Publicat pe 16/02/2023

Bucharest, February 15, 2023: The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania (CCIR) organized on Wednesday, February 15, the meeting of the presidents of the chambers of commerce from the signatory states of the Carpathian Convention, the event benefiting from the presence of representatives of Poland, Ukraine, Serbia and Romania. At the same time, the general director of the Association of European Chambers of Commerce and Industry (EUROCHAMBRES) also participated in the meeting, Mr. Ben Butters.

The framework convention for the protection and sustainable development of the Carpathians was signed in Kiev, in May 2003, by a number of seven states, namely: the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Serbia and Ukraine, with the main aim of improving the quality of life, strengthening local economies and communities and protecting cultural values. Currently, the Convention has adopted and signed five implementing protocols on biodiversity, forests, tourism, transport and agriculture.

“CCIR is fully engaged in supporting the regional development programs promoted by the European Union (EU), as well as in the process of harnessing the economic potential of all areas of Romania, including the Carpathian area. We believe that all this effort can only materialize integrated into the European strategy, so that the allocated funds can benefit from maximum optimization. A complex of sustainable strategies in the Carpathian Region can only be approached in resonance with the objectives of Romania’s interest, derived from the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (SUERD). The proposals advanced today by the partners in Poland can be implemented in an expanded format of SUERD to include the Podkarpackie region. We will be permanently with the Eurochambres member chambers of commerce to support initiatives to boost European trade”, said the president of the CCIR, Mr. Mihai Daraban.

“For EUROCHAMBRES, the opinion of the European Commission regarding this macro-region for the Carpathians is very important, as collaborations at the level of the four macro-regions are particularly encouraged. At the level of the Strategy for the Danube Region, most of the states targeted in the strategy for the Carpathians can be found. However, in order to clarify this issue, EUROCHAMBRES must consult with all its members to identify the possibility of support at European level”, said Ben Butters, Director General of EUROCHAMBRES

“Poland and the Polish Chamber of Commerce appreciate the quality of the collaboration with Romania and CCIR, in all international formats in which they are partners, including the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization (OCEMN) and the Three Seas Initiative (3SI). We are here today at the invitation of our Romanian colleagues to present our vision regarding the sustainable development of the Carpathian Region in our country. We will continue the effort to convince the European Commission in terms of supporting this region, but, equally, we appreciate and will consider the possibility of being partners in the SUERD strategy”, said the president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Poland, Mr. . Marek Kloczko.