ECACC Future Direction

1
ECACC Future Direction

• ECACC Board Meeting
• Kiev 26 September 2005

2
Goal Of This Extended Board Meeting

• Brief review of perceived/presented mission of
  ECACC
• Very brief history of ECACC Strategy development
• Presenting options of ECACC future focus
• Choose one option based on voting
• Voted option will define a scope of the mandate
  of the Executive Committee
• The voting is not IREVERSIBLE! The Board can
  change the decision in any future Board meeting.

3
ECACC By Laws

• Purpose of the Council shall be
• To promote economic relations between (i)
  countries of Council members and
  (ii) intergovernmental organizations based in
  Europe and the United States and countries of
  Council members
• To further, represent and voice the views and
  common interests of Council members through
  cooperation, coordination and/or joint action
• To further relationships between (i) Council
  members and (ii) Council members and other
  organizations, e.g., the United States Chamber of
  Commerce and
• To advocate trade and investment between the
  countries of Council members and the United
  States through the promotion of free trade, free
  markets, and free enterprise.

4
ECACC Website

• Objectives of ECACC and What does it do
• Promotes commercial, financial and industrial
  relations between the United States and European
  countries
• Presents the views of the business community
  operating in the areas of the member Chambers to
  agencies and organizations in the Unites States
  
• Represents, when appropriate, the views and aims
  of the member's interests to representatives of
  host country governments and other regional
  intergovernmental organization.
• From its inception, the ECACC has been the voice
  of international business in Europe. It is
  recognized both in Europe and the United States
  as an influential opinion-forming body actively
  engaged in fostering better trade and investment
  relations between its host countries and the
  United States.
• This wide geographical spread, combined with the
  varying needs of different countries, produces a
  wide variation in structures and priorities in
  the American Chambers. This has led to a
  particular focus on the importance of the
  exchange of information and management
  techniques. The combined weight of this large and
  dynamic business constituency can also be used to
  emphasize and support policy issues of
  transatlantic concern.

5
ECACC Board Meeting Berlin October 2005
6
ECACC Strategy Document (2004/5)

• Who are We?
• ECACC is essentially an umbrella organization for
  the activities and ambitions of its member
  chambers.
• To act as a conduit so that the diverse strengths
  and experiences of national chambers can be
  exchanged to strengthen both individual members,
  but also the image and influence of AmChams in
  Europe.
• Board has approved the definition of the role of
  ECACC in the mission statement below.
• Forumon Issues (This element of the Chamber
  mission would be the original purpose for which
  ECACC was founded)
• It is proposed that ECACC becomes a voluntary
  forum of those Chambers which want to work with
  our Brussels and Washington affiliates to
  represent national chamber interests.

ECACC is a network of American Chambers of
Commerce across the wider Europe for the
exchange of best practices, mutual member company
benefits, and a forum for discussion, debate,
and where necessary, representation on issues
relevant to the European business environment.
7
ECACC Presidents Letter 2005

• ECACC offers members the opportunity to
  participate in resolving pan-European business
  issues
• ECACC is constructed to give national AmChams,
  and their members, a voice in shaping and
  implementing European legislation
• ECACC is the natural voice of US business opinion
  in Europe, and our local network of contacts in
  each country make us an invaluable source of
  information and solutions to policymakers in
  Brussels and Washington.

8
Policy Activities ECACC Strategy Document Kiev
2005

• Based on two-year process and 2005 board
  discussions in Berlin and Washington, D.C
• The new strategy follows the outlines of the
  Presidents Letter, with three key elements
• best practices and internal exchanges,
• cross-border services and networking, and
• pan-European and transatlantic lobbying on 3-5
  selected policy issues.
• The Details of the new strategy will be developed
  further by the EC.
• The strategy should also be addressed to the top
  100 US companies in Europe and should demonstrate
  pan-European support jointly with AmCham EU on
  common issues.
• We will also highlight certain identified policy
  issues in a monthly newsletter and recommend
  national action.

9
International ActivitiesProposal To Expand The
Strategy 2005

• Proposed by some ECACC Chamber members
• ECACC to support and organize a bi-annual
  pan-European American Chambers event related to
  Europe-USA trade and political issues
• This event should be the culmination of all joint
  efforts by all AmChams leaving a surplus to ECACC
• It has to be profitable with high visibility
• It should bring clear value to all AmChams

10
Voting On Three Options A, B, and C

• Voting rules
• Present 3 Options of ECACC Future Direction
• Short discussion
• Pick only ONE preferred option A or B or C
• Voting for options one at a time
• Selected option will define the future ECACC
  Direction
• If we do not carry out the vote today Option A
  wins by default, driving future activities of the
  Executive Committee!

11
Option A (Default)

• ECACC will have one main mission
• Mostly internally focused
• Support in setting up new Chambers
• Provide an efficient platform and organize
  regular meetings on best-practices
• Provide support for services not easily
  accessible for individual Chambers (e.g.
  training, CRM, access to EU and US governments,
  etc)
• Executive Committee will carry out this mission
  unless directed otherwise by the Board
• ECACC will only be active externally by exception
  to be decided by the Board

12
Option B

• ECACC mission will have two main components
• Internally focused as described in Option A
• Externally focused on a limited number of
  international issues/initiatives of importance to
  the members of the AmChams in ECACC
• Steered by the duly elected Executive Committee
• Issues coined/proposed by
• Executive Committee
• Individual Board Members
• Executive Committee will inform the Board of new
  defined issues on regular basis
• Board members can object to pursuing the issue
  within 7 days
• If there are not 5 or more objections within 7
  days the Executive Committee will feel free to
  proceed with the proposed issue/initiative
• Means of engaging in external activities will
  include publications, press conferences, public
  meetings, private meetings with decision makers,
  etc.
• Initial budget for the Year 1 will not exceed 15k
  Euro

13
Option C

• ECACC mission will have three main components
• Internally focused as described in Option A
• Externally focused as described in Option B
• Externally focused on organizing international
  events
• ECACC to support and organize a bi-annual
  pan-European American Chambers event (e.g. trade
  mission international conference) related to
  Europe-USA trade and political issues
• This event will represent culmination of joint
  efforts by all AmChams
• It has to be profitable (break even) with high
  visibility leaving surplus to ECACC
• It should bring clear value to all AmChams
• Form a Event Committee that along with Executive
  Committee will define the event plan financials
  to the Board for the approval