The Directors, the Chamber’s team and I are pleased to offer you the 2006 edition of the FBBCI Agenda.

The end of the year is the time when we review the events of the past twelve months and look forward to the many challenges and opportunities that await us in 2006.

The overall “bilan” for 2005 is very promising. The Chamber is in a dynamic mode; we have attracted new Members, made further progress in developing the Chamber’s information services and established a focused programme of events for our Members, all of which has increased the profile of the Chamber on the French stage.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank our Members for their continued interest in our working breakfasts on a wide variety of themes concerning the UK and France. I also extend my gratitude to the Executive Forum for the sports and drinks events dedicated to them.

In 2005, we launched a new business event “The British Week in Paris” which exposed the presence of over 20 British shops in town to those resident and working in Paris. Over 15,000 visitors were able to sample and appreciate the best of British products and services, across a broad range of business sectors, which included tours around the city on a double-decker bus!

The week was concluded with an economic round table, at which Sir John Holmes and leading businessmen operating in both France and Britain, gave their views on “France/Grande-Bretagne : deux modèles de réussite?”

We have also launched a new event on Women’s Day, dedicated to the role of women in business and political society.

Such events have certainly contributed to increase the profile of the Chamber and its Members.

Similarly, we continue to be involved in Community events such as the Charity evenings for the “Fondation pour l’Enfance” and “Hopes and Homes”.

We have revived our regional presence in partnership with local French agencies and regional Chambers of Commerce, particularly in Brittany, Normandy and the Périgord.

In planning the Chamber’s future, we will keep firmly in mind our primary objectives of supporting the development of Franco-British trade and business relationships and assisting our Members in promoting and developing their business interests by offering them a network of expertise through numerous business contacts. At all times, we must ensure that our activities are relevant to the achievement of these objectives and that we focus our resources to these ends, providing value for money to our Members.

For this we rely on our Members but also on the continued support of the British Embassy, to whom I would extend our grateful thanks and appreciation.

[12/01/2006]