About Us

Formation of the Danube Chambers of Commerce Federation

The Danube Chambers of Commerce Federation as an independent legal entity was officially formed in Bucharest on 23rd September 2018 at the Bucharest’s General Assembly. The organization has been operating since 2011 as a Danube Chambers of Commerce Association, but for establishing the Danube Chambers of Commerce Federation, it has been reached a higher level, and become an independent legal entity registered by the Registration Court in Hungary in August 2020.

The members of the Danube Chambers of Commerce Federation (2025):
 

• Budapest Chamber of Commerce and Industry - https://bkik.hu/hu
• Vienna Chamber of Economy – Wirtschaftskammer Wien - https://www.wkw.at/
• Istanbul Chamber of Commerce – Istanbul Ticaret Odasi - https://www.ito.org.tr/en
• Lower Austrian Chamber of Economy - Wirtschaftskammer Niederösterreich - https://www.wko.at/noe
• Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia - Privredna komora Srbije - https://en.pks.rs/
• Bucharest Chamber of Commerce and Industry - Camera de Comerţ şi Industrie a Municipiului Bucureşti - https://ccib.ro/
• Ruse Chamber of Commerce and Industry - https://www.rcci.bg/
• Chamber of Commerce and Industry – Vratsa - https://www.cci-vratsa.org/
• Pécs-Baranya Chamber of Commerce and Industry - https://pbkik.hu/
• Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Pest County and Érd City - http://www.pmkik.hu/
• Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture Arad - https://www.ccia-arad.ro/
• Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Győr - Moson - Sopron County - https://gymsmkik.hu/
• Upper Austrian Chamber of Economy - Wirtschaftskammer Oberösterreich - https://www.wko.at/ooe
• Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Vojvodina - https://pkv.rs/en/home-2/
• Chamber of Industry and Commerce Ulm - Industrie- und Handelskammer Ulm - https://www.ihk.de/ulm/
• Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture Timis - http://www.cciat.ro/
• Chamber of Industry and Commerce Passau - Industrie- und Handelskammer Niederbayern - https://www.ihk-niederbayern.de/

 

DCCF is one of the largest and most important international economic and institutional co-operations in the Danube macroregion - from Germany to Turkey. As an international association it can promote the aims of the EU and contribute to development of the single market, of the cross bordering and interregional co-operations. 

The statutes of the Association set out the following objectives:

- participation in the joint development of the goals of the Danube Strategy
- pushing for better exploitation of the single market
- initiate projects and trade between the members of the chambers
- create B2B platforms
- organization of exhibitions and trade fairs in the Danube macro-region
- support clusters and research networks 
- launch researches for expanding the opportunities for the cooperation of member enterprises
- knowledge transfer between chambers
- business cultures development
- student exchange programs and successful training methods (best practices), transfer of the dual training system (German and Austrian model)
- flow of information, integration and cohesion
- the implementation and promotion of the efficient representation of interests, common aims and projects
- the overall integration of the Western Balkans to the EU
- strengthening and development of the infrastructure along the river

In connection with the Danube Strategy’s aims the organization can assist with its activity and initiatives for recovering from economic crises as well. 

The DCCA / DCCF and its history

The Danube Chambers of Commerce Association – DCCA – was an important chapter in the European institutional macro-regional cooperation. The creation of the alliance was being planned for several years, but for the implementation, the necessary kick was provided by the adoption of the Danube Strategy. The founding of the organization occurred in June 2010 at Budapest, where the chambers of Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria decided to cooperate with each other. The president of the Budapest Chamber of Commerce was elected to be the first president of the organization. The vice-presidents of the organization, according to the founding assembly, were delegated by the Vienna and Belgrade Chambers of Commerce.

The purpose of the DCCA was to coordinate the functioning of the chambers in the Danube region with supranational instruments, especially in favour for the implementation of the Danube Strategy. The organization aligns to the traditional mesosphere role of the chambers: it intends to act as an intermediary between the civilian initiatives and the decision-making organs of the Danube Strategy. Therefore at the first assembly after the Budapest founding, they have given high priority for the collection and summarization of the proposals and economic stimulus plans related to the Danube Strategy. The first assembly was held in Pécs, the European capital of culture, where they have adopted the final statutes.

The Danube Chambers of Commerce Federation as an independent legal entity was officially formed in Bucharest on 23 September 2018 at the Bucharest’s General Assembly. 

In 2024, the Federation elected a partially new leadership and, strengthened by new members who had joined in the meantime, formed alliances with a number of new, important European partners and institutions in order to achieve its original goals as laid down in its statutes.

Today, the DCCF is one of the four EU macro-regional chamber associations and plays a key role in advocating the economic aspects of the Danube macro-regional strategy.