Serbian Chamber of Commerce

1. Serbian Chamber of Commerce

2. INTRODUCTION SCC is an independent professional business association relying on experience accepting Euro continental type of chambers of commerce respecting its own tradition, the Law on Chambers of Commerce regulates functioning of chambers of commerce in Serbia until 2013 after that period membership will be voluntary and not obligatory

3. SCC MEMBERSHIP • ICC • Eurochambres • ABC • ASCAME • Regional initiatives • CEI/CECCI • BSEC • EURO-MED TDS • Danube initiative • Follows the work of World Trade Organization (WTO) • SCC is member of UN GC

4. ACTIVITIES OF SCoC • SCC consists of : • 16 Associations dedicated to different branches of economy • Centers and Boards operate as expert-professional services and examine issues of importance for all Chamber members • Entrepreneurs Union • 10 Representative offices abroad • Courts and Arbitrations • Central economic institution in Serbia • Represents the interests of Serbian economic entities in the country and abroad • Chamber system encompasses 19 regional, city and provincial chambers including the umbrella institution-SCC

5. ACTIVITIES OF SCC - SME SECTOR • Activities of SCC could be listed as follows: • Legislative and economic policy • Economic diplomacy • European integrations • Important economic events • Projects • Education and professional training • Consultancy • Public mandate tasks • Local and international exhibitions and fairs • Promotion of business operations & Chamber public image • Public Powers

6. SHARE OF SME IN THE STRUCTURE OF THE SERBIAN ECONOMY • SME`s SHARE IN TOTAL NUMBER OF ECONOMIC ENTITIES - 99.8 % • SME`s in total employment – 65.5% • SME`s in total trade – 67.6% • SME`s in GDP – 58.3% • SME`s in total economy profit -58.8 % • SME`s in exports – 43.9% • Private SME`s sector is the most competitive in Serbian economy • At the end of 2007 the total number of economic entities counted • circa 296.086, out of which • Circa 212.575 entrepreneurs & circa 83.511 SMEs & • 800 big companies

7. EU Charter on SME’s (SBA) • EU Charter on SMEs contains an average mark for Serbia • 2006: 2,48 (scale 1-5) • 2008: 3.50 • The 10 main points are: • Education and training for entrepreneurship • Cheaper and faster start-up • Better legislation and regulations • Available capabilities • Development of on-line approach • Improvement of business operations on local and foreign markets • Taxation and financial issues • Strengthening of SMEs technological capacities • Development of Е-business • More efficient representation of SMEs interests • Active participation in institutional monitoring and implementing of EU Charter on SMEs in Serbia (SCC covers 59%)

8. PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES Education and training Best Technical Innovation 2005,2006,2007 Clusters – coordination of operations 29 registered clusters in Serbia Franchising center IRU Academy E-Chamber. Portal of Serbian economy and issue of digital certificate for e-business EU integration Regional cooperation – CEFTA Environmental protection and CSR

9. REGIONAL CHAMBER PROJECTS Neighboring countries program and Cross Border program (IPA) CO&CO Chambers-Belgrade Chamber Chambers to Chambers-RCC Kikinda Women entrepreneurship HACCP/ISO 22000 introduction CE mark Diaspora centers Export-import procedures for SMEs/INTERMEX-RCC Kruševac EMBRACE II –support of SMEs located in rural and undeveloped regions through advisory and support services and usage of ICT to access Information and Knowledge Society RCC Niš

10. ONGOING SCC PROJECTS IN THE SPHERE OF SMEs PLATO CSR CBI Projects with Italian Chambers of Commerce and institutions SERBOWALL- Improvement of business operations of SME’s on foreign markets

11. PLATO PROJECTS IN SERBIA PLATO SERBIA3 regions: Subotica, Pancevo and Pozarevac PLATO Koopera –CBCSerbia, Romania and BulgariaPLASH-CBC PLATO NetworkSerbia and Hungary

12. FURTHER ACTIVITIES Fostering competitiveness Fostering exports Development of cluster policy Adoption of technical and organizational standards Corporate Social Responsibility for SMEs Problems of SME financing Development of E-business Application of new technologies and innovative activities SME Week SBA

13. PROJECT NETWORKING • EUROCHAMBRES’ Project • “PARTNERS 2” Partners For Investment Promotion For Western Balkans • Partnership #1: Project: "Network of Centres for Project Development and Management" • Project partners: • Serbian Chamber of Commerce • The Chamber of Economy of Montenegro • Economic Chamber of Macedonia • Promos Special Agency of the Milan Chamber for International Activities • Czech Chamber of Commerce • Partners for Investment Promotion is a • EUROCHAMBRES’ initiative supported by the EU under CARDS 2005 Regional funding

14. PROJECT NETWORKING • Training: “Project planning and project documentation preparing” • Organizer, Venue: Serbian Chamber of Commerce • Target group: Representatives of the Chamber System in Serbia, potential applicants, SMEs, students... • Date & Time: • March 25-26, 2010 (31 participants) • May 24-25, 2010 (45 participants from 28 institutions) • Training wasalso organized within the project "Second European SME Week 2010 in Serbia“ – an European Commission initiative that promotes entrepreneurship in 37 European countries, May-June 2010 • October 2010, Economic Faculty, Niš, Serbia • Project examples of good practice • Project: "Network of Centres for Project Development and Management“, Vera Veljanovski, Project manager • Project PLATO Serbia, Aleksandar Nikolić, National coordinator

15. NEW PLATO PROJECT • Applying for new Plato project – EU Programs • upcoming public calls • 2nd Calls under IPA CBC programmes among Western Balkan countries (soon) • Hungary – Serbia • Romania – Serbia • Bulgaria – Serbia • Croatia – Serbia • Serbia – Bosnia and Herzegovina • Serbia - Montenegro

16. Thank you! Serbian Chamber of Commerce Association for Small Enterprises Tel. +381 11 3300 989 www.pks.rs anikolic@pks.rs vera.veljanovski@pks.rs