Advocacy
Advocacy for a more conducive economic environment is a core activity of the ECCK. By actively engaging in advocacy, we raise our profile among government decisionmakers and enhances our reputation within the business community.
Advocacy at our Core
The key to effective business advocacy is dedicated efforts on issues consistent with ECCK’s vision and mission and transparency in communicating the issues to both government and the member companies. In order to effectively represent our members’ interests and implement the necessary changes to better the Korean business environment, we have several standing industrial committees and working groups to collect issues and opinions.
To better provide information and transparency, advocating a pro-business agenda to government officials, the ECCK White Paper took shape as a medium to share such information. The White Paper provides an overview of the regulatory landscape in Korea as well as industry-specific challenges and prospects. The views put forward in the White Paper is solely intended to promote open and effective dialogue and offer constructive recommendations for the improvement of European-Korean business relations.
ECCK consistently strives to strengthen and broaden our communication channels on behalf of our members to maintain dialogue and influence, both Korean government and EU authorities and Member State governments.
President Moon’s Dialogue with Foreign Companies
In 2020, ECCK held over 100 meetings with the Korean and European regulators and policy makers to discuss the issues and suggestions included in the White Paper. ECCK and member companies raised issues directly with senior-level decision makers and created opportunities to follow up at the working level with various government ministries.
ECCK White Paper 2020
The White Paper is compiled by dedicated ECCK staff based on input received from experts from the chamber’s member companies. Almost 200 professionals representing their company in the ECCK Committees and Working Groups contributed to ECCK White Paper 2020. The White Paper 2020 includes 145 constructive recommendations to the Korean government raised through 20 ECCK Committees and Working Groups. The ECCK appreciates the outstanding support from its members which can be translated to a strong commitment of the ECCK and its member companies to further work on a betterment of the business environment for European companies operating in Korea.
The compilation of all key issues and recommendations is only half of the work to make the White Paper a meaningful publication. The ECCK wishes to credit the Korean government for all its openness to review those recommendations, to thoroughly follow up with experts in the Korean administration and to share the feedback with the ECCK. The positive replies received at the beginning of 2020 was over 30% (50 out of the 180 recommendations submitted in 2019), which shows that strong collaboration and cooperation can deliver meaningful results.
Despite those positive signs, the ECCK will continue to suggest even further cooperation through strengthened communication channels between the Korean government and European business.
ECCK White Paper 2020 Press Conference
Dirk Lukat, ECCK Chairperson
H.E. Maria Castillo-Fernandez, EU Ambassador