Eastern Committee - Eastern European Association of German Business
| Eastern Committee - Eastern European Association of German Business (OAOEV) |
|
|---|---|
| purpose | Foreign trade promotion |
| Chair: | Oliver Hermes |
| Executive Director: | Michael Harms, Ute Kochlowski-Kadjaia |
| Establishment date: | May 2018 |
| Number of members: | approx. 350 members |
| Number of employees: | approx. 30 |
| Seat : | Berlin |
| Website: | www.oaoev.de |
The Eastern Committee - Eastern European Association of German Business (OAOEV) is a German foreign trade association to promote economic relations between Germany and the states of Central and Eastern Europe , Southeast Europe , the South Caucasus and Central Asia .
The approximately 350 member companies include large companies such as BASF , Deutsche Bank , Deutsche Bahn , Linde , Siemens , Commerzbank and HeidelbergCement , but also family companies such as Knauf Gips , Kirchhoff Automotive and Wilo . The OAOEV is also supported by six leading associations of German business, including the Federal Association of German Industry BDI and the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry DIHK .
history
The association was created in May 2018 through the merger of the two predecessor associations, the Eastern Committee of the German Economy (founded in 1952) and the Eastern European Association of the German Economy (founded in 1989).
Eastern Committee of the German Economy
The Eastern Committee of the German Economy was the first regional initiative of the economy in the Federal Republic of Germany. The Eastern Committee was founded in 1952 at the suggestion of Federal Economics Minister Ludwig Erhard by leading economic associations such as the BDI, the DIHK and the BGA . The main task was to represent and support the West German economy in the Soviet Union and in the Comecon states controlled by it . Until the Asia-Pacific Committee (APA) was founded, the Eastern Committee was also responsible for China , Mongolia , Vietnam and North Korea . The first chairman of the Eastern Committee was Hans Reuter (1952–1955). He was replaced by Otto Wolff von Amerongen , who headed the Eastern Committee from 1955 to 2000. During the term of office of Wolff von Amerongen, the first trade agreements between the Federal Republic of Germany and Romania (1956), China (1957) and the Soviet Union (1958) and, from 1970, the natural gas pipe business with the Soviet Union fell. Wolff von Amerongens' successors were Klaus Mangold (2000-2010), Eckhard Cordes ( 2010-2015 ) and Wolfgang Büchele (2015-2018). Since the merger of the Eastern Committee with the Eastern European Association of German Business in May 2018, Büchele has been the first chairman of the joint regional initiative.
Eastern European Association of German Business
The Eastern European Association of German Business was founded on November 20, 1989 by West German merchants in Berlin and Hamburg. He took over the structures and members of the trade association as a predecessor organization. The trade association founded in Bremen in 1968 had set itself the task of making it easier for West German companies to exchange ideas with countries of the Council for Mutual Economic Aid. After the fall of the Berlin Wall , the Eastern European Association emerged from this organization in November 1989 under the leadership of the Berlin Commissioner for German Business, Henner Geldmacher and later President of the Treuhandanstalt Detlev Rohwedder .
The association later renamed itself to the Eastern and Central Europe Association (OMV) until it returned to its first name in 2014.
tasks
The Eastern Committee - Eastern European Association of German Business (OAOEV) is the regional initiative of German business for 29 countries in Central and Eastern Europe , Southeastern Europe , the South Caucasus and Central Asia . The OAOEV is available to its member companies to support projects, arrange contacts and answer questions about market entry. The association is financed through membership fees and is politically independent, but cooperates very closely with the federal government and is in regular exchange with the governments of its 29 partner countries. Its economic policy goals include the dismantling of trade, investment and visa barriers, the promotion of legal security and compliance, transparent tendering conditions, the general improvement of the working conditions of German companies in the partner countries and the creation of a common economic area. The association also strives for a practical exchange of experience among its member companies. The association represents the interests of the German economy in numerous bilateral working groups, organizes delegation trips and conferences. The association's committees include 7 working groups on countries and regions (Belarus, Central Eastern Europe, Russia, South Caucasus, Southeast Europe, Ukraine and Central Asia) as well as five working groups on industries (agriculture, digitization, healthcare, logistics / transport infrastructure, urban infrastructure / energy efficiency).
The association issues publications regularly (monthly: newsletter; bimonthly: "Eastern Europe Information"; annually: "Central Eastern Europe Yearbook"). He also conducts conferences, seminars and business trips. In addition to smaller events, three large member events are organized every year: New Year's reception (January / February), annual event with general meeting (summer), Eastern European Business Day (autumn). In addition to the members, the guests at the events also included members of the Federal Government and the German Bundestag, as well as presidents, prime ministers, ministers and ambassadors of the host countries.
organization
The non-profit association operates an office in Berlin and has a branch in Hamburg. The direction of the association's activities is determined by the board of directors and the presidium and by the general assembly. Wolfgang Büchele has been honorary chairman of the nine-person board since 2018. According to the statutes, the treasurer is the respective BDI general manager. The executive board is supported by a presidium consisting of around 30 representatives from important member companies. The full-time managing directors are Michael Harms (Chairman of the Management Board) and Ute Kochlowski-Kadjaia. The approximately 25 employees in the Berlin office at Gertraudenstrasse 20 are spread across a total of five regional directorates (Central Eastern Europe, Eastern Europe, Russia, South Eastern Europe and Central Asia), as well as departments for press and communication, event management and personnel. The office in Hamburg's Ferdinandstrasse 36, with one employee, is used in particular to support member companies in northern Germany and to take care of the content of logistics / transport infrastructure and the healthcare industry.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ https://www.oaoev.de/de/vorstand
- ↑ Member company of the OAOEV
- ↑ Sven Jüngerkes: diplomats of the economy. The history of the Eastern Committee of the German Economy . fiber, Osnabrück 2012, ISBN 978-3-938400-81-4 .
- ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from March 18, 2018 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Geldmacher, Henner: Die Chronik des Ost- und Mitteleuropa Verein eV 1989 to 1999 , in: Geldmacher / Busche (Ed.): Ost- und Mitteleuropa als Partner der deutschen Wirtschaft , Münster 1999, p. 233 ff.
- ↑ Change of name: OMV becomes Eastern European Association | owc.de. Retrieved April 3, 2019 .
- ↑ About us | Eastern Committee - Eastern European Association of German Business. Retrieved March 26, 2019 .
- ↑ Publications | Eastern Committee - Eastern European Association of German Business. Retrieved April 3, 2019 .
