Vorarlberg Chamber of Commerce

	Vorarlberg Chamber of Commerce (WKV)
	Information sign with the logo of the Vorarlberg Chamber of Commerce.
State level	Country level , country
position	Legal representation of interests
legal form	Public corporation
founding	1850 as the Vorarlberg Chamber of Commerce
Headquarters	Feldkirch , Wichnergasse 6
Website	wko.at

Building of the Vorarlberg Chamber of Commerce at Wichnerstrasse 6 in Feldkirch.

The Vorarlberg Chamber of Commerce (WKV) is a self-governing body in the form of a professional body ("Chamber") in the state of Vorarlberg in Austria and, as a regional chamber, is part of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce (WKÖ, formerly the Federal Chamber of Commerce ).

The WKV coordinates the activities of the legal interest groups for commercial businesses in Vorarlberg and is part of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce . Each of the nine Austrian federal states has its own Chamber of Commerce (Landeskammer), of which all commercially active businesspeople (with the exception of agriculture and the liberal professions, which have their own chambers) are members ( statutory membership ) due to the Chamber of Commerce Act .

The focus of the WKV's tasks is on helping to shape the economic framework. This is achieved through advocacy, advice, service and training for the entrepreneurs.

In addition to the representation of interests, important accompanying measures are e.g. B. in the areas of public relations and vocational training / specialist training as well as comprehensive information and support for members.

history

The “ Vorarlberg Chamber of Commerce ” (HKV) was founded in 1850 and is now the second oldest in Austria after the Vienna Chamber of Commerce (1849). The first president was elected on September 30, 1850 on the occasion of the constituent meeting in Bregenz, the Feldkirch factory owner Carl Ganahl (1807-1889), who during his 39 years activity for the Chamber of Commerce (until 1889, with interruptions 1852-1856, in which Christian Mother President was) this significantly shaped and participated in the economic progress for Vorarlberg. The seat of the Chamber of Commerce was moved to Feldkirch after it was founded in 1850 (at that time it was still in the building on the corner of Schmiedgasse and Schlossergasse).

The forerunner of this Chamber of Commerce was an association of Vorarlberg industrialists founded in 1849 (see also Austrian Trade Association ).

With the law of June 29, 1868, chambers of commerce and industry were established.

In 1869 the first national economic exhibition took place in Schwarzach with the participation of the Vorarlberg Chamber of Commerce . Another national economic exhibition took place in Bregenz in 1887 and in Dornbirn in 1900 .

Since the electoral reform of 1873, the Chambers of Commerce and Industry have elected members to the House of Representatives . The Chamber of Commerce and Industry for Vorarlberg in Feldkirch elected a member.

Surname	Electoral term	annotation
Rudolf Ganahl	V. LP (1873–1879)	sworn in on November 5, 1873, waiver of mandate announced at the meeting on October 22, 1878
Johann Georg Waibel	V. LP (1873–1879)	sworn in on December 10, 1878
Johann Georg Waibel	VI. LP (1879–1885)
Johann Georg Waibel	VII. LP (1885-1891)
Johann Drexel	X. LP (1901-1907)	died on October 11, 1905
Heinrich Hueter	X. LP (1901-1907)	sworn in for Johann Drexel on December 18, 1905

In 1912 a trade promotion institute was founded at the instigation of the Chamber of Commerce, which became the forerunner of the Economic Development Institute and was taken over by the Chamber of Commerce in 1951.

The law of February 25, 1920 stipulated for each federal state that a chamber for trade, commerce and industry was to be set up to replace the previous chambers of commerce and industry (Section 1 (2)). The tasks of the Vorarlberg Chamber of Commerce and the other previous chambers of commerce have been expanded considerably. The right to vote for the chamber was granted to all companies regardless of the tax payment. At the same time, the establishment of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce was created.

With the law of July 14, 1921, the chambers for workers and employees were put on an equal footing with the chambers for trade, commerce and industry .

In 1928 the Chamber of Commerce established an Embroidery Promotion Committee.

In the course of the authoritarian system of rule ( Austro-Fascism ) established in Austria from 1933 to 1938 , which was based on corporate and fascist ideas, the self-government of the WKV and the other regional chambers was also restricted and placed under strict state supervision. With the Chamber of Commerce Act of 1937, the WKV, like the other regional chambers, was transformed into a chamber for industry, commerce, trade, transport and finance, which was organized according to the corporate state (section 2 HKG 1937) and based on a " Christian, patriotic, social and professional spirit with the exclusion of any party political activity ”and had to subordinate the special interests of the estate to the common good ”.

In the course of the annexation of Austria to the Third Reich , the chambers of commerce were subordinated to a provisional director and the WKV was accepted into a district economic chamber of the Gaus Tirol-Vorarlberg and the previously severely restricted self-administration was eliminated. The organization followed the Reichsgauen spatially from 1939 to 1945. These Gau economic chambers were members of the Reich Economic Chamber .

With the law of May 25, 1945, regarding the transition of the Gau economic chambers into chambers for trade, commerce, industry, money and credit , the provisional state government in Austria restored the chambers to the status before the Anschluss in 1938 (§ 1), whereby the provisions of the law of February 25, 1920 on the chambers for trade, commerce and industry were to be applied mutatis mutandis until a new chamber law was passed. The self-government of the WKV and the other regional chambers was thus largely restored.

With the announcement of the Provisional State Government on October 3, 1945 about the repeal of the German legal provisions in the field of the organization of the commercial economy and the Chamber of Commerce Act (HKG), the WKV (at that time: Chambers of the Commercial Economy Vorarlberg) was given back full self-determination. In 1950 the first free elections were held by the members of the Chamber.

In 1991 the right to vote in the Chamber of Commerce elections was expanded by z. B. Introduction of preferential votes, membership, minority and control rights.

In 1993 the financing of the WKO was reorganized.

With the Economic Chamber Act 1998 (WKG), the Vorarlberg regional chamber, like the other regional chambers (chambers of commerce), was modernized and was given the designation "Economic Chamber" with an addition indicating its spatial area of activity (Section 8, Paragraph 1 WKG). This replaced the Chamber of Commerce Act.

In 2005, the Economic Parliament of the Austrian Economic Chamber decided on a new technical organization order, which was established in 2008 and implemented by 2010.

Legal basis

The legal basis of the chambers of commerce in Austria is the federal law on chambers of commerce . In addition, there are a large number of ordinances in accordance with Sections 21 and 22 of the Trade Regulations 1994 and statutes / ordinances (e.g. specialist organization regulations, rules of procedure, financial regulations, control committee regulations, division regulations, allocation regulations, economic chamber election regulations, qualification examination regulations, etc.), which are issued by all regional chambers and / or the WKÖ were drawn up and issued.

organization

Like the other regional chambers, the Vorarlberg Chamber of Commerce is divided into seven divisions (regional divisions):

Trade and craft
Industry
trade
Bank and insurance
Transport and traffic
Tourism and leisure industry
Information and Consulting

The Chamber of Commerce is subdivided into specialist groups (sometimes also called state guilds, state committees or specialist representatives, in the Austrian Chamber of Commerce "professional associations") in the area of the regional chambers according to § 1 Paragraphs 2 and 3 WKG , which in turn represent the interests of their members and the commercial economy and promote individual members through appropriate institutions and measures.

According to Section 3 (1) WKG, the regional chambers, the federal chamber, the specialist groups and the specialist associations each exist as separate bodies under public law and together form the organization of the Economic Chamber .

In the Austrian Economic Chamber and the regional chambers there are also interdisciplinary departments for political, organizational and service-oriented tasks.

Seat

The Vorarlberg Chamber of Commerce has its seat in Feldkirch. Today it is the only regional chamber of commercial economy in Austria that is not based in the state capital (the state capital in Vorarlberg is Bregenz ).

Effective range

Spatial sphere of activity

The spatial scope of each regional chamber and each specialist group extends to the relevant federal state (Section 6 (1) WKG). The regional chambers can also agree cooperation agreements for cross-border activities (Section 6 (3) WKG).

Organizational scope

Like the other regional chambers, the WKV has its own and delegated sphere of activity (Section 7 (1), Section 19 WKG). Instructions from state organs are excluded within the scope of the company's own sphere of activity, which is why the appeal to administrative organs outside the respective organizations is not permitted (Section 7 (2) WKG).

The competences of the assigned sphere of activity of the WKV and all regional chambers are those matters of state administration that have been assigned to the regional chambers by statutory provisions for procurement (Section 7 (3), Section 20 WKG).

Members

Active chamber members

Members of the economic chambers in the federal states and their specialist organizations are all physical and legal persons as well as other legal entities, companies in trade, craft, industry, mining, trade, money, credit and Insurance, traffic, news traffic, radio, tourism and the leisure industry as well as other services are legally independent or authorized to operate , regardless of whether they are operated with the intention of generating income or other economic benefit or not ( Section 2 (4) WKG).

Dormant chamber memberships

If a previous member of the specialist group reports that an authorization has been suspended in accordance with Section 93 of the  Trade Regulations and this member has no further active authorization in the same specialist group, this member is counted as "dormant". The number of active members and dormant memberships results in the total number of members in the WKV. The number of dormant memberships in relation to the total number of chamber memberships was 16.3% in 2013 (for comparison: 1980: 12.3%)

Section member

Every person who is officially authorized to practice his profession and who falls within the sphere of activity of a specialist group of the regional chamber becomes a member of the relevant specialist group. If a person has several authorizations who fall within the sphere of activity of different specialist groups, this person is counted as a member in each of the specialist groups in question. The total number of section members is therefore numerically higher than that of all section members.

Division members

Chamber members who have two or more authorizations in specialist groups of different branches are counted as branch members in each branch to which they belong. The total number of all division members is therefore numerically higher than that of the chamber members.

statistics

The development of membership in the Vorarlberg Chamber of Commerce (active chamber members and dormant memberships together) is as follows:

Development of the number of chamber members in the Vorarlberg Chamber of Commerce

10,690

11,872

14,064

18,612

19,754

20,283

20,393

20,352

20,440

21,443

21,956

22,430

23,025

23,538

24,098

1970

1980

1990

2000

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

Functionaries

Like the other chambers of commerce, the Vorarlberg Chamber of Commerce is represented by elected officials. These are elected by all active members in the Chamber of Commerce elections that take place every 5 years. Traditionally, the Wirtschaftsbund (ÖWB), a sub-organization of the ÖVP , has the most votes. The President of the Vorarlberg Chamber of Commerce was Manfred Rein until his unexpected death in April 2016. He was a member of the ÖVP.

There are also other parliamentary groups represented in all regional chambers, such as For example, the Social Democratic Business Association (SWV), which is closely related to the SPÖ , the Ring of Freedom Economic Drivers (RFW) and the Green Economy as well as the industrial list of the Austrian Federation of Industrialists . However, the mandate of the functionaries is to be carried out voluntarily , impartially and conscientiously in the interest of the Austrian economy for the entire period of office, without being bound by an order .

The elections take place on the basis of the general, equal and secret proportional representation . The elections to the individual specialist group committees and specialist representatives are made directly by the chamber members (so-called primary elections). All other elections indirectly (through already elected officials).

In September 2016, the hotelier Hans-Peter Metzler was elected as the new chairman of the Economic Association.

organs

Organs of the WKV, like all other regional chambers, are (§ 21 WKG):

the president,
the presidium,
the extended presidium,
the economic parliament

as well as in every branch

the division chairman,
the division presidium and
the thematic conference.

The officials are supported by the chamber employees. These chamber employees are headed by a director. The Chamber's employees prepare the decisions of the organs and implement their resolutions. The employer for all staff is the Austrian Chamber of Commerce (WKÖ).

President of the WKV since 1946

Josef Anton Ammann (February 8, 1946 - July 10, 1950)
Hans Ganahl (July 10, 1950 - June 14, 1965)
Richard Gassner (June 14, 1965 - June 16, 1975)
Guntram Hämmerle (June 16, 1975 - June 24, 1985)
Josef Bertsch (June 24, 1985 - June 13, 1995)
Kuno Riedmann (June 13, 1995 - December 11, 2008)
Manfred Rein (December 11, 2008 - April 2016)
Hans-Peter Metzler (since November 22, 2016)

financing

Like the other regional chambers, the WKV can finance itself through chamber levies (chamber levy 1 and 2), basic levies, special basic levies and fees for special services (§ 121 ff WKG), whereby the use of funds (management) is based on the principles of economy, economic efficiency and Expediency has to take place (§ 131 WKG).

At the WKV, as with the other corporations and legal entities under the WKG, management control is carried out by a control committee set up at the Federal Chamber (Section 135 (1) WKG). In addition, a finance committee can be set up for advice at each regional chamber, the members of which are appointed by the extended presidium of the respective regional chamber.

The Chamber of Commerce organizations are subject to control by the Court of Auditors .

At sight

As with the other regional chambers, the Vorarlberg Chamber of Commerce and the specialist organizations are supervised by the Federal Minister of Economics and Labor (Section 136 (1) WKG).

Web links

Official website

literature

Christoph Volaucnik, 140 years of HKV, initiative for Vorarlberg. Exhibition " 140 Years of the Vorarlberg Chamber of Commerce " by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Feldkirch, published by the Vorarlberg Economic Archives, Feldkirch 1990.
Vorarlberger Wirtschaftsarchiv (ed.), “ Quer- und Vordenker”, “On the 200th birthday of Carl Ganahl ”, Feldkirch 2007.

Individual evidence

↑ Comparison: In Germany there are currently 80 regional chambers of industry and commerce (IHK) with the umbrella organization of the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce ( DIHK ).
^ The Vienna Chamber of Commerce was constituted on January 15, 1849. Theodor Hornbostel was the first president.
↑ Vorarlberger Wirtschaftsarchiv (ed.), “ Quer- und Vordenker”, “On the 200th birthday of Carl Ganahl ”, Feldkirch 2007, p. 29.
↑ According to Christoph Volaucnik, 140 years HKV, initiative for Vorarlberg. Exhibition " 140 years Vorarlberg Chamber of Commerce " of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Feldkirch, published by the Vorarlberg Economic Archives, Feldkirch 1990, p. 1, the election of Ganahl as President of the Chamber of Commerce was not welcomed by the State Police (see also: Vorarlberger Wirtschaftsarchiv (ed. ), “ Lateral and forward thinkers”, “On the 200th birthday of Carl Ganahl ”, Feldkirch 2007, p. 31). From 1861 to 1885 he was also represented in the Vorarlberg state parliament. The Carl Ganahl family has so far provided six presidents of the Chamber of Commerce (Vorarlberger Wirtschaftsarchiv (ed.), “Quer- und Vordenker”, “On the 200th birthday of Carl Ganahl”, Feldkirch 2007, p. 8). 1891 to 1910 e.g. B. the son Rudolf and 1910 to 1917 Arnold.
↑ RGBl. 85/1868.
↑ Christoph Volaucnik, 140 years HKV, initiative for Vorarlberg. Exhibition " 140 Years of the Vorarlberg Chamber of Commerce " of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Feldkirch, published by the Vorarlberg Economic Archives, Feldkirch 1990, p. 6.
^ Law of April 2, 1873, Law Gazette for the Land of Austria p. 192, online
↑ Christoph Volaucnik, 140 years HKV, initiative for Vorarlberg. Exhibition " 140 Years of the Vorarlberg Chamber of Commerce " by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Feldkirch, published by the Vorarlberg Economic Archives, Feldkirch 1990, p. 5.
↑ StGBl. 98/1920.
↑ Federal Law Gazette 424/1921.
^ These chambers of labor were only founded by the Chamber of Labor Act passed by the Constituent National Assembly of the Republic of Austria on February 26, 1920.
↑ See e.g. B. the "Federal Law, with which provisions are made for the provisional continuation of the business of the Chambers of Commerce, Trade and Industry", Federal Law Gazette 447/1935.
↑ Federal law on the establishment of chambers for industry, trade, trade, transport and finance (Chamber of Commerce Act - HKG 1937), Federal Law Gazette 204/1937, supplemented by the ordinance of the Federal Minister for Trade and Transport in agreement with the Federal Minister of Finance, whereby the statutes of the chambers for industry, trade, commerce, transport and finance (chambers of commerce) are issued, Federal Law Gazette 364/1937.
↑ See e.g. B. the regulation on the introduction of the organization of the commercial economy in Austria of September 24, 1938 , German RGBl. I p. 1201 (GBl. Fd L. Ö. No. 458/1938) and other legislative acts (list in StGBl. No. 191/1945 ).
↑ The legal basis for this was the Gauwirtschaftskammerbildungverordnung (GWKAV) of May 30, 1942, dRGBl. I p. 371.
↑ Chamber of Commerce Transition Act, StGBl. No. 15/1945.
↑ StGBl. No. 98.
↑ 30. Announcement on the repeal of legal provisions of the German Reich, StGBl. No. 191/1945.
↑ Federal Act of July 24, 1946, regarding the establishment of chambers of commerce, Federal Law Gazette No. 182/1946.
↑ Federal Act on the Chambers of Commerce, Federal Law Gazette I No. 103/1998.
↑ In short: Economic Chamber Act 1998 or WKG , Federal Law Gazette I No. 103/1998.

↑ See legal basis ( Memento of November 2, 2014 in the Internet Archive ), WKÖ website.

↑ In contrast to the specialist groups, specialist representatives are interest groups with a small number of members. In contrast to the specialist groups (guild / committee), specialist representatives therefore do not have their own legal personality. The interests of the specialist representatives are represented by the specialist association.

↑ The Lower Austrian Chamber of Commerce had its seat in Vienna for many decades.

^ Taken from: Membership statistics as of December 31, 2013 ( Memento of November 1, 2014 in the Internet Archive ), no page numbers.

↑ ^a ^b see: The Austrian Economic Chambers - What we stand for, Who we are, How we work , p. 15.

↑ Vorarlberg: Wirtschaftsbund elected Manfred Rein's successor (September 28, 2016)

↑ The regional chambers are divided in technical terms into sections - § 13 WKG.

↑ Source: The Austrian Economic Chambers - What we stand for, Who we are, How we work , p. 31.

↑ The chamber surcharge 1 (KU 1) has as a basis of assessment the sales tax, import sales tax and sales tax owed according to the reverse charge system less sales tax, which is attributable to personal consumption, by each individual chamber member . An exemption limit of 150,000 euros applies. 60% of the chamber surcharge 1 is credited to the respective regional chamber and 40% to the Austrian Chamber of Commerce.

↑ Chamber surcharge 2 (KU 2) is a surcharge on the employer's contribution.

↑ The basic contribution is to be paid by all members of the Chamber of Commerce and a fee to finance the professional organizations. The level of the basic contribution is decided autonomously by the respective specialist group.

[1] Comparison: In Germany there are currently 80 regional chambers of industry and commerce (IHK) with the umbrella organization of the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce ( DIHK ).

[2] The Vienna Chamber of Commerce was constituted on January 15, 1849. Theodor Hornbostel was the first president.

[3] Vorarlberger Wirtschaftsarchiv (ed.), “ Quer- und Vordenker”, “On the 200th birthday of Carl Ganahl ”, Feldkirch 2007, p. 29.

[4] According to Christoph Volaucnik, 140 years HKV, initiative for Vorarlberg. Exhibition " 140 years Vorarlberg Chamber of Commerce " of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Feldkirch, published by the Vorarlberg Economic Archives, Feldkirch 1990, p. 1, the election of Ganahl as President of the Chamber of Commerce was not welcomed by the State Police (see also: Vorarlberger Wirtschaftsarchiv (ed. ), “ Lateral and forward thinkers”, “On the 200th birthday of Carl Ganahl ”, Feldkirch 2007, p. 31). From 1861 to 1885 he was also represented in the Vorarlberg state parliament. The Carl Ganahl family has so far provided six presidents of the Chamber of Commerce (Vorarlberger Wirtschaftsarchiv (ed.), “Quer- und Vordenker”, “On the 200th birthday of Carl Ganahl”, Feldkirch 2007, p. 8). 1891 to 1910 e.g. B. the son Rudolf and 1910 to 1917 Arnold.

[5] RGBl. 85/1868.

[6] Christoph Volaucnik, 140 years HKV, initiative for Vorarlberg. Exhibition " 140 Years of the Vorarlberg Chamber of Commerce " of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Feldkirch, published by the Vorarlberg Economic Archives, Feldkirch 1990, p. 6.

[7] Law of April 2, 1873, Law Gazette for the Land of Austria p. 192, online

[8] Christoph Volaucnik, 140 years HKV, initiative for Vorarlberg. Exhibition " 140 Years of the Vorarlberg Chamber of Commerce " by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Feldkirch, published by the Vorarlberg Economic Archives, Feldkirch 1990, p. 5.

[9] StGBl. 98/1920.

[10] Federal Law Gazette 424/1921.

[11] These chambers of labor were only founded by the Chamber of Labor Act passed by the Constituent National Assembly of the Republic of Austria on February 26, 1920.

[12] See e.g. B. the "Federal Law, with which provisions are made for the provisional continuation of the business of the Chambers of Commerce, Trade and Industry", Federal Law Gazette 447/1935.

[13] Federal law on the establishment of chambers for industry, trade, trade, transport and finance (Chamber of Commerce Act - HKG 1937), Federal Law Gazette 204/1937, supplemented by the ordinance of the Federal Minister for Trade and Transport in agreement with the Federal Minister of Finance, whereby the statutes of the chambers for industry, trade, commerce, transport and finance (chambers of commerce) are issued, Federal Law Gazette 364/1937.

[14] See e.g. B. the regulation on the introduction of the organization of the commercial economy in Austria of September 24, 1938 , German RGBl. I p. 1201 (GBl. Fd L. Ö. No. 458/1938) and other legislative acts (list in StGBl. No. 191/1945 ).

[15] The legal basis for this was the Gauwirtschaftskammerbildungverordnung (GWKAV) of May 30, 1942, dRGBl. I p. 371.

[16] Chamber of Commerce Transition Act, StGBl. No. 15/1945.

[17] StGBl. No. 98.

[18] 30. Announcement on the repeal of legal provisions of the German Reich, StGBl. No. 191/1945.

[19] Federal Act of July 24, 1946, regarding the establishment of chambers of commerce, Federal Law Gazette No. 182/1946.

[20] Federal Act on the Chambers of Commerce, Federal Law Gazette I No. 103/1998.

[21] In short: Economic Chamber Act 1998 or WKG , Federal Law Gazette I No. 103/1998.

[22] See legal basis ( Memento of November 2, 2014 in the Internet Archive ), WKÖ website.

[23] In contrast to the specialist groups, specialist representatives are interest groups with a small number of members. In contrast to the specialist groups (guild / committee), specialist representatives therefore do not have their own legal personality. The interests of the specialist representatives are represented by the specialist association.

[24] The Lower Austrian Chamber of Commerce had its seat in Vienna for many decades.

[25] Taken from: Membership statistics as of December 31, 2013 ( Memento of November 1, 2014 in the Internet Archive ), no page numbers.

[wko.at-26] see: The Austrian Economic Chambers - What we stand for, Who we are, How we work , p. 15.

[27] Vorarlberg: Wirtschaftsbund elected Manfred Rein's successor (September 28, 2016)

[28] The regional chambers are divided in technical terms into sections - § 13 WKG.

[29] Source: The Austrian Economic Chambers - What we stand for, Who we are, How we work , p. 31.

[30] The chamber surcharge 1 (KU 1) has as a basis of assessment the sales tax, import sales tax and sales tax owed according to the reverse charge system less sales tax, which is attributable to personal consumption, by each individual chamber member . An exemption limit of 150,000 euros applies. 60% of the chamber surcharge 1 is credited to the respective regional chamber and 40% to the Austrian Chamber of Commerce.

[31] Chamber surcharge 2 (KU 2) is a surcharge on the employer's contribution.

[32] The basic contribution is to be paid by all members of the Chamber of Commerce and a fee to finance the professional organizations. The level of the basic contribution is decided autonomously by the respective specialist group.