European Chamber of Commerce of The Philippines

The European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) is a bilateral foreign chamber that promotes European interests in the Philippines and vice versa. As a membership organisation with over 800 members among its ranks and a strong partnership with the government, the ECCP offers a strong business network that holds great potential in translating to tangible business opportunities. The Chamber strives to make its members’ viewpoints heard on economic and business issues, legislative measures, and administrative regulations.The European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) is a bilateral foreign chamber that promotes European interests in the Philippines and vice versa. As a membership organisation with over 800 members among its ranks and a strong partnership with the government, the ECCP offers a strong business network that holds great potential in translating to tangible business opportunities. The Chamber strives to make its members’ viewpoints heard on economic and business issues, legislative measures, and administrative regulations. In 2004, the ECCP became a founding member of the European Business Organisation Worldwide Network (EBOWN).

The ECCP maintains a strong engagement with local authorities, participating in 121 engagements with Philippine government and 19 with European government officials 2022. Additionally, it fosters a close relationship with the EU Delegation, further enhancing its effectiveness and impact.

The ECCP operates through six offices strategically located in various regions, enabling it to effectively serve its members across the Philippines.

To fulfill its objectives, the ECCP organises business meetings; seminars with resource speakers from the Philippines, Asia, and Europe, which coordinate the position of the business sector; as well as dialogues with the Philippine government officials on important economic issues affecting the Philippine-European business relations. Moreover, the ECCP enjoys the cooperation of the leading Philippine and European trade and business organisations and maintains close links to the commercial sections of the European embassies and the Delegation of the European Commission in the Philippines.

The ECCP also provides a number of services to guide European businesses get started in the Philippines through business matching activities with clients, suppliers, and partners as well as provide market intelligence and research services for companies in learning more about the Philippine market. As an international trade fair information center, the ECCP also provides extensive services to exhibitors and visitors of European and Asian trade fairs. The Chamber represents some of the leading European fairs in fashion and textiles, consumer goods, electronics, information technologies, industrial goods, building materials, and food. Moreover, the ECCP also provides training programs, events management, and advertising services, among others.

In summary, the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines plays a crucial role in strengthening the economic partnership between Europe and the Philippines. By offering a wide array of services, engaging with local authorities and the EU Delegation, and championing the interests of its members, the ECCP supports the growth and success of European businesses in the country.

Publications

The ECCP produces a variety of publications related to business and economic issues in the Philippines and Europe, including the following:

Advocacy papers: published either in May or September. Each committee provides their own annual paper (Link). Additionally, the ECCP has published this year a Sustainability Whitebook (Link)
Position Papers: more than 10 in 2022.
Trimestral Magazine: EuroPH CONNECT (Link)
ECCP@Work: Weekly digests of related economics news from external media. (Link)
Annual guide for doing business: a publication that aims to provide potential investors with a complete guidebook of information on the country, its laws, policies, procedures, as well as its regulations. The guide aims to increase investor confidence and equip them with the ability to make well-informed business and investment decisions. Some of the topics include taxation, employment, immigration, and dispute resolution among others. (Link)
News

Services

The ECCP offers an impressive range of services to its members, providing valuable support and opportunities for their businesses:

Office Space: Members have access to various office space options, including virtual office space, desk space, private office space, and office units. These options cater to different business needs.
Trade Fair Information and News: The ECCP provides unique features by offering information and news on trade fairs. This helps members stay informed about relevant trade fair opportunities. Fairs and More Inc., a subsidiary of the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP), representing major European fair organisers which operate internationally-recognised trade fairs on consumer goods, electronics, information technologies, food & beverage, building materials and various industries around the globe, bringing vast opportunities available for Filipinos around the world.
Business and Technical Support: Members can benefit from business and technical support services, including assistance with VAT refunds. These services aim to provide practical assistance to members in their business operations.
Diverse Events: The ECCP organises a wide range of events such as industry talks, membership luncheons, forums and summits, pocket learning sessions, networking socials, and sports events. These events create networking and learning opportunities for members.
Business Opportunities Board: The ECCP offers a platform, the Business Opportunities Board, where companies can post their business offers. This enables members to explore potential collaborations and partnerships.
Projects Section: The ECCP has an active projects section, with two ongoing projects, including the EU Project: CRESCENT, and four completed projects. These projects contribute to the development and growth of businesses.
PATHWAY Project: The ECCP runs the PATHWAY Project, focusing on university-enterprise cooperation and employability of graduates. This initiative aims to bridge the gap between academia and the business world.
Membership Benefits: Members enjoy various benefits, including access to multiple markets in Europe and the Philippines, a global network of European Chambers of Commerce and EBOs, consultations with experts for partner selection and navigating government issues, and interactions with senior government officials.
Marketing and Visibility: Members have opportunities to showcase their brand thought leadership and industry best practices through contributions to the monthly Members Magazine. They also receive a complimentary testimonial feature, listings on the ECCP website's searchable Membership Database, and highlights in the ECCP@Work newsletter.
Event Participation: Members can actively participate in all 24 sector committees, gain two complimentary tickets to ECCP webinars/events, and receive priority for sponsorships with discounted member rates.

In summary, the ECCP offers a comprehensive set of services, ranging from office space options to business support, networking events, project collaborations, and marketing opportunities. These services aim to enhance members' business growth, visibility, and connections in both European and Philippine markets.

Membership Benefits

With over 800 companies representing thousands of business leaders from the Philippines, Europe, and from various markets world-wide, the ECCP as membership organisation offers a platform and 45-year-old network to facilitate business support and opportunities exclusively to its members. Known as the oldest European Chamber outside of Europe with a wide footprint in ASEAN and various European states, the ECCP represents industries such as Agriculture, Human Capital, Tourism, Energy, Real Estate, Aviation, Infrastructure, among many others.

An ECCP Membership offers its network the following benefits here.

Advocacy

Committees: 24 Advocacy Committees, many of them with sector specific publications, with over 280 participating companies (Link)

Agriculture
Automotive
Aviation
Creatives
Customs
Defense and Disaster Response
Education
Environment and Water
Food and Beverages
Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals
Human Capital
ICT-BPM-KPM
Infrastructure
Innovations
Intellectual Property Rights
Open Finance and Financial Inclusion
Real Estate
Renewable and Energy Efficiency
Sustainability
Tax and Financial Services
Tourism
Transportation and Logistics
Women in Business
Young Professionals

EU Projects

ECCP-managed projects are a collaborative enterprise, frequently involving research or design, that is carefully planned to achieve a particular goal. We partner with various companies and/or organisations to cooperatively achieve set goals. (Link)