Austrian Chamber of Commerce
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The Austrian Federal Economic Chamber ( de: ''Wirtschaftskammer Österreich'' or WKO) functions as the federal parent organization for the nine
State State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...
Chambers and 110 trade associations for different industries within
Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
's system of economy. Most State Chambers and associations have local offices to provide services in close proximity to members. Compulsory membership by Austrian federal law is automatic with obtaining the operating licence of the company and thus includes all Austrian
companies A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of people, whether natural, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specific, declared go ...
in operation. The resultant membership of 517.477 active businesses as per 2017 includes diverse sectors such as trade and
craft A craft or trade is a pastime or an occupation that requires particular skills and knowledge of skilled work. In a historical sense, particularly the Middle Ages and earlier, the term is usually applied to people occupied in small scale prod ...
,
commerce Commerce is the large-scale organized system of activities, functions, procedures and institutions directly and indirectly related to the exchange (buying and selling) of goods and services among two or more parties within local, regional, nation ...
,
industry Industry may refer to: Economics * Industry (economics), a generally categorized branch of economic activity * Industry (manufacturing), a specific branch of economic activity, typically in factories with machinery * The wider industrial sector ...
,
transportation Transport (in British English), or transportation (in American English), is the intentional movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land (rail and road), water, cable, pipeline, ...
,
tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...
, services industries,
finance Finance is the study and discipline of money, currency and capital assets. It is related to, but not synonymous with economics, the study of production, distribution, and consumption of money, assets, goods and services (the discipline of fina ...
and
insurance Insurance is a means of protection from financial loss in which, in exchange for a fee, a party agrees to compensate another party in the event of a certain loss, damage, or injury. It is a form of risk management, primarily used to hedge ...
, but not agriculture, as this sector is served by its own Chamber.


Main tasks and activities

Representation of membership interests at all levels of government. By law governments are obliged to consult with Chambers on legislative projects and important regulation. In many laws a provision is made to involve Chambers in decision-making and administrative procedures. Information and advisory service to members: Typical issues include taxation, labour law, vocational training, industry-specific legislation, industry-wide advertising and market research.


Collective bargaining with unions

Trade associations engage in negotiations with their respective sectoral countrywide union. Economic Promotion and Development as well as training and consulting are mainly organised by a specialised department in each region (WIFI, Wirtschaftsfoerderungsinstitut).


Business Support

Austrian companies interested in international business (trade and investment) and innovation are supported by a specialised department (AUSSENWIRTSCHAFT AUSTRIA) with more than 100 field offices around the world (ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA offices) plus a network of specialised experts within the State Chambers. The ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA offices act as Austria's official business representatives abroad and are notified as the Trade Sections of Austrian embassies and consulates abroad. Public law (Wirtschaftskammergesetz) provides a legal foundation for the Austrian Federal Economic Chambers, supplying the legal framework for all Chambers, their co-operation, mandatory membership, and rules for setting membership fees. Although established by public law the Federal Economic Chambers are exclusively business driven. Every 5 years entrepreneurs elect officers and representatives for the trade associations and the Chamber (amounting to a total of more than 10,000 officers) from their own ranks. In these elections free associations of entrepreneurs field their candidates to compete for the leadership of the Chambers and individual trade associations. Some of these entrepreneurial associations are affiliated with political parties while others are independent platforms. Since 2018 Dr. Harald Mahrer is the current President of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber. The Austrian Federal Economic Chamber is financially self-sufficient with around 85% of expenditure covered by member contributions and a further 15% by revenues from marketable sales. This factor, combined with organisational management through democratic self-government, makes them independent from public authorities.


ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA

In Austria the promotion of foreign trade constitutes, by law, one major part of the activities of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber. The immense importance of international business and access to international innovation to Austria is reflected in the extraordinary range of services provided by AdvantageAustria.org (AUSSENWIRTSCHAFT AUSTRIA) with an international network of more than 100 ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA Offices worldwide, in most cases sections of the Austrian embassies and consulates in the respective countries. AUSSENWIRTSCHAFT AUSTRIA offers Austrian businesses a wide range of complementary services relating to foster international trade (exports and imports), investing outside of Austria and supporting Austrian companies abroad including business expertise and individual consultancy, match-making with potential business partners and trusted consultants, access to international innovation networks. The offices can provide market overviews, research potential agents, importers and cooperation partners for Austrian companies and background checks on potential partners. AdvantageAustria.org is also responsible for the organization of trade missions and Austria's official country pavilions at international trade fairs. The heads of the ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA offices and their teams also assist local companies in accessing official information on Austria as a business location and in identifying Austrian companies interested in doing international business. www.advantageaustria.org


References


External links


WKÖ Homepage

Austria's official international business portal
; {{Authority control Chambers of commerce Business organisations based in Austria