This long-planned change will result in lower operating costs, and will result in tax relief under the not-for-profit scheme that benefits employers’ organisations. The legal change results from BPCC members voting unanimously to restructure the BPCC from an English company limited by guarantee to a Polish employer’s organisation at the Annual General Meeting on 29 May 2019. The British Ambassador in Warsaw and the Polish Ambassador in London remain our honorary presidents.
This is a formal process and will not change the way the BPCC works with its members; each chamber member will receive individual correspondence about it in 2020.
On the membership side, the passing year has been busy, with a number of other events that are of great importance. In April, the Council of British Chambers of Commerce in Europe (COBCOE) merged with the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) to form a truly global chamber network. The BPCC has been active member of COBCOE since 1997, winning its Chamber of The Year Award four times. Since the merger, we have engaged in shaping the BCC’s international network which currently consists of 55 British chambers worldwide and 52 regional chambers across the UK. BPCC staff will be assisting in the development of the communication process among the international and UK chambers, emphasising the network’s reach to our members and partners.
On 1 July 2019, the BPCC took over the rotating presidency of the International Group of Chambers of Commerce (IGCC), representing the international investor community in Poland, until the end of 2019. The grand finale of our Presidency will be on 17 December 2019 with an investor’s briefing: Poland’s performance in 2020 Doing Business report, which we deliver jointly with the World Bank.
On 4 September 2019 we supported the launch of Economic Relations Between Poland and the United Kingdom – an Exceptional and Enduring Partnership report at the Krynica Economic Forum in partnership with the British Embassy and several BPCC members.
In 2020 at the age of 28 (the BPCC was established in 1992) we feel young and passionate about what we do, yet with the necessary experience and expertise to act effectively. We plan to engage with you more strongly than ever, so please follow our media announcements. We start the year with our Burns Supper celebration, an evening of poetry reading, sword dancing, bagpipes and Scottish specialities accompanied by a hand-picked selection of whiskies. This time it’s our Wrocław office that will host the event, so please join us there on 30 January 2020 to celebrate.
We encourage you to use your membership to make the most of our policy groups. As a member, you can access all activities in Warsaw, London, Kraków or Wrocław. Our vibrant and dynamic network across Poland and the UK is all about supporting your business.
Last but certainly not least, we wish everyone an enjoyable time with family and friends during the coming Christmas season and every success in 2020.
We look forward to seeing you soon!