The new President of EUROCHAMBRES

A mining engineer by training, Alessandro Barberis has notably held positions as Chairman of Piaggio and Managing Director of Fiat Auto. President of the Torino Chamber of Commerce for the last five years, he is involved in the Italian Chamber system in various capacities and, as of 1 January 2010, is President of Eurochambres. At the age of 72, this extremely humble yet very determined man is setting out to serve the broad network of Chambers in Europe, offering his capacity for analysis, ability to listen and taste for mediation.

Commerce International: You have recently taken up your position at EUROCHAMBRES. Can you already tell us your vision for the European Chamber network?
Alessandro Barberis: “Before giving you my vision of the Chamber network,
I’d like first of all to remind you what it represents: European Chambers have a network that is unique to the world. It covers the whole of the European continent, not only all 27 EU countries, but also the Balkans, countries covered by the EU neighbourhood policy (Belarus, Georgia, Armenia…), EFTA countries (Switzerland, Iceland and Norway, excluding Lichtenstein) and Mediterranean countries (Turkey, Israel). The EUROCHAMBRES network consists of almost 2,000 Chambers covering the industrial fabric of 45 European countries, close to 19 million member companies (96% of which are SMEs), and 150,000 persons serving companies daily in the Chambers. This network extends to the rest of the world. To meet the globalisation challenge, we created the Global Chamber Platform which gathers national organisations and Chambers from North America, Latin America, Asia and Africa, in order to reinforce cooperation between Chambers as well as the C20, which draws together Chambers from member countries of the G20. The C20 represents company interests before the G20. So how do I see the Chamber network? Whether established under public or private law, Chambers have the same purpose: to defend the interests of companies from all sectors, to be their mouthpiece before public institutions, on the local, regional, national levels, and with EUROCHAMBRES, on the European level. To do this, Chambers need to listen to and to serve companies. And what will be mobilised will be the whole of the network that I’ve presented. My vision of the network is grounded in three principles. Firstly, Chambers should prepare companies for the challenges of the 21st century and anticipate changes. They should know how to adapt their services and increase awareness amongst companies, often too preoccupied by their immediate problems. In short, they should be more visionary. Next, thanks to our network, we have a gigantic, but under-utilised, reservoir of expertise and knowledge. I would like, during my mandate, to bring out this knowledge, promote exchanges in best practices and encourage the transfer of savoir-faire. Finally, I would also like to develop our network of European Chambers overseas and set up genuine economic diplomacy. There are 255 bilateral Chambers and Trade Offices in the world that bring their support to SMEs wishing to set up in other countries. More than one million European companies benefit from their services every year. In EUROCHAMBRES, we wish to draw together these Chambers to boost their cooperation, their sharing of experience.”

What is on your agenda, if not for the next two years, then at least for 2010?
A.B.: “I am taking up my functions in a double context: a new institutional context, with the implementation of the Lisbon Treaty, a new Parliament, new commissioners, and in a difficult economic context, a timid economic recovery to say the least, a worsening of unemployment, compounded by outside challenges such as climate change, the end of fossil fuels, and an ageing population. My prime objective is to endow EUROCHAMBRES with a roadmap for the next four years. We have already identified our three axes of action: growth and competitiveness, the domestic market and Global Europe, the body that regroups wider Europe (candidate countries and neighbouring countries, the liberalisation of trade and access to non-EU countries). After consulting our members, I would like to identify for each of these pillars the initiatives that we can undertake on the European level, to benefit our member companies. On the institutional level, it is important that new actors become fully aware of the support that Chambers can bring them: an intimate knowledge of company needs and expectations, a reservoir of economic data and expertise, a network allowing information to be circulated and communitarian programmes to be implemented.”

Your arrival at the head of EUROCHAMBRES also coincides with the implementation of the Lisbon Treaty. Will this modify your working method?
A.B.: “One of the missions of EUROCHAMBRES is to be the mouthpiece of Chambers and member companies in the face of European institutions. The Lisbon Treaty brings a huge change. The Commission is no longer the European Union’s kingpin. We are witnessing a new dealing of cards. The European Parliament is seeing the co-decision procedure extended to almost all domains, and on the other hand, Lisbon has significantly strengthened the powers of the European Council, and accordingly, the intergovernmental approach. Furthermore, national Parliaments now have the possibility of expressing themselves in the European legislative procedure. This implies that our lobbying approach is going to change. We must use all new possibilities offered to us by the Lisbon Treaty. Lobbying on European affairs will take place in Brussels, but will also develop on the national level.”

The Lisbon Treaty also reinforces the notion of territorial cohesion and the principle of subsidiarity. In what way do local Chambers of Commerce rely on these two fundamentals in European policies?
A.B.: “We congratulate ourselves that the treaty has reinforced the notion of territorial cohesion. By their local and regional implantation, Chambers play a significant role in maintaining territorial and national cohesion by preserving and developing the region’s industrial fabric. Chambers play a role on three levels. They help companies in all stages of their lives, from creation to handover. Ensuring the endurance of a company is also ensuring the maintenance of industrial fabric. Chambers have an intimate knowledge of the needs of companies. And they play a role or are consulted in regional development, in terms of infrastructure and territorial development. As for the principle of subsidiarity, the treaty has given national parliaments a role in controlling the application of the principle of subsidiarity, but also the principle of proportionality. This is a good thing. Chambers of Commerce fight hard against all useless European regulations that hinder the development of companies. The principles of subsidiarity and proportionality are often mixed up. EUROCHAMBRES carried out an edifying survey last year on the cost of European legislation for companies. This survey was based on European legislation adopted between 1998 and 2007. The estimated cost of European legislation is a little over one billion euros!”

Italy and France are currently undergoing reforms in their Chamber networks. In other words, aren’t we challenging the Chamber system in the countries where Chambers are the oldest?
A.B.: “That’s a good question. Perfection does not exist, there only exist systems that can be perfected. The Chambers system was invented at the end of the 16th century to allow trade and industrial companies to draw together to defend their common interests before public authorities. Their efficiency is recognised and today, this institution exists in all countries in the world, from Cuba to China, from the United States to Japan. Countries which lacked the system have copied it because, even if it is not a panacea for all corporate problems, it has nevertheless allowed answers to be found. So is the Chambers model tiring out? Certainly not. Unless we fail to meet the expectations of companies and are incapable of anticipating their needs.”

This year has started with excellent Chinese results in terms of export. We get the feeling that it will be a year of new records for China. How can Europe carry out its fight in your opinion?
A.B.: “The aim should not be to work out how to fight China, but how Europe can
increase its competitiveness and benefit from opportunities created by the emergence of China. Europe should work in a spirit of partnership and mutual profit in conjunction with all growing economies, and not only China. South-East Asian countries are fundamental. I know this well, having gone more than 60 times to Japan and over 20 times to China or India. I often cite the example of Japan because 20 years ago, I went there at a time when everyone was afraid of its influence. I noticed that while we were ahead of this country, the Japanese however had better techniques and processes. So I opened my doors to them. We found solutions together. This is why I think that it serves no purpose to put up barriers if we want to go forward together. This is the role of Chambers. In Torino, we set up projects so that small companies could find their place within approved streams. Small suppliers, helped by the Chamber, went to China and we signed contracts. Whether on a local, national or European level (like the Understanding China programme piloted by EUROCHAMBRES), all company support programmes are important for taking advantage of opportunities offered by rapidly growing countries.”

Spain took over Presidency of the Union and we know it to be favourable to Turkey’s membership. EUROCHAMBRES already has great experience of relationships with Turkey as it is a member of your association. What is your view on the negotiations?
A.B.: “During the launch of negotiations between the European Union and Turkey, the Commissioner for Enlargement, Olli Rehn, declared that ‘the accession process with Turkey is a long-standing project, where the journey is as important as the final destination’. It is clear that membership negotiations are in the hands of political leaders, in Europe as in Turkey. On the other hand, Eurochambres, which has established very close cooperation with Turkish Chambers of Commerce and Industry for a number of years, is convinced that the role of companies in this ‘journey’ is essential. Eurochambres must ensure that whenever membership comes into effect, Turkish and European companies will be ready for this integration. To this end and for several years now, EUROCHAMBRES has reinforced, via the implementation of several projects financed by the European Union, mutual familiarity as well as understanding between the European and Turkish business communities. The most recent and most important of these projects (EU-Turkey Chambers Forum – ETCF) was completed in December 2009. The project’s different activities contributed to a better understanding of the opportunities and challenges that the integration of Turkey to the European Union would bring. Following the success of this project, a second stage should begin in the second half of 2010. Turkey is an extremely important market: it represents 70 million dynamic consumers who want to progress. Beyond political negotiations, we must do everything we can for European companies to make the most of this opportunity. Concrete relationships already exist. This is not something that can be invented. So without a doubt, the more we progress in the recognition of an organised system such as the European Union, the easier relationships between European and Turkish companies will be.”