Croatian Chamber of Economy (, abbreviation HGK), is a professional association of businesspeople in

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

, and the oldest institution of its kind on the Croatian territory. HGK zgrada

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History

It originates from the Chamber of Trades (''trgovačko-obrtnička komora''), which began operating on 16 February 1852 in

Zagreb Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...

, on the basis of the imperial decree of March 18, 1850. During the 1920s the chamber was significantly modernized, growing into a strong and reputable institution on a European scale. In 1932 it was divided into Trade-Industrial and Handicraft Chamber, and in 1938 the Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber of Industry were created separately. Apart from a few years in the postwar period, those chambers operated as separate branches until 1962, when the unified Croatian Chamber of Economy was founded.

Chamber today

According to the 1991 law the Chamber operates under its current name. It is structured after the European tradition of chamber organization, with compulsory membership and the scope of activities determined by law. The primary tasks of the Chamber are: * representation, coordination and safeguarding common interests of its members before country institutions * participation in shaping the economic system and economic policy * promotion of the Croatian economy abroad * business training and execution of entrusted public authority The Chamber today is composed of 19 county chambers, as well as the Chamber Zagreb. Its professional organization is based on the work of 33 professional associations. The Chamber is funded by mandatory fees and other non-profit income. The highest governing body is the Chamber Assembly (''Skupština Komore''). It is a member of the

International Chamber of Commerce The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC; French: ''Chambre de commerce internationale'') is the largest, most representative business organization in the world. ICC represents over 45 million businesses in over 170 countries who have interest ...

and

Eurochambres Eurochambres is the Association of European Chambers of Commerce and Industry. The association is a representative organisation in Brussels for businesses in Europe through 42 members (43 national associations of chambers of commerce and industry a ...

References

External links

* {{Authority control Business organizations based in Croatia 1852 establishments in the Austrian Empire Chambers of commerce