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	COBCOE’s objective is to protect and promote the collective interests of its members and their members, in multilateral cooperation, trade stimulation and united representation. Founded in 1973, COBCOE, the Council of British Chambers of Commerce in Continental Europe, is a non-profit making non-party political organisation, representing through its members, over 8,000 businesses in Europe, all with an interest in trading with Britain. These businesses represent companies from every sector and together provide the Executive Steering Committee of COBCOE with creditable influence and effective power in approaching British Trade Organisations, such as the CBI, BCC and IOD, as well as the British Government. Close contact is maintained with UK Trade & Investment and at the beginning of 2003, a Memorandum of Understanding was drawn up. This is a ‘road map’ for a working cooperation between UK Trade & Investment, British Embassies and the British Chambers of Commerce. The overall aim of each Chamber is to enhance British business in their specific countries and the aims of COBCOE are: - To present the collective interests of its members in the UK and EU to all official and private bodies who are themselves concerned with the furtherance of trade and business - To make known to such bodies the views of COBCOE members on all subjects of common interest and to make such representations to these bodies as may be necessary to further the interests of the members of COBCOE - To act as a focus point for meetings of COBCOE members’ officers - To increase the awareness of COBCOE to trade promotion bodies in the United Kingdom and the EU - To promote, advance and protect trading, commercial, financial and manufacturing interests and relations between COBCOE members and the United Kingdom To help attain these aims and objectives COBCOE has developed a number of initiatives. Some of these have been amazingly successful and have assisted the members of COBCOE to develop and maintain their own operations. Examples follow. For all COBCOE members there is the ‘Discount Scheme’, which can be accessed and seen on the web at www.cobcoe.org.uk. For networking to members, COBCOE suggested the idea of a weekly Newsletter. The Franco-British Chamber of Commerce & Industry actively took this on board and a weekly Newsletter is e-mailed to its members. The British Chamber of Commerce in Belgium publishes a weekly e-mail EU Digest. For advice and assistance, COBCOE have an Information Office in Britain for establishing commercial connections, finding business contacts and evaluating trading conditions. This facility has been running for a number of years and enables Chambers to develop their information and marketing services. The Information Office also provides a sounding board or an extra pair of hands. If a Chamber or a member requires information on Britain, then the Information Office is there to advise. COBCOE have initiated the sponsored exchange visit programme, which enables the managers of Chambers to learn about the activities of other Chambers. This is carried through to planning events with fellow COBCOE Chambers and accessing speakers of mutual interest. As mentioned above, the Steering Committee of COBCOE is active in promoting the name of COBCOE to trade bodies. Regular contact is maintained with BCC, IOD, CBI and UK Trade & Investment. The Memorandum of Understanding as mentioned above will provide a closer working relationship between the British Embassy, UK Trade & Investment and the Chambers. Details can be seen on www.cobcoe.org.uk The COBCOE web-site enables business interested in Europe to access Chambers in their country of interest. The web-site is linked to many British trade organisations and also gives members of each Chamber with an entry point to another country. As a result of the above and with the support from the British Chambers in Europe, COBCOE is a strong and active organisation. Membership nationalities provide a broad base, but all actively use English and have the goal of increasing British trade. COBCOE is one of the most important organisations representing British business in Europe. At the moment there are 22 British Chambers as members representing businesses in Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, the Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey. Aspiring members are based in Austria, Albania, Bulgaria, Estonia and Finland. Details of the COBCOE Chambers can be found on www.cobcoe.org.uk

COBCOE’s objective is to protect and promote the collective interests of its members and their members, in multilateral cooperation, trade stimulation and united representation.

Founded in 1973, COBCOE, the Council of British Chambers of Commerce in Continental Europe, is a non-profit making non-party political organisation, representing through its members, over 8,000 businesses in Europe, all with an interest in trading with Britain.

These businesses represent companies from every sector and together provide the Executive Steering Committee of COBCOE with creditable influence and effective power in approaching British Trade Organisations, such as the CBI, BCC and IOD, as well as the British Government. Close contact is maintained with UK Trade & Investment and at the beginning of 2003, a Memorandum of Understanding was drawn up. This is a ‘road map’ for a working cooperation between UK Trade & Investment, British Embassies and the British Chambers of Commerce.

The overall aim of each Chamber is to enhance British business in their specific countries and the aims of COBCOE are:

- To present the collective interests of its members in the UK and EU to all official and private bodies who are themselves concerned with the furtherance of trade and business

- To make known to such bodies the views of COBCOE members on all subjects of common interest and to make such representations to these bodies as may be necessary to further the interests of the members of COBCOE

- To act as a focus point for meetings of COBCOE members’ officers

- To increase the awareness of COBCOE to trade promotion bodies in the United Kingdom and the EU

- To promote, advance and protect trading, commercial, financial and manufacturing interests and relations between COBCOE members and the United Kingdom

To help attain these aims and objectives COBCOE has developed a number of initiatives. Some of these have been amazingly successful and have assisted the members of COBCOE to develop and maintain their own operations. Examples follow.

For all COBCOE members there is the ‘Discount Scheme’, which can be accessed and seen on the web at www.cobcoe.org.uk.

For networking to members, COBCOE suggested the idea of a weekly Newsletter. The Franco-British Chamber of Commerce & Industry actively took this on board and a weekly Newsletter is e-mailed to its members. The British Chamber of Commerce in Belgium publishes a weekly e-mail EU Digest.

For advice and assistance, COBCOE have an Information Office in Britain for establishing commercial connections, finding business contacts and evaluating trading conditions. This facility has been running for a number of years and enables Chambers to develop their information and marketing services. The Information Office also provides a sounding board or an extra pair of hands. If a Chamber or a member requires information on Britain, then the Information Office is there to advise.

COBCOE have initiated the sponsored exchange visit programme, which enables the managers of Chambers to learn about the activities of other Chambers. This is carried through to planning events with fellow COBCOE Chambers and accessing speakers of mutual interest.

As mentioned above, the Steering Committee of COBCOE is active in promoting the name of COBCOE to trade bodies. Regular contact is maintained with BCC, IOD, CBI and UK Trade & Investment. The Memorandum of Understanding as mentioned above will provide a closer working relationship between the British Embassy, UK Trade & Investment and the Chambers. Details can be seen on www.cobcoe.org.uk

The COBCOE web-site enables business interested in Europe to access Chambers in their country of interest. The web-site is linked to many British trade organisations and also gives members of each Chamber with an entry point to another country.

As a result of the above and with the support from the British Chambers in Europe, COBCOE is a strong and active organisation. Membership nationalities provide a broad base, but all actively use English and have the goal of increasing British trade. COBCOE is one of the most important organisations representing British business in Europe.

At the moment there are 22 British Chambers as members representing businesses in Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, the Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey. Aspiring members are based in Austria, Albania, Bulgaria, Estonia and Finland. Details of the COBCOE Chambers can be found on www.cobcoe.org.uk