel history.

The Chamber cooperates closely also with the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises, with whom it has jointly organised events stirring the Greek enterprises' interest, such as the organisation of a meeting between representatives of Greek companies and the General Manager of the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Romania Mircea Toader in Athens in February 2007. The meeting was carried out on the occasion of the full accession of the country to the European Union and the creation of new data and opportunities for the Greek companies that operate in Romania.

Moreover, a meeting took place in June 2007 between representatives of the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises and the Chamber and a delegation from the Romanian Senate under President Nicolae Vacaroiu in the course of the Romanian Senators' visit in Athens. That meeting allowed an exchange of opinions on numerous issues that the Greek investors are called upon to address, opening up new channels of cooperation with the Romanian authorities.

On 19/3/2008, the first enlarged Ordinary General Assembly of the Chamber took place and it comprised the election of the new nine-member Board of Administration with a three-year mandate by universal suffrage according to its Statute.

As regards its members' information which is of particular importance, the Chamber has proceeded to the regular issue of a Newsletter addressed to its members and containing a survey of the Romanian Press, as well as all kinds of information regarding the economic reality in Romania and the bilateral relations. Moreover, in 2003, the Chamber created a website, which apart from supplying valid and timely updates on the current affairs in the country, provides the members with an additional instrument to promote their activities.

The website's address is: http//www.hrcci.eu

In April 200 8 , during the visit to Bucharest by George Alogoskoufis, the Greek Minister of Economy and Finance an official dinner was organised in his honour, enabling the Greek delegation to meet and exchange views with the representatives of companies - members of the Chamber on the issues the Greek entrepreneurial community is interested in.

The Hellenic Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry is already planning the arrangement of additional events, to promote to an even greater extent the economic cooperation of the two countries, consolidating thus the spirit of friendship and solidarity between the two peoples.