1. GENERAL INFORMATION

The Chamber of Achaia is among the first Chambers of Greece. It was founded on the 22nd May 1836 with a degree of King Othon.
Today the Chamber of Achaia is acting according to the provisions of Laws 2081/1992 and 3419/2005.

The Chamber is the compulsory Union of merchants, manufacturers, artisans and professionals who act within the prefecture of Achaia.

It is a Public Law Legal Entity and offers consultative services to the Government. The Chamber also practices administrative decentralization services which are named by the government as well as advisory work through the participation of its representatives to 40 committees and boards.

It studies the financial problems of the area acting within the framework of the general interest of the Government with the ulterior purpose to support the private initiative.

The registered companies today (2010) are approximately 22.000 among which 8500 belong to the Trade Department, 9000 to the Professional Department and 5000 to the Artisan and Manufacturer Department.

– Together with other social representatives of the productive ranks the Chamber played the leading part at the foundation of the ‘Patras Credit Cooperation’ who then became the Cooperative Bank under the name of “Achaia Cooperative Bank”;
– In 1991 the Chamber of Achaia founded the Business Innovation Center of Patras, whose scope is the support of innovative ideas and their promotion. Since 7/5/2003 it was named the Business Innovation Center of Western Greece;
– The Chamber collaborated with many other local unions and authorities for the creation of the motor-racing circuit in Halandritsa in the prefecture of Achaia and therefore it established the S.A Motor Racing of Patras;
– The Chamber is participating at the Anaptixiaki Achaias – a company that has undertaken the setting up of development of projects for the Prefecture of Achaia;
– The Chamber played the leading part at the creation of the Company of handling European programs of Peloponnisos, Ionian Islands and Western Sterea Hellas, which handled 15 billion drachmas from the 2nd Program of European Union for the Small and Medium Enterprises. During the 3rd Program of the EU this company was then changed to a non-profit Company (EFEPAE) handling the European Programs of Peloponissos, Western Greece, Ionian Islands and Ipiros and is now handling programs of 55 billion drachmas;
– The Chamber founded on the 20/ 7/1992 the Center of Support of the SMEs of Western Greece, a non- profit company, whose scope is the information of the SMEs of the Prefecture of Western Greece. Already, the Center of Support together with RACTI (Research Academy Computer Technology Institute) and the Educational Computer Science have undertaken the educational support and modernization of the SMEs;
– The Chamber founded with the Municipality of Partas, the Prefecture of Achaia and the Trade-Import Aassociation of Peloponnisos and Western Greece the S.A International Exhibition of Achaia;
– The Chamber founded together with the Municipality of Patras, the Prefecrure of Achaia, the union of Local Municipalities and Communities of Achaia, the Business- Import Association of Patras and other development representatives the non-profit company under the name of ETAA Tourist Development Organization of Achaia, whose scope is the promotion of Achaia tourism, the support and development of tourism infrastructure, the promotion of educational programs for the tourism professionals, etc.
– Together with the Chambers of Ilia, Aitoloakarnania, the Cooperative Bank of Achaia and the Business Association of Patras, the Chamber proceeded to the foundation of the “Electronic Centre of Trade of Western Greece”; Through the program INNACT-RWG 2002-3 the Centre has undertaken the project of the development of the electronic promotion of business and development possibilities, the development of e-business, the creation of companies-site, the development of B2B and B2C etc.

2. ORGANIZATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE CHAMBER

The Chamber is directed by Law 2081/92 and 3419/2005 through a Board of Directors which is elected every 4 years by the members of the Chamber.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Board of Directors consists of 31 elected members (voting members) and 10 by – law members (non voting). The Board is separated in different sections:
A 5-member Board Committee is elected from the Board of Directors

BOARD COMMITTEE

It consists of the President, Vice President A, Vice President B, Financial Supervisor, and the Secretary General.

3. OFFERED SERVICES TO THE MEMBERS OF THE CHAMBER

A. INFORMATIVE ROLE

The Chamber:

– Informs the business on legal and tax issues and issues on the promotion of their business plans;
– Informs on the progress within the EU;
– Informs the members on the development of business collaborations with foreign countries;
– Informs on the development possibilities of the different branches of the local economy;
– Informs on the prospect of the field, where belongs the company which will be founded;
– Informs on the existing sources of finance and subsidies (banks, loans, etc);
– Informs on the European programs which refer to the SMEs;
– Informs on the ways of promotion of products and already existing ‘vehicles’ of sales in Greece and abroad;
– Informs on the existing possibilities and motives for the development of innovative ideas, consolidation of patents and trade marks, the acquirement of ISO and CE and HACCP;
– Informs on the required permit licenses to function according the object of action of the company;
– Informs on the necessary pre – requirements for the acquirement of a license to carry – on practice;
– Informs on the existing legislation of trade contracts;
– Informs on the insurance of the exports;
– Informs on the new institutions for helping the export companies such as factoring, etc;
– The Chamber assists its members with the resolution of trade differences through the ADR and expert reports;
– The Chamber is sponsoring the processing – industries for the promotion of their products abroad.

B. ISSUANCE OF CERTIFICATES

– Records for exports and insurance mediators, jewelers, general records for the participation to competitions etc;
– Certificates for the origins of export products;
– Certificates for the fortification of trade names within the prefecture of Achaia.

C. ISSUANCE OF PERMIT ALLOWANCES

– Insurance mediators
– Agents for civil agreements
– Trade Warehouses

4. OTHER SERVICES:

– The Chamber is also organizing conferences, speeches and presentations on issues of their members’ interest;
– The Chamber assists at the presentation of companies and the creation of their web sites;
– The Chamber assists the members- companies in the research, valuation and choice of the appropriate staff according to their needs;
– The Chamber assists financially unions and associations;
– The Chamber participates at various committees of general and also specific interest;
– The Chamber participates through representation to 40 Committees and 18 Boards of local and development character.

CHAMBER OF ACHAIA
58 MICHALAKOPOULOU
PATRAS 26223
GREECE
TEL: (+30) 2610 277 779
FAX: (+30) 2610 276 519
WEB: www.e-a.gr
EMAIL: ea@e-a.gr