NPCC opens branch in Wrocław NPCC opens branch in Wrocław

Transcription

No.
39 Summer 2012
Netherlands-Polish
Chamber of Commerce
NPCC opens
branch in Wrocław
“We are aligning the Chamber with
one of the strongest regional cities in Poland”
Rijsttafel 2012
Expecting 400 guests
Face to face with ‘Must be the Music’
-producer Jan Beerend Kępiński
issue 39
Bulletin
1
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issue 39
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22 522 03 49
Bulletin Summer 2012
4 NPCC
Word of the Chairman
5 CHAMBER CALENDER
11
6 NPCC opens new branch
Interview with the local boardmembers in Wrocław
8 CHAMBER EVENTS
What has the Chamber recently been up to?
11 QUEENSDAY 2012 IN POZNAŃ
12 Report
Queensday 2012 in Wielkopolska, the first big event
of the Netherlands - Polish Chamber of Commerce
in Poznań.
Annual General Members Meeting
16 DTZ Interview with deputy Managing
Director Erik Drukker
21 RIJSTAFEL
From Indonesia with love...
16
22 NEW MEMBERS
24 FACE TO FACE WITH...
jan Beerend Kępiński
27 COLUMN MICHAŁ SZYMAŃSKI & REMY VERMUNT
Interview with Erik Drukker deputy managing
director DTZ Poland.
28 DUTCH POLISH BUSINESS AWARD 2012
29 NEWS FROM OUR MEMBERS
30 COLUMNS REMCO VAN DER KROFT
& PAWEŁ MLICKI
21
Rijsttafel: The crown of the Indonesian Kitchen.
issue 39
Bulletin
3
NPCC
Word of the Chairman
Netherlands-Polish
Chamber of Commerce
Dear members and friends of the Chamber,
Over the past few months, Poland has attracted a lot of positive press. Warsaw, along with many other cities in Poland,
has been buzzing with Euro 2012 fever, and Poland has shown its ability to prepare and deliver a world class tournament.
The Chamber was happy to arrange tickets for its members. Next to this, the Dutch Polish trade relations came to the
forefront in the Orange Week organised by the Dutch embassy. Minster Schultz van Haegen of the Infrastructure and
Environment Ministry paid a visit to Poland with a delegation of Dutch infrastructure and water management companies.
The visit led to various contracts and new business leads, including for our members. Moreover, it shows what the
Netherlands and Poland are good at: doing business together in sectors where we complement each other.
Equally, the chamber can look back on a successful second quarter. The co-operation with our branches in Poznan and
Wroclaw is progressing well. In Wroclaw, a board has been appointed and I congratulate Guido Vreuls, Staf Beems and
Wojciech Zipser on their positions.
In a continued lobby to defend the investment rights of Dutch farmers in Poland, the Chamber has written a clear letter
to the Polish President, the Prime Minister, the Minister of Agriculture and the Minister of Internal affairs, expressing
our concerns over the breaches of those rights and the potential consequences. Other Chambers decided to join this
initiative, adding to the pressure that was placed on policy makers to reconsider the laws implemented. Check out our
website for the letter. The Chamber also organised a meeting for farmers to discuss the impact of the change in land
lease laws.
The breakfast meeting with Finance Minister Rostowski was very insightful, hearing plans and opinions directly from
one of the top policy makers. The International Group of Chambers of Commerce (IGCC) also organised a gala evening
with Professor Buzek, who was rewarded the Golden Euro Prize, which gave members an opportunity to discuss issues
directly with him and his colleagues.
As usual, we held our Annual General Members Meeting just before the summer. It proved to be a good occasion for
the Board and members to discuss the activities of the past year, as well as plans going forward. We are very glad to
welcome ING Zycie as one of our main sponsors of the Chamber.
Looking at the agenda, we have quite a few grand activities in the pipeline. The Dutch-Polish Business Awards will
be held this year in Warsaw on 15 November. This is one occasion where Dutch-Polish trade links come to forefront.
We have invited an excellent speaker. My request to you is whether you still know good Dutch or Polish
companies that can be nominated for the award. We are also looking for sponsors, so please contact Elro
van den Burg in case you are interested.
The annual Rijsttafel is advancing rapidly as well. It will be held on Saturday, 29 September, and it promises
to be an evening of grandeur and an excellent occasion to entertain clients. Before this, we will have our
first business drink after the summer break on 4 September.
I wish you all a good summer holiday, and hope to see you at our next business drink on 4 September.
Geert Embrechts,
Chairman of the Netherlands - Polish Chamber of Commerce
Bulletin is the quarterly magazine of the Netherlands - Polish
Chamber of Commerce. It aims to provide a selection of
important and relevant information about the chamber and
on bilateral business relations and activities between the
Netherlands and Poland. Go to our website
www.nlchamber.com.pl to find previous issues of our bulletin.
Please email any of your comments to [email protected].
4
issue 39
Bulletin
Publisher:
Managing Editor: Concept and production:
Design:
Columnists: Photos: Advertisement management:
The Netherlands - Polish Chamber of Commerce
Elro van den Burg
Oorsprong Media
Monika M.Jankowska
Michał Szymański, Remy Vermunt,
Remco van der Kroft, Paweł Mlicki
Elro van den Burg
The Netherlands - Polish Chamber of Commerce
September 18 This event exists already since 2005.
The aim of the International Octoberfest is
to integrate the top and middle-level
management from member companies
associated in the chambers.
Go to our website for more information.
Chamber
calendar
Organised by: The International Chambers
of Commerce in Poland.
Activities of the Netherlands Polish Chamber of Commerce
July 10th Netherlands-Polish
Chamber of Commerce
September 29th Summer Business Drink in Warsaw
Location: Atelier Davide, Dom Dochodowy
Pl. Trzech Krzyży 3 (1st floor), Warsaw.
Time: 18.30
We organise a very fashionable businessdrink
in this atelier exclusively for our members.
Go to our website to find more information.
Netherlands-Polish
Chamber of Commerce
October 2nd Hotel Hilton, Grzybowska 63, Warsaw
Time: 18.30 – 21.00
Sponsored by Van Ameyde
Organised by: The Netherlands - Polish
Chamber of Commerce.
Netherlands-Polish
Chamber of Commerce
First monthly Business drink in
Poznań in the new season
September 6th First monthly Business drink in
Wroclaw in the new season
Netherlands-Polish
Chamber of Commerce
October More information can be found on our website
Chamber of Commerce
Location: Art Hotel, ul Kielbasnicza 20,
Wroclaw.
Time: 18.00 – 20.00
Charity Rijsttafel
Location: Hotel Hilton, Grzybowska 63, Warsaw
Time: 18.30 – 02.00
Chamber of Commerce in Poznan.
Go to our website to book a table at
our annual flagship event.
Businessdrink in Warsaw
Location: Hotel Hilton, Grzybowska 63, Warsaw
Time: 18.30 – 21.00
Sponsored by KLM
September 4th First monthly Business drink in Warsaw in the new season
September 5th
International Octoberfest
Netherlands-Polish
Chamber of Commerce
November 15th Netherlands-Polish
Chamber of Commerce
BPO Forum. Conference for our members in the BPO sector
in Poland.
Exact location and time will be announced
on our website.
Award Ceremony Dutch – Polish Business Award
Location: Bank BGZ ul. Kasprzaka 10/16
Warsaw
Organised by: The Dutch - Polish Centre for
trade (NPCH) and The Netherlands - Polish
Chamber of Commerce. More information can be found on page 28 and 29.
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5
Chamber expands activities to Wrocław
The local board of the NPCC in Wrocław. Left: Guido Vreuls, Managing director Eastern Europe for Otto Workforce and working in Poland since 2001. Middle: Wojciech
Zipser, Honorary consul at the consulate in Wrocław and owner of event-staff.eu. Right: Staf Beems, Owner of Silesian Consulting. Previously he was Managing Director
of the Polish subsidiaries of Wavin, McCain, Friesland Foods and Ouwehand.
Special Economic Zones (SEZ) in the area of Wrocław
Enterprises planning investments in Poland may benefit from a Corporate Income Tax (CIT) break of up to a percentage of the eligible
investment costs if locating their business in an SEZ. The SEZ have been established to operate until 2020. The level of maximum CIT break
depends on the size of the company (large, medium, small) and the exact location of the project. The range of the incentive is between 30%
and 70%.
At present, there are four Special Economic Zones in the Wrocław region. The Legnica Special Economic Zone that was founded in the most
industrialized part of the region; The Wałbrzych Special Economic Zone which was created in a region where coal mining and textile industry
had dominated for many years; The Kamienna Góra Small Business Special Economic Zone, which has a lot of development potential for the
tourist industry and the Technology Park designed for high-tech companies as well as for laboratories and scientific, research and development
institutions.
6
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The Netherlands – Polish Chamber of Commerce
has opened a new regional branch in Wrocław
to provide direct contact to member companies
operating in the region. “We are aligning the
Chamber with one of the strongest regional
cities in Poland”, says Guido Vreuls one of the
three NPCC board members in Wrocław. The
new branch will offer local network activities for
the members of the Chamber.
How large is the Dutch community in Wrocław?
GV: “If you look at Wrocław alone, you will find around 15 companies. However
there are many people that come to Wrocław once a week. Recently I spoke
to Alexander Miltenburg from Cadburry. When he heard that we were going
to organise business drinks regularly, he told me he would try to plan his
business trips around our event dates. There are many businesspeople like
him, and therefore I think that the potential in this region for our Chamber is
rather large.”
more parking space there is a conference centre and also the roads to the
airport have improved and are now forming a link to the Wroclaw bypass.
Furthermore, there are very good insentives offered in the special economic
zones. Allready many companies have invested in plants and still many more
are coming. What I see is that we are very attractive as well for German
companies because we are close to the boarder.”
GV: “Our company maintains regular contacts with the city officials and our
impression is that they are very helpful. Much of that is due to the Major and
as a result the whole team in the town hall has a very professional and helpful
attitude. In other cities I have noticed that when you want to invest, they give
you a book with locations that are for sale. In Wrocław they try to find a tailored
location for you also taking into account the other industries surrounding your
plot. Then they try to find other companies in the area that are good for your
business.”
WZ: “They are enormously focussed on investors from western Europe. This
doesn’t stop with the town hall. Also supervision of the inspectorate is very
professional. You really get the feeling that they have been instructed by the
Major himself.”
Wojciech Zipser: “And don’t forget that there are many Dutchmen farther to the
west and close to the German border. There are also many Dutch temporary
workforce agencies in Opole. Together with the farmers, the amount of Dutch
people in this region is pretty big.”
SB: “Raben has a branch office in Wroclaw, McCain has a factory here, Ernst
and Young, Verhoeven Transport…. There are quite a few Dutch companies
here and I expect that some Polish staff and Polish managers will come to our
events too. Furthermore there are three weekly flights from Eindhoven airport
to Wroclaw. For me that is also a sign that there is quite a lot Dutch business
here. I think it is not strange to assume that we can expect around 50 people
at our business drinks.”
Has there been an initiative for Dutch business drinks in the past?
WZ: “In the 90’s the Dutch days were organised in Poland, and there was quite
a substantial budget for these events. That was 10 – 15 years ago. It was a
nice event that lasted for a week and was held throughout Poland. Since then
many things have changed and we were never able to organise events that
attracted more than 10 people.”
Why do you think you will succeed now?
WZ: “That is quite simple. There are more Dutch people living and working
in Wrocław. At the end of the nineties, there were a handful of Dutchman,
supplemented with a few Dutch people temporaryly working for water
management projects in and around the city. That wasn’t enough to keep a
lively community with regular events.”
How about the other international Chambers in Wrocław. How active are
they?
WZ: “The British and the American Chamber are very active. The same goes
for the German Chamber. But many of the events are too big to be really
successful in helping make new business contacts. Our aim is to create
business value for our members and we will take an active role in that and
help people make contact with other members during our business drinks.”
What is your oppinion on the businessenvironment in Wrocław?
SB: “Wroclaw is one of the most booming cities in Poland. There has been
a significant expansion of the airport in Wroclaw with a new terminal that
increased the passengers capacity up to 3.3 milion per year. There is
Official opening starts with a business drink
The NPCC and the Netherlands Embassy celebrated the opening of the new
Chamber branch in Wrocław with a business drink in Art hotel in the city centre.
Present at the event was the board of the branch, Guido Vreuls, Wojciech
Zipser and Staf Beems , Chamber director Elro van den Burg (on the picture
right) and Toine van Poppel from the Netherlands Embassy (on the picture left)
as well as around 35 other members of the Dutch community in Wroclaw. The
branch will organise business drinks for its members on a regular basis as well
as other networking events. Go to our website to find a list with activities of our
Chamber in Wroclaw. The business drink in Wrocław has been sponsored by
the Netherlands Embassy in Warsaw.
Is there still enough staff available in Wrocław?
GV: “I think that you should no longer set up your business in Wroclaw, if you
are looking for cheap labour. Because there already are many companies like
that here. The city of Wroclaw is aware of that and informs the companies
likewise. However, Wroclaw has got a lot to offer to companies that are looking
for highly educated staff.”
And Wroclaw as a location for your BPO centre. Is there still enough
potential?
GV: “I think that there is still enough room for new companies. And the city
keeps organising cultural events and making itself attractive to foreigners.
Therefore the whole idea of attracting investors is much broader than only
showing them around or helping them to find a location.”
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general members
Chamber
Events meeting
roaring
goodrecently
time, been up to?
What has Athe
Chamber
Hol van de Leeuw Unites Dutch
soccerfans in Poland
In Warsaw, Poznan, Wroclaw and Cracow, Dutch fans have been gathering
in Het Hol van de Leeuw (The lion’s den) to cheer their national soccer team
during the UEFA EURO 2012 tournament
Football fans that didn’t have any tickets, had a great opportunity to watch the
Dutch matches on television in pub Lolek in Warsaw and in 4 other cities in
Poland, with other members of the Dutch community in this country.
Since the World Cup 2006 the Dutch community in Warsaw has created its
own fan zone during soccer tournaments featuring the national team. The
events are a joint cooperation between The Dutch Embassy, The Netherlands –
Polish Chamber of Commerce, The Dutch cultural club Punt.NL and The Dutch
Association Poolshoogte in Poland. To unite the individual matches to one
event, the name ‘Hol van de Leeuw’ (the lion’s den) has been invited.
During the matches in the four locations, Hol van de Leeuw has been raising
8900PLN for charity. Via a soccer poule (predict the match result and win
a prize) and the sales of sponsored orange gadgets (hats, shirts, shawls..)
money has been raised for charity purposes in Poland.
The organisation of Hol van de Leeuw wants to thank the sponsors and
supporters: Heineken, Raben and ING, pub Lolek in Warsaw, Club Kabaret in
Krakow, Hedro Farms in Wroclaw (Katy Wroclawski), Pub Ministerstwo Browaru
in Poznan and all the volunteers that made this event possible.
Professor Buzek awarded by IGCC
The Hol van de Leeuw has been a tremendous success. Hundreds of Dutch
people, dressed in the national color orange, wearing crazy outfits and making
lot of noise, have been gathering in Pub Lolek. Hilarious was the orange,
pimped Maluch (‘Fiat Polska’) cabrio, which was auctioned in 2006 and was
present this summer as well.
Everywhere orange, in Warsaw, Wrocław, Maluch...that was
Poznan and Kraków present in Warsaw
Several of our members took the opportunity to be present at the gala to
shake hands with professor Buzek.
On 18 May, the NPCC, together with the International Group of Chambers
(IGCC), organised ‘The Golden Euro Prize Gala’ in the Hyatt hotel in Warsaw.
During this evening, Professor Jerzy Buzek, the former Prime Minister of Poland
and President of the European Parliament, was awarded the Golden Euro Prize.
8900 PLN was raised for charity
The prize goes to an individual who, in the previous year, was deemed to be the
most active in promoting social and economic development in Poland and the
European Union as a whole.
“Quite a few excellent candidates were nominated, but in the end most votes
converged on a personality who has a true vision for a future, united Europe,”
said Cristiano Pinzauti, chairman of the jury.
Hol van de Leeuw in Poznań also attracted many fans
The chairman of the IGCC, Kenneth Morgan, said, “Prof. Buzek has
demonstrated throughout his very successful career that he really acts in the
best interest of the people of Poland, and indeed Europe. On behalf of the
foreign investment community in Poland, Prof. Buzek is a most worthy winner
of this award.”
Cheering and shouting at a Dutch goal
8
issue 39
Bulletin
IGCC breakfast meetings, inspiring
the business community
The NPCC organised a successful conference and discussion for Dutch
farmers on the topic ‘How to cope with the new 30% regulations’.
Poland recently changed its law on state-owned agricultural real estate. The
Agricultural Property Agency (ANR) will propose farmers who lease more than
429 ha of land to reduce the leased area with 30%.
During the conference, which was held at the premises of Zeelandia in Poznan,
around 35 farmers discussed how to react to the request to give up land.
During the conference, Remco van der Kroft (Lawyer and Board member of
the NPCC) and Toine van Poppel (Agricultural Counsellor of the Netherlands
Embassy) were present to answer questions. After a dinner
break, deputy director Mieczyslaw Szempinski of the ANR in Poznan was
present to answer specific questions from the farmers.
We would like to thank Zeelandia for offering the location, and Host Bio Energy
Installations for sponsoring the catering.
From left to right: Christiano Pinzauti, president of the Italian Chamber
of Industry and commerce in Poland, Minister of Finance Jacek Rostowski,
and Kenneth Morgan, Chairman of the IGCC
Jan Borkowski, has been appointed
the new Polish Ambassador to
the Netherlands.
The end of the business season was marked a very interesting event, organised
by the IGCC, the International Group of Chambers of which the Netherlands
-Polish Chamber of Commerce is a part. On 21 May, a business breakfast
was organised with Finance Minster Jacek Rostowski. The current chairman
of the IGCC, Kenneth Morgan, together with Christiano Pinzaouti from the
Italian Chamber, did an outstanding job as the hosts and interviewers of guest
speaker Mr Rostowski. Mr Rostowski presented his vision on Poland and the
world economy, providing some very interesting insights.
Jan Borkowski (07-08-’52) has been a member of the lower house of the
Polish parliament for the Polskie Stronnictwo Ludowe (PSL). From 1996-1997
he served as under-secretary of state at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From
2007-2012 he served as secretary of state at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Dr Jan Borkowski is the author of over 50 publications and articles devoted to
European integration and the editor or co-editor of several books. On 6 June,
Mr Borkowski presented his letters of credence to Her Majesty Queen Beatrix
of The Netherlands at Noordeinde Palace in The Hague.
Succesfull conference for farmers
Before he presented his letters of credence to the Queen of the Netherlands,
Mr Jan Borkowski met with Chairman Geert Embrechts of the NPCC, and Dutch
Ambassador Marcel Kurpershoek at the Netherlands Embassy in Warsaw.
Deputy director Mieczyslaw Szempinski of the ANR explained to the Dutch farmers about
the new law
issue 39
Bulletin
9
general members
Chamber
Events meeting
goodrecently
time, been up to?
What has A
theroaring
Chamber
NPCC partner for Euro2012
As one of the two organisations in Poland, the NPCC has been a partner to the
Royal Dutch Football Organisation (KNVB). We have delivered tickets from the
family contingent of the KNVB to its members. Unfortunately, our team failed
make it to the finals. Therefore, anyone who ordered tickets for those matches
will have their money returned. The KNVB have assured us that the money will
be returned in July. Many of you, however, did have a great time watching the
matches in the group phase in Kharkiv.
the same with the others of Team Orange of Match and More with whom I
watched the match. We would like to thank the Netherlands – Polish Chamber
of Commerce for arranging the tickets, and I am sure that after 10 years I will
still be proudly saying to my friends that ‘I was in Kharkiv with our Team Orange
of Match and More.’”
‘Orange Days’ in Poland with
Minister Schultz van Haegen
In May, Minister Schultz van Haegen (Infrastructure & the Environment) has
spent a few days during a working visit in Poland. A delegation representing
over 30 Dutch companies accompanied her on her visit to Warsaw. The visit
is aimed at further strengthening cooperation between the Netherlands and
Poland in the areas of infrastructure, construction, rail transport and water
safety. The visit took place during the Polish ‘Orange Days’, a themed week in
which diplomatic ties between the Netherlands and Poland are strengthened.
Willem Klein Klouwenberg: “13 June 2012 at 3.00 am, on my way to Schiphol
Airport to meet with Team Orange of Match and More to join the football
match the Netherlands versus Germany later that day in Kharkiv. Team Orange
consists of 5 male and 1 female fans completely dressed in orange and ready
to make a big party. After arriving in Kharkiv, we went straight to the Orange
Square and joined the crowd of fans in front of the stage. We saw a super
nice, singing, dancing, jumping event for at least 7 hours, and we all were
able to sing every Andre Hazes song that exists. Armin van Buren performed
a fabulous show and after his performance, together with 30,000 people, we
were part of the famous Orange walk to the stadium. After the game there was
still a good atmosphere among the fans back to Amsterdam. When I think back
to this day, I always have a big smile on my face, and I know that it is exactly
On the picture from left to right: Remco van der Kroft, Geert Embrechts, Melanie
Schultz van Haegen, Eric van Vliet, JanKees van Nieuwenhuis, Peter Heere
en Maurice Idsardi.
Ms Schultz van Haegen is positive about the mission: “The Netherlands is among
the top-10 countries investing in Poland. No fewer than 1500 Dutch companies
are active there. Poland is one of the European countries that has suffered
the least from the economic crises. In 2009 the economies of the eurozone
shrank, but Poland’s economy grew. This offers enormous opportunities for the
Dutch business community. Opportunities that several companies are already
grasping with both hands. For example, our companies have helped build the
stadiums at which the 2012 European Football Championships will be played.”
Team Orange on the Orange – Square in Kharkiv. From left to right: Pascal
Martens, Vincent Hovenstad, Wilco Ekkel, Meyke Harmsen, Willem Klein
Klouwenberg and Roderick van de Laar.
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Minister Schultz van Haegen spoke with representatives from the Ministry of
Regional Development about water management and urban development,
investments in infrastructure and the use of European funds. The Netherlands
and Poland agreed to cooperate more in the areas of public-private cooperation,
water management and waste management. The Minister asked that attention
be paid to the policy for tenders with which Dutch companies are confronted
on the Polish market. Ms Schultz agreed with Minister Nowak of Transport,
Construction & Maritime Economy to further develop the rail link between the
Netherlands and Poland. They also discussed the use of Intelligent Transport
Systems to increase the safety of road transport.
Queensday 2012 in Poznań
On the 12th of May, the lakeside of restaurant Oaza in Poznań
was decorated with Dutch flags and balloons, Dutch music wafts
from the speakers; The place was ready for the first big event
of the Netherlands Polish Chamber in Poznań,
the Dutch Queens Day. By Annemiek Dortmans
Luckily, the weather also contributed to the great
atmosphere; the sun was shiningbravely through the
clouds. For a proper kick-off, to get into the right mood,
guests were welcomed to the Queens Day party with
the traditional drink ‘Oranjebitter’ and orange pastry
‘Tompoezen’.
For the children, a variety of traditional Dutch games
was organized; they tried to win the egg-race by carrying
an egg on a spoon throughout a set circuit, they could
walk on stilts, see what it’s like to be a farmer and milk
their own cow, try to get the highest score shoving the
disks with ‘sjoelen’, or catch the sweetest candy from
a bowl of water with their mouth. All in all, they had a
great time. Parents of course could also join, and were
supported during the games with traditional Dutch
snacks: ‘bitterballen’ and ‘frikandellen’. Also, a bouncy
castle was set up for the children to jump and play on.
To conclude the games, there was a grand finale for both
the kids and their parents to enjoy: a mechanical rodeo
bull. All could show their skills on this ride, trying to stay
on the bull for as long as possible, whilst swinging one
hand in the air like a real cowboy. I must say that we
have quite some talented cowboys in Poznan; some of
the contestants even stayed on for a whole minute!
After the buffet, all were invited to join the Royal Couple outside, to have a
special conclusion of the night; each person was given an orange balloon,
with a card attached on which they could write their name. This was done
by everyone very carefully, because the balloon that was retrieved furthest
from Poznan, would be the winner of a very special price. After a countdown,
everyone released their balloon at the same time, which created a wonderful
sight in the evening sky. This was a great ending of a very rewarding and
fun celebration; Long live the Queen! The organization wants to thank all the
volunteers that made this event possible and the main sponsor of the evening
Boekestijn Transport.
1.
4.
2.
1. Prince Willem Alexander and Maxima
were present at the Queensday to
award the prize to the winner of the
drop-counting-contest. 2. Guests were
welcomed with the traditional oranjebitter.
3. For children a variety of traditional
Dutch games were organized (the
egg race, cow milking, shoving
disks, i.e. sjoelen and catch the
sweetest candy from a bowl of
water). 4. Both kids and their parents
enjoyed the mechanical Rodeo Bull
5. Enjoying the sun: The weather
contributed to the great atmosphere.
6.
Annemiek
Dortmans
opens the queensday 2012 in
Poznan. 7. After a countdown
everybody released their balloon.
3.
4.
5.
6.
All those games can sure make a man hungry! Therefore,
after the physical testing of jumping, running and
cheering, the buffet was opened, by our special guests
of this evening; Our Royal Highnesses Prince Willem
Alexander and Princess Maxima. We were very honored
with their presence, and they had come with a purpose:
the winners of the bull-riding contest received an award
from their hands, and all the children were rewarded with
got a gold medal for their outstanding performance in the
Old Dutch games.
7.
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Bulletin
Bulletin
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11
general members meeting
Annual
roaring good
time,
GeneralAMembers
Meeting
Year in review
Not all of the members of the Chamber were able to join our Annual
General Members meeting on 5 June. Therefore, in this article we
would like to present the main topics that were brought up, and to give
you an oversight of the activities that were undertaken by the NPCC
over the past year.
The year 2011 was marked by significant changes in the Chamber. To name
just a few, since January 2011 we have been operating as an official and
legal bilateral chamber of commerce, registered at the National Chamber
of Commerce in Poland (KIG). As a result, we now have a formal voice to
represent our member companies towards the Polish authorities.
This organisation is responsible for organising Euro 2012 in Poland. In 2011,
we also co-organised two tax seminars. This year we organised a conference
about simulation games and quite recently, in May, we co-organised an event
together with PAIZ offering information about investment incentives available
for Dutch investors on the Polish Market.
In the past year, the NPCC succeeded in increasing the success of our monthly
business drink, which is organised together with the Netherlands Embassy.
We have now an average of 70 visitors. The business drink offers a good
opportunity for sponsors to present their company to a large audience. This is
recognised by many companies, since we have no problems finding sponsors
for the business drink.
Just before the summer of 2011, the composition of the Board saw several
changes, with new Board members elected. During the summer we welcomed
our new director, Elro van den Burg, and in September our new Chairman,
Geert Embrechts, was elected. Both of them have initiated many new activities
in our Chamber. Special thanks are extended to Erik Drok for serving as the
Chairman of the board until the summer of 2011.
Events
Over the past year, we have carefully reviewed our events and programmes. We
attempted to increase participation and attendance from a group of members
that we have found difficult to reach. A good example of one such successful
new initiative is the CEO lunches. These quarterly lunches are organised for
CEO level participants at the Netherlands Embassy, in association with the
Netherlands Embassy.
Over the past year we have organised several conferences and seminars. We
offered our members the possibility to exchange information and hear about
the latest developments concerning the Euro 2012 during our conference
on the European Football Championship Euro 2012, which was held at the
Netherlands Embassy. The key speaker was CEO Marcin Herra of PL 2012.
The Chamber organised several CEO lunches for CEO level participants together
with the Netherlands Embassy in Warsaw.
In November we organised our ‘flagship event’, the Rijsttafel. Over 350
visitors enjoyed excellent traditional Indonesian food, prepared by the kitchen
of the Hilton Hotel and supervised by our own Rob Regenhardt. They saw a
performance of Adlicious from the Netherlands and listened to the Warsaw
Gamelan band. During a raffle, 20,000 PLN was raised for the Foundation for
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Corporate Social Responsibility ( FCSR), which used the money for meals for
poor children at 15 schools in the Zachodniopomorski region. Over the years,
we have seen more and more companies buying complete tables in order to
bring their clients and show them the rich Dutch/Indonesian culture during a
well-organised event. This year, the Rijsttafel will again be held in the Hilton
hotel and will take place on 29 September.
Feed provider De Heus wins the Dutch Polish Business Award 2011
In November, the Dutch - Polish Center for Trade (NPCH) and the Netherlands
- Polish Chamber of Commerce organised The Dutch Polish Business Award
(DPBA). The award was won by feed provider De Heus Sp. z o.o. On behalf
of the company, Mr Max van der Kwaak, CFO of De Heus Group, received the
award from Ms Beata Stelmach, Undersecretary of State of the Polish Ministry
of Foreign Affairs.
The jury of the DPBA decided to hand out the Economic Value Contributor
Award to Otto workforce, and the Incentive Award to Dimar Polska. The
ceremony was held in the Heineken Experience in Amsterdam. This year, the
DPBA will be held in Poland at the premises of Bank BGZ. It will be held on 15
November 2012. Please book this event in your calendar.
The IGCC, the International Group of
Chambers of Commerce, is a united platform
set up to improve communications between the
International Investment community and the
Polish Government. Being part of this platform,
we can offer our members the possibility to
address their issues to Polish statesmen.
Last year we organised breakfast meetings
between our members and Professor Belka,
and with the Ministers Rostowski (Finance)
and Sikorski (Foreign Affairs). Together with
the IGCC, we organised a gala evening with
Geert Embrechts meets Professor
Professor Buzek. During this evening,
Belka (right) during a business
Professor Buzek received the prestigious
breakfast
Golden Euro Award.
Survey
At the end of last year we conducted a comprehensive survey in order to
better understand the expectations of our members. The overall results of
the survey were encouraging. Out of the 30% response level (34 members
returned the questionnaire), satisfaction was rated above-average to high in
most categories. The Chamber’s magazine, ‘Bulletin’, received very high marks
as a source of information. In addition, our monthly business drink and our
annual Rijsttafel are highly valued by our members. The areas that show room
for improvement include our website and our newsletter, which some members
think lack functionality. Due to the remarks of our members, we decided to
organise the jobmarket online. This will better serve the needs for our members
across Poland.
The Bulletin is our 32-page glossy business magazine. Published on a
quarterly basis, it contains popular regular features, along with articles about
the Chamber, its members and important current business issues. The main
purpose of the publication is to promote our Members and their interests. Due
to its broad readership, it offers businesses and organisations the opportunity
to reach deep into the core of the business community with the latest news,
activities and services, along with flagging up important issues that they are
concerned about.
All our Chamber of Commerce members are added to our online Members’
Directory, which you can access at www.nlchamber.com.pl. This database,
which consists of almost 150 different businesses, enables you to raise your
company’s profile, and meet new business partners in Poland. On our website
you can find a member-to-member section with several promotions and ‘hot
deals’ for our Members. Furthermore, on the website you can find a selection
of our previous magazines, our events calendar and much more.
New board members elected and
financial statement approved
During the Annual General Members Meeting (AGM), the members of
the Chamber approved the financial statement and elected two new
board members.
During the General Members Meeting, our Treasurer, Maurice Idsardi,
presented the financial statement for 2011. The Chamber closed the previous
year with a small surplus. The legal restructuring at the beginning of 2011
meant that we have to have an administration that is in accordance with Polish
tax requirements. We outsourced the administration to one of our members,
who also took care of the VAT, CIT and PIT declarations. The Chamber has
statutory activities and non-statutory activities (such as advertisements,
the organisation of Rijsttafel, etc.). The second kind of activity is subject to
corporate income tax, which is why for 2011 we paid a relative high amount of
corporate income tax.
Our Audit Committee, which consists of Jasja van der Veen and Ferry Saur, has
checked our financial statements and concluded that these give a true and fair
view of the result for the year 2011 and the equity at 31 December 2011. During
the AGM, Ferry Saur was present to give a short explanation of the activities of
the Audit Committee.
During the AGM the following people were elected to the board: Peter van
Ooijen (CFO of ING Życie) and Peter Heere (Grupa Żywiec).
issue 39
Bulletin
13
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14
issue 39
Bulletin
general members meeting
Annual
roaring good
time,
GeneralAMembers
Meeting
Website PVV
Over the previous year, the Chamber has positioned itself more effectively
as an advocate for the Dutch business community in Poland. An issue that
raised our concern was a website set up by the Dutch Freedom Party (PVV)
of Geert Wilders. This site invited people in the Netherlands to denounce
nationals from Central and Eastern Europe that are causing a ‚nuisance’ to
Dutch society. According to the NPCC, this website could damage the image
of the Netherlands in Poland. Therefore, the Chamber took the initiative and
wrote an open letter of complaint to the Dutch Minister of Economic affairs and
requested that it continue to look after our interests and contribute to a correct
image of the Netherlands in Poland.
renewed in the future. The Agency will indicate which plots will be excluded
from the lease and will pay no compensation for the loss of investment in
buildings and equipment appropriate for the current size of their farms.
For foreign farmers, the impact of the law will be much greater, since they are
not allowed to buy the land back. The NPCC has, together with the bilateral
Chambers of Commerce in Poland from Great Britain, Germany and Ireland,
sent a letter of concern to several Polish Ministers, the Prime Minister and the
President, with a request to make adjustments to this law.
Regions
In 2012 we increased our activities in the regions of Poland. In March, the
Wielkopolska Business Club decided to become part of the NPCC. In May,
our Chapter in Wroclaw was established. Both the regional organisations have
their own board and are organising their own events, for instance the business
drinks. Don’t forget to go to these events, or to send your regional staff to these
business drinks.
Due to the success of the Chamber, we are finding that more and more
companies are interested in taking up sponsorship of the chamber. We are very
glad that BGZ Bank and Grupa Zywiec have continued their main sponsorship
for this year. We are also very pleased that ING Zycie has decided to become
the new main sponsor for the Chamber.
Hedro Farms in Wroclaw is one of the farms that faces reduction of their leased land
under the new law.
Another issue that worried the Chamber was the changes in the Agricultural
Real Estate law, and the impact this will have for Dutch farmers in Poland.
Under this new law, the Polish Agency of Agricultural Land (ANR) envisaged a
procedure whereby it will propose that farmers who lease more than 429 ha of
land reduce the leased area by 30%. Refusal will lead to the lease not being
During the raffle 20.000 PLN was raised
for the FCSR.
350 guests enjoyed the Rijsttafel 2011
issue 39
Bulletin
15
Recently DTZ was taken over
by the Australian company
UGL. This is a good moment to
sit down and have a talk with
Erik Drukker, deputy managing
director of DTZ Poland, to sum
up this deal and discuss the
latest developments in the office
market in Poland.
1616
issue 39 Bulletin
issue 39 Bulletin
DTZ Interview with deputy Managing
Let’s start with the biggest news in your company. The Australian
company UGL has taken over DTZ. What can you tell me about this?
“In short, in December, DTZ was taken over by the Australian support services
group UGL. The acquisition has brought us back to third place worldwide as
a property agency employing 27,000 staff worldwide including 300 in Poland
alone. The acquisition offers UGL an enhanced footprint across Asia, Europe
the Middle East and the Americas.
Could you elaborate on the current trends on the property market in
Poland?
“Since the financial downturn that hit from 2009, we have seen that particularly
Polish banks have become large lenders into the property market as foreign
banks stepped back from an earlier much more aggressive approach.
Banks are demanding that developers inject a larger chunk of their own
equity through contributing significantly more than the land cost (location
dependant) to the development
scheme. This results in the
requirement for a substantial
prelease for the buildings of
up to 30 to 40 per cent, whilst
previously
the vast majority of velopers
could achieve 100%
financing for delivering their
schemes on a speculative basis.”
“The acquisition has
brought us back to
third place worldwide
as a property agency
employing 27,000 staff
worldwide including 300
in Poland alone.”
What is the result of that?
“Due to a relative shortage of quality space on the market and the preleasing
required by developers (often marketing starts 18 months in advance of
building completion), we
have seen that tenants who previously hurried their acquisition processes
have turned into occupiers that are organised, structured in their approach
and have a vision of what they want to achieve on the market. We can see
that larger occupiers now commence their accommodation process as far as
three years prior to the expiry of their lease agreement.”
And if you don’t do this, will you end up paying too much?
“That is a possibility but more so one may end up with a workplace that is
not an ideal fit but rather a compromise. It also happens that when a contract
is getting closer to its end, tenants may suddenly come to realise that their
property is no longer available to them. And when you need to relocate on
short notice, it becomes clear that the quality or location does not meet the
needs of the organisation. However, when you do plan ahead, and decide to
prelease or renegotiate early, you are likely to be offered a far better price.
That is the market of today.”
How high is the vacancy rate in Warsaw?
“The vacancy rate is currently 7%. But things won’t stay like this. Currently
there is 650,000 m2 under construction. In a total market of 3.6 million m2,
that figure is significant enough to have an impact on the market. We expect
that over the coming two years, the vacancy rate will increase to 10 per cent
and possibly beyond.”
Are you seeing any changes in the hot property markets in Warsaw?
“The City Centre and Mokotów are still the most important markets with
35% of the market stock located in the city centre and Mokotow by itself
accounting for over 1M sq m. But we also see that Wola is the new and
upcoming office location. This is not so difficult to explain. There is not much
room for expansion to the north or the south of the city centre due to a lack of
available land plots. A good example is the Warsaw Spire building. This is the
first tower office building added to the market since Rondo 1 and located still
in the city centre (as per the official definition of the Warsaw Research Forum)
and the district of Wola, and will offer more than 100,000 m2 of top grade
office space.”
At what pace is rent developing?
“The prime office buildings are currently leased at 25 to 27 euro per m 2 per
month. Rents in non-central locations, such as Mokotow, are around 15 to 16
euro per m 2 per month. Rents will remain stable for the foreseeable future
and will not increase much at this stage because of the substantial amount of
new office space that will come to market in 2013 onwards.”
What can you say about the regions in Poland?
“In 2011, the level of new office space deliveries in the six major secondary
markets amounted to 119,000 m2, which meant a substantial decrease
compared to the previous three years. However, as a result of the improving
macroeconomic outlook, developers have increased their activity and new
supply will add an additional 270,000 m 2 over the next three years. We will
see the majority of completions in Wroclaw, Krakow and Tricity. Prime asking
rental levels have remained stable and vary between 12 – 16.5 euro per m 2
per month depending on quality delivered and location.”
Maybe we can highlight developments by city. Let’s start with the trends
in Kraków
“At the end of 2011, the office stock in Kraków reached almost 517,000 m2
which makes it the largest of all regional cities in Poland. Approximately
65,000 m 2 is currently under construction, which will translate into a relatively
strong supply in the next two years. Major leasing transactions that were
recently signed include the renewal of Shell in Kraków Business Park, and
Sabre in Buma Square. The vacancy rate in Kraków is now 7.8 per cent.
Taking into consideration the plans of BPO/SSC centres in Kraków, regarding
expansion, in my opinion the demand should remain healthy. Prime asking
rents in Kraków vary from 14 to 16 euro per m2, and on average rents are at a
level of around 13 euro per m2.”
Can you tell more about the second regional market, Wrocław?
“Wrocław is still a very popular destination for BPO/SSC centres and many
companies are expanding their operations to Wroclaw. For new entrants to the
market, this is also a key city on the assessment list due to the availability of
highly skilled labour. New supply in 2012 will reach 85,000 m2, and in 2013 it
will be 65,000 m2, bringing the total stock to half a million m2. The vacancy
rate is 5% and this is the lowest of all the largest regional cities in Poland.
Rental levels vary from 14-16 euro per m2 for prime property, to average
values that vary between 12-13 euro per m2.”
issue 39
Bulletin
17
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issue 39
Bulletin
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DTZ Interview with deputy Managing
The third largest city in terms of property is Tricity. What can you say
about this area?
“The total office stock in Tricity stands at 355,000 m2, out of which 208,000
m2 is located in Gdansk and 117,000 m2 in Gdynia. Pipeline supply
scheduled for 2012 amounts to 43,000 m2, and in 2013 will increase as much
as 65,000 m2. Given the growing interest of servicecentres in expanding their
operations in Tricity, demand for office space may result in a further drop in
the vacancy rate to 6 per cent at the end of 2012 (coming from 13 per cent at
the end of 2010).”
What can you say about Poznań?
“Poznań is following the market trend in terms of new supplies in 2011, which
was much lower than recorded over the 3 years prior to that. The office stock
grew by 10,000 m 2 and reached 246,000 m2. Pipeline supply scheduled for
this year and 2013 is likely to exceed 40,000 m2 per year, the highest values
recorded so far for the Poznań market. Poznań has attracted many corporate
investors from the automotive sector, the FMCG sector, the pharmaceutical
industry and others. Due to the relatively extensive availability of office space,
the city often appears on the short list of companies that want to open a
BPO in Poland. So far companies that have opted for Poznań include KPMG,
Microsoft Innovation, Roche, GlaxoSmithKline, IKEA and many others.”
At what pace are Katowice and Łódź developing?
“In Warsaw there is
currently 650,000 m2
under construction. In
a total market of 3.6
million m2, that figure
is significant enough to
have an impact on the
market.”
“Construction activities in both
cities are very low, almost frozen
due to weak demand and a high
vacancy rate. In Łódź, quite a lot
of office space has been built in
previous years after increased
interest from international investors
like Bosch, Accenture, Infosys,
Unicredit, Indesit and Dell. However,
construction activities in 2011
dropped as there was already
sufficient space available on
the market. Both cities are attractive alternatives for corporations from the
business services sector because of the rental levels for office space,
and Katowice offers immediate access to more than 2.2 million people living
in the Upper Silesia area. Prime asking rents in Katowice are 13-15 euro per
m2, and on average range from 11 -13 euro per m2. Prime asking rents in
Łódź are 12-14 euro per m2 and average from 10 -11 euro per m2.
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issue 39
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We i n v i t e y o u t o j o i n o u r
Rijsttafel 2012!
Hilton Hotel Warsaw
When: September 29, 2012
18.00-02.00
Dress code: Formal
Where:
Excellent traditional Indonesian food
Quality music and dancing
Enjoy networking
Raffle for FCSR
• Enjoy networking with around 400 members of the Dutch business community in Warsaw;
• Excellent traditional Indonesian food prepared by the Hilton kitchen supervised by our own Rob Regenhardt;
• Quality music and dancing. Watch a performance by 36 i 6. Dance to your heart’s content;
• Opportunities to promote your organisation. Join our other sponsors and market your business before and during this year’s
Rijsttafel. Contact us for details on sponsor packages;
•
Raffle to raise money for the Foundation for Corporate Social Responsibility (FCSR). You can win great prizes like two tickets to
an exotic far-away destination sponsored by KLM – Air France.
BOOK YOUR SEAT NOW TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENTS:
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Sponsors:
Organiser:
20
issue 39
Bulletin
Rijsttafel
From Indonesia with love...
The charity Rijsttafel, which takes
place on 29 September, is the
Chamber’s largest social event of
the year. Those who are joining will
experience a great party, but also
an exciting journey into the world
of Indonesian food.
The Netherlands’ colonial history began
with the Dutch East India Company (VOC).
In the seventeenth century, the company
established and captured trading bases on
the coasts of various Indonesian islands
in pursuit of the profits of the spice trade.
In the nineteenth century, the Dutch state
took over the administration of the entire
archipelago. Rebellions by Indonesians
against the spread of colonial control were
crushed, often with ruthless
force. Early in the twentieth century,
Indonesians began to strive for
independence and shortly after the Second
World War Dutch colonial rule was brought
to an end. The Netherlands East Indies
became the independent Republic of
Indonesia. Tangible evidence of Indonesia’s
colonial past can be found in objects,
recollections and family stories, but also in
a rich culinary heritage.
of Indonesia, the Dutch introduced the
rice table not only so they could enjoy a
wide array of dishes at a single setting,
but to also impress visitors with the exotic
abundance of their colony. Brought back
to the Netherlands by former colonials and
exiled Indonesians after Indonesia gained
its independence in 1945, the Rijsttafel was
predominantly popular with Dutch families
with colonial roots. Today, the rice table
has all but disappeared from Indonesia’s
restaurants and is served only by a handful
of fine-dining restaurants in Indonesia.
The Rijsttafel is still popular in Indonesian
restaurants around the world, especially in
the Netherlands and South Africa.
The Rijsttafel is an adaptation of the
Indonesian feast called Nasi Padang and
consists of many dishes accompanied by
rice prepared in several ways. The dishes
were assembled from many of the far flung
regions of Indonesia, where many various
cuisines exist, often determined by the
religion of the particular island or island
group. During their 350-year occupation
issue 39
issue 39
Bulletin
Bulletin
21
21
The new members of
Netherlands - Polish Chamber of Commerce
RCK engineering office
RCK is an independent engineering office specialising in building structures. We provide
structural documentation for permitting and executing steel, concrete and wood structures.
Our clients are architects, investors, building companies and steel factories. Around 70% of
our turnover is made in Poland, but we also produce workshop-drawings and sometimes
designs in other counties like Holland, Germany, Switzerland or Finland. We have our office
in Poznan and with modern software, a western approach of business and organisation, we
are successfully fast growing company on the Polish market.
ul. Sikorskiego 39 61-536 Poznań
tel.: +48 61 835 45 87 fax: +48 61 835 49 69
[email protected] www.rck-biuro.pl
Bart kwiaty
Bart kwiaty Sp. z o.o. Sp. K. has been active in the import of flowers, plants and greenery in
Poland for over 15 years. In this period, Bart Kwiaty has built a very strong position on the
Polish flower market and has been proved to be a reliable partner in business. We are a
branch of the Dutch company B.J.van Duyvenvoorde.
The name of the company comes from the name of the founder – Bart van Duyvenvoorde –
who started his activity over 30 years ago in the Netherlands. He stepped almost blind into
the Polish market, believing it would be a large market for flowers in Europe. He was right!!
We attach great importance to personal contact. Our professional and enthusiastic team of
staff are willing to provide advice and assistance. Our motto is ‘custom, personal attention
and good service’. View our website and discover Bart Kwiaty.
Bart Kwiaty Sp. z o.o. Ul. Zielona 5 62-002 Zlotniki k/Poznania
tel. +48 (61) 8 125 471 fax. +48 (61) 6 231 551
e-mail: [email protected] www.bart-kwiaty.pl/
POLBAU
Techno – Construction Plant POLBAU prides itself on more than twenty years of tradition.
The Company was established in the spring of 1989 in Opole, starting business activity on 5
June of that year. Its founder and owner is Andrzej Duda.
In 1989, POLBAU started from scratch without any personnel or technical facilities. Two
years of intensive work saw employment rocket up to nearly 1000 people, needed to
execute more and more construction contracts. Presently POLBAU is one of the largest
construction companies in Poland, providing employment for nearly 1500 people in many
domestic and foreign subsidiaries.
The company`s size and performance capabilities are supported by numerous distinctions
and quality certificates. However, the company’s prestige and good reputation is visible,
primarily in its construction achievements and presence in important investments in Poland,
Germany, Finland and recently in Holland.
POLBAU specialises in building shell works, but the company also operates successfully in
all other fields of construction industry. Among other things, it restores objects of cultural
heritage, builds bridges, power stations and performs much other construction work.
Owning to its professionalism, the company has for many years been the regular and
esteemed partner for investors specialising especially in industrial and public utility facilities.
Polbau Sp. Z o.o. ul. Grunwaldzka 25 45-054 OPOLE
tel. (+48 77) 454 32 88 fax (+48 77) 453 00 19
www.polbau.pl
Office in Holland: 33044EC Rotterdam
Galateestraat 7 tel./fax (+31 181) 77 16 42
Kochański Zięba Rapala and Partners
Kochański Zięba Rapala and Partners is a full service business law firm. It was established
in 1999 by advocate Piotr Kochański. KZR&P’s legal team currently consists of 29 lawyers:
advocates, legal advisors, tax advisors, trade mark and patent attorneys co-operating under
the leadership of 22 partners.
DEMOCO POLAND
With the emergence of new markets in Eastern Europe from 1989, the idea to give our
clients the opportunity to use our know-how in this part of Europe gave birth to DEMOCO
POLAND in 1994. Ever since, this company has built up a name as a trusted partner in
carrying out complex building investments. Now, Democo Poland has more than 60 trained
and skilled employees and construction workers.
We are proud of our solid organisation and already have more than 15 years of experience.
We are ready and equipped to execute any turn-key industrial, commercial, residential or
office project anywhere in Poland.
In addition to our constant attention to endure delivery on time, without compromising
quality and at a competitive price, our main strength lies in our ability to build bridges
between the local possibilities and the expectations of our, mainly foreign, clients.
A quick look at the number of different nationalities in our reference list shows what we
mean by connecting different cultures.
ul. Sowia 6/1 62-080 Tarnowo Podgorne
tel. +48 61 8168 000 fax +48 61 8168 001
NIP: 784-10-02-219 REGON: 630254000 KRS: 0000170741
Kapitał podstawowy: 500.000 PLN
BNP Paribas Bank Polska S.A. Oddział Poznań nr: 43 1600 1084 0004 0503 6245 4001
22
issue 39
Bulletin
The dedication, in-depth knowledge and practical experience in many different practice
areas allow our lawyers to service both local and international clients with comprehensive,
professional and trustful advisory and legal assistance. Our offices have cutting edge
IT systems, ensuring the quality of our services and allowing our clients to monitor
the progress of their files and to be connected to them 24/7, at their convenience.
We have been among the top positions in legal rankings for several years now (24 th
largest Polish law firm in 2011) and we are recommended as leading legal experts by such
prestigious legal publications as The Legal 500, European Legal Experts, Who’s Who Legal
and PLC Which Lawyer.
Kochański Zieba Repala I Partnerzy
Metropolitan, Plac Piłsudskiego 1, 00-078 Warszawa
Office open: Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
tel. +48 22 326 9600 fax +48 22 326 9601
[email protected] www.kochanski.pl
Mandersloot
Agrifirm Polska Sp. z o.o.
Mandersloot is a family company, founded in 1964, that has quickly gained an appreciation
from clients and is recognised as a reliable and professional partner.
Because of the very dynamic development in the Central and Eastern European market, and
because of the convenient location of Poland, Mandersloot decided to fund a subsidiary in
1996 – Mandersloot Polska Sp. z.o.o. Mandersloot Polska Sp. z o.o. specialises in logistic
services and refrigerated transport in Europe.
Agrifirm Polska is a producer of high quality and profitable animal feed concepts. As a
subsidiary of the Dutch based Agrifirm Group, we offer more than just animal feed products.
We invest a great deal of time in knowledge and innovative power. Our goal is to be a link to
success for our customers.
In Poland we have three factories, located in Wielkopolska and with a production capacity
of 300,000 tonnes in total. Agrifirm Polska produces feeds, concentrates and premixes
mainly for poultry, pigs and ruminants. Our production process is conducted according to
international standards ISO, HACCP and GMP + B1, and all of our feeds undergo detailed
quality control.
We deliver our clients a service of high and repeatable quality, meeting their requirements
and the requirements of the law concerning the health safety of goods.
The quality and the health safety of goods are always our priority and concern all actions,
undertaken in the company. To meet these standards, we have implemented the HACCP
System. Mandersloot provides logistics and transportation services of the highest quality,
supported by computer management systems.
It is our mission to create maximum value for our clients. We do this by generating
sustainable, profitable concepts, through which our customers can achieve optimal results.
In this process, customers are our main source of information and inspiration. Through
innovation, involvement and focus on results, we offer high quality products and sustainable
solutions for agricultural entrepreneurs in Poland.
Please visit our website and take a closer look at us!
www.mandersloot.eu
Agrifirm Polska Sp. z o.o. Ul. B. Chrobrego 52
64-500 Szamotuły Tel. +48 61 293 19 70
[email protected] www.agrifirm.pl
Belgium’s Best Sp z o.o.
Belgium’s Best Sp z o.o. was founded in 2006. From the beginning of its activity, Belgium’s
Best Sp. z o.o. imports and distributes Belgian top fermented beer in Poland. In our offer we
have over 200 different beers from about 28 Belgian breweries, with bottles from 25cl up
to 3 litres, and barrels from 15 up to 30 litres. We also sell gift packs, glasses of each offered
beer and even gadgets of some beers.
A distinguishing characteristic of the beers in our offer is that they are non-pasteurised, the
second or, for some beers, even the third fermentation, with an exceptional variety of yeast,
happens into the bottle, and the beer contains only natural alcohol.
The taste of the Polish people is becoming increasingly sophisticated, so we are gaining more
and more clients who appreciate the quality of our beers.
Our customers are primarily beer and alcohol shops, pubs, hotels and restaurants
throughout Poland. But also the number of private companies giving Belgian beer in gift
packs to their clients is growing. Thanks to a very good co-operation with the Belgian
breweries, we can offer the beers and an excellent quality of giftpacks at a very affordable price.
We invite you to visit our website www.belgijskiepiwo.com
Nieruchomości International
Poznan’s leading international specialist estate agent has been owned and operated by
multilingual Polish and Dutch nationals for over 12 years. A full range of professional support
services is offered to all clients, including Co-operation with notaries, architects, banks and
local government departments. Specialists in sales, purchases and rentals for commercial and
private property transactions -houses, villas and apartments , shops and offices, both locally
and nationally, as well as land sales, from large sites to small plots. A creative approach that
ensures the best results.
YOUR RELIABLE PARTNER IN POLAND
For all your real estate needs contact us:
Siebe Bosboom & Daria Sobczak-Bosboom - Nieruchomości International
60 – 348 Poznań (Poland) ul. Skarbka 40 A tel./fax +48 61 867 55 50
GSM +48 605 043 074 e-mail : [email protected]
www. international.gratka.pl
Eric De Geyter
Belgium’s Best Sp. z o.o. ul. Kosciuszki 20 62-300 Wrzesnia Polska - Poland
+48 61 436 50 65 biuro +48 61 436 55 16 fax +48 515 194 818 mob
www.belgijskiepiwo.com [email protected] [email protected]
Jake-Vision
Jake-Vision is a Polish television production company which was founded by Beerend Jan
Kepinski. We produce television programs and commercials of the highest quality. Two of the
talentshows that are produced by us are MUST BE THE MUSIC- TYLKO MUZYKA and GOT
TO DANCE - TYLKO TANIEC.
AGRARADA Sp. Ltd.
AGRARADA Sp. Ltd. started its operations in 1999. Founding of our Company was to supply
farmers with modern agricultural technique for cultivating, nurturing and przechowalnictwu
potatoes, onions and carrots. In carrying out the expectations of our customers have expanded
our range. Currently, it contains not only new and used machinery GRIMME company, but
also equipment for cultivation and cultivation of vegetables such as: Holaras, Ferbo, JANSEN
& HEUNING, FERRARI We also offer wheel tractor company Valtra and Challenger tracked
companies. The cultivation and sowing machines offer companies: POTTINGER, ALPEGO
and DAL-BO, and for precision TRIMBLE GPS device brand also sell farm trailer’s VAIA and
PRONAR, Tolsma’s ventilation and conveyor and sorting your GRISNICH. Supply of spare
parts and specialized service is also the main objects of our business
Many of our programmes are partly or wholly funded by sponsors and over the years JakeVision has become established as an expert in producing advertiser funded programms. We
also produced commercials and promotional DVD’s for brands such as: Rexona (starring
Robert Kochanek and Rafal Maserak), Axe (with Kuba Wojewódzki), Domestos (with Krystyna
Czubówna).
AGRARADA Sp. Ltd. Brzezimierz 12 55-216 Domaniów district Oławski
tel: +48 71 39 22 194 tel: +48 71 39 47 026 fax: +48 71 39 47 025
www.agrarada.pl
Contact us at Telephone number +48 22 379 41 91 or Fax number + 48 22 379 41 90
Address: ul. Europejska 14E, 02-964 Warsaw
With a team made up of top notch creative, and business management people, we’ve
cultivated an environment that’s fast paced and exciting and where things simply get done,
and get done well. We want to work with you to develop the best possible content that gets you
noticed and achieve your number one goal: INCREASE SALES!.
issue 39
Bulletin
23
Jake-Vision
face to face with Jan Beerend Kępiński
The Dutch – Polish television
director and producer, Jan Beerend
Kępiński, is the owner of one of the
largest Polish production houses,
JakeVision. Due to the success
of his company, you can find him
more often in the boardroom than
on the studio floor.
2424
issue 39 Bulletin
issue 39 Bulletin
Jan Beerend Kępiński is a household
name in Polish show business today. The
shows ‘Big Brother’, ‘Who wants to be a
millionaire’ or ‘Dancing with the Stars’ are all
made under his supervision. Kępinski was
born in The Hague but moved to Poland in
1995 to study at the famous film school in
Łódź. Already during this period he started
working for TVN as the producer of Big
Brother. Although he might be well known for
his work as a director of television shows,
he also makes infotainment programmes
and advertisements, and has even helped
produce a motion picture.
You are responsible for a long list of successful programmes on Polish
television. Which one of them do you like the most?
“Back when I was still studying, I directed the first edition of ‘Big brother’ for
TVN. This programme quickly became a huge commercial success in Poland.
Quite soon after that there were new successes. Around the same time we
started the Polish version of ‘Who wants to be a millionaire?’ with the presenter
Hubert Urbański. But there are many more, for instance ‘Dancing with the
stars‘ and the ‘Szymon Majewski show‘. One of the most exciting registrations
that I did was the concert of the Red Hot Chili
Peppers in Chorzów. We didn’t have any chance to
rehearse or to do it overagain whatsoever. It was
a really exciting project for all of the people that
worked on it, cameramen, producers and directors.”
How did you end up behind a camera?
make movies or serials. I am currently very much focussed on the big shows,
but drama is certainly something that I want to develop within my company.”
Can you tell me how you started your own company?
“During my studies I started working for Endemol. After I had made the show
“All you need is love”, I felt it was time to start for myself. Together with a
partner I founded the company Intergalactic. We bought the rights for Naked
Chef with Jamie Oliver. Knorr wanted to be the main sponsor for this show
and financed the serial 100%. We made this show for a period over six years,
and that is how things started. Now I have established a new company and
work only for myself under the name Jakedivision. We are producing the
large entertainment shows, but we also make infotainment and sponsored
programmes for special target groups. We are doing very well. We have a
staff of 50 people, and during production days this can reach 300.”
Does a director need to be a good manager?
“Absolutely. You can easily compare our work to that of a company in the
corporate world. Our clients are the viewers, who are very critical. If they don’t
like our products, our programmes will not continue on air. The director and
producer, as with regular managers, are working with a tight budget. Imagine
that product costs can reach from a couple of million zloty to more than ten
million.”
What are the current programmes you are making?
“In a way, the Polish
director Kieślowski was
an idol of mine and that
is why I decided to join
the film school in Łódź”
“I have been brought up on the movies of Krzysztof
Kieślowski (The Double Life of Véronique), Martin
Scorsese (Taxi Driver), Brian de Palma (Mission Impossible) and Francis Ford
Coppola (The Godfather). Their images still electrify me today. I always felt that
my place is behind the camera. In a way, the Polish director Kieślowski was an
idol of mine and that is why I decided to join the film school in Łódź, one of the
most renowned in the world. After that, since my father has Polish nationality, it
was not such a big step to decide to stay in this country.”
Did your class in the film school Łódź make a name for itself?
“Not so much. Out of my colleague students of the same year, many of them
became movie directors in Poland, but almost none of them are well-known.
However, one of them, Hoyte van Hoytema, has been executive director for
several Hollywood productions. He recently made Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy
with Gary Oldman and Colin Firth, and The Fighter with Mark Wahlberg and
Christian Bale.”
How come you don’t make movies?
“I rolled into the trade of television directing when I was still at school.
Directing movies is very intense, you cannot do more than two projects per
year. That is why it is very difficult to combine it with my current work. You often
see that it takes some time before producers of large shows have a chance to
“We recently finished the third edition of ‘Must be the
music‘. This show has beaten ‘The Voice of Poland‘ with
double figures. I also make a documentary programme
about neighbours’ quarrels. It has been a big step to do
less directing and focus on the entrepreneurial part of our
business. Currently you will see me talking more often to
businessmen than you can find me on the studio floor. I
rather make the deals now, and others do the directing.”
How do you sell your programmes?
“One of my tasks is to attract sponsors. Therefore, I mainly visit the large
companies in Poland. We also make niche programmes. We are currently, for
instance, working on a medical programme that is watched by less viewers,
but is cheaper to sponsor. Companies can gain a lot from these programmes.
Knorr, for instance, noticed that through the sponsoring of Naked chef, its
sales increased by 25%.”
What can you offer sponsors?
“There are several possibilities. One of them is product placement. When
the main character is washing his hands, you see a shot with the brand
name of the soap. And so on. We try to do this as naturally as possible. It is
sometimes difficult to convince sponsors that you cannot give your
characters a shirt or a hat with the company logo. In that way it would no
longer be natural, and would also be a lot less effective. We see that, in
Poland, product placement is still very popular, unlike in the Netherlands.
Take, for instance, the very successful cooking programme of Magda
Gessler, who is sponsored by Prymat herbs and spices. Therefore, I am
confident that there will be a lot of work for us in the years to come.”
issue 39
Bulletin
25
ADVERTISEMENT
26
issue 39
Bulletin
Column
Michał Szymański & Remy Vermunt
Michał Szymański
managing partner of
Money Makers S.A.
Market view
Economic growth in Poland is slowly but surely spiralling downward following the
situation in Europe.
May retail sales data show a drop of annual growth to 5.5% from 10.7% one
month before. After recording a recession in the Eurozone of -0.3% GDP(QoQ
change), May PMI (leading economic indicator) data do not support hopes for
rapid economic growth. As the financial information provider Markit noted, “PMI
signalled the steepest rate of decline in manufacturing and services output in the
single currency area since June 2009.” The worrying signal comes particularly
from France, where PMI sharply contracted, hitting a 37-month low. The data still,
however, give grounds for expectations that Poland is capable of achieving GDP
growth of around 2.5% this year.
If someone really wants to look for some positives, it is worth remembering that
so far every recession has ended. Currently, PMI is below 50 points (marking
contraction) for 10 months already. To compare, during the 2008-2009 recession,
the PMI for the Eurozone was below 50 points for 15 months.
Worse economic data has stimulated hopes for another round of quantitative
easing (QE), particularly from the FED. QE3 would certainly help the markets,
but its effect might be quite short- lived. The situation around QE2 proves that the
key to more sustainable growth on the markets lasting for more than a couple of
months is the perception of economic growth prospects. This is even more true
with respect to the Eurozone debt crisis.
Remy Vermunt
Owner Razorblade Sp. z o.o.
Economy is karma
In 2008, all of us were faced with the ”Financial Crisis” – as it was known. Not
long after that it turned into an economic crisis. Underneath, however, there has
been a break down in the fundamental motor necessary for a credit-economy:
trust. Banks proved to each other they were not to be trusted, and this severely
slowed down simple financial traffic.
If you cannot trust a bank… what does that mean? What IS a bank anyway? Is it
an institution that facilitates financial traffic, or is it a company wanting to make
as much profit as possible? I guess we thought it was the former, but it appeared
to be the latter. And if “top” managers get larger bonuses from short-term profit,
this will be what they are aiming for. This leads to an attitude and behaviour that
says, “I don’t care if I break up your trust in us, I just want to make as high a profit
as possible, as soon as possible, and I don’t care about the consequences for
you,my company or society as a whole.”
A similar attitude can be seen in Greece… government after government knew
the fiscal system was not in order, software infrastructure ditto and politicians, the
A Greek exit from the Euro looks inevitable to more and more investors, in order to
create a sustainable economic situation. The problem is a possible domino effect,
and the key to prevent it is primarily to defend Spain. One might even argue that,
in order to figure out if EZ countries let Greece go, one should primarily analyse
whether there is enough ground to believe that Spain can be defended from the
domino effect. The focus is on two main factors.
One is to reassure investors about the Spanish banking sector, since it is apparently
beyond the Spanish budget’s capacity to inject enough capital in the event of a
deepening crisis. Therefore, the Spanish banks need to be recapitalised using EU
support. Additional measures have to be taken to prevent deposits fleeing from
Spain, once Greece is on its way out of Euro. To compare, in Greece, within a
short time deposits decreased from 250 to 170 Eur bln out of fears of its possible
Euro exit. No banking system can sustain such a shock on its own.
Two, at the same time, some solid financing EU stand-by facility for the Spanish
government has to be in place, to show the markets that Spain can sustain
for enough time, even in the absence of financing from the bond market. The
Spanish banking recapitalisation agreement reached by the EU on 10-11 June
was received quite coldly by bond investors for two primary reasons. Firstly, if the
aid goes through the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) its means a worse
situation for private bondholders since debt to ESM is senior to “ordinary”
government bonds. That brings a risk of rating downgrades. Secondly, the EU
recapitalisation help will increase the Spanish debt-to-GDP level by around 9% (in
case of support of 100 bln Euro). This only underlines the importance of overall
Spanish short-term debt credibility, which might be helped by measures like the
mentioned stand-by facility.
Unfortunately, the EU is still lagging behind in this situation. For example, full
recognition of the losses and adequate Spanish bank recapitalisation should be
done quickly, before the second Greek election in mid-June at the latest. Instead,
it was only planned and the political will expressed on 10 June. That brings us
to the conclusion that a period of uncertainty and market volatility is ahead of
us, with many measures designed ad-hoc, and after, not before, market events.
administration and – let’s be honest – also normal people, were manipulating
and deceiving the system on a broad scale.
Now Greece has to pay the price. Or do we? The situation today is that the
Greek people have to vote for a government who have proved they cannot
be trusted, but at least – now – declare they will keep their promises to the EU
(Germany), probably because there is no other choice. Or the Greek people
can vote for a political party that has already stated they will certainly not keep
to this agreement, which will probably lead Greece to become a third world
country. At least that is what the experts say…
And how about us? What messages should we conclude? Do we keep on
pumping money into a national economy, which is in fact already bankrupt
(Greece), just because we are afraid of the effect on other economies (Italy,
Spain), or do we not?
Imagine us talking to our bank: “I am sorry guys, I cannot pay the mortgage
anymore, you should lend me more, or I will go bankrupt and you will certainly
get nothing. By the way, if you lend me more, you will probably get nothing back
anyway!” And the bank would even grant this request because they are afraid
that all your neighbours will also stop paying mortgages back!
What if Greece goes bankrupt, I mean officially, will it be the first domino that
brings down the whole system?
You cannot do (any) business without trust. Remember this when you try to profit
at the cost of anyone else, you are actually supporting an economy without trust,
which cannot exist…. Economy is karma.
issue 39
Bulletin
27
WILL YOUR
DUTCH POLISH
BUSINESS AWARD 2012?
COMPANY WIN THE
Save the date!
November
.
Bank BGZ
Warsaw
Poland
15
On November 15, 2012 the Dutch Polish Business Award
.
Ceremony will be held in Warsaw, Poland, at Bank BGZ.
If you are active in Poland and want to compete for this prize, please contact us!
For more information, visit the website of the
Netherlands - Polish Chamber of Commerce (www.nlchamber.com.pl)
or the NPCH website (www.handelsbevordering.nl).
For more information about qualifying for this award, contact the
NPCH office, Marieke van der Wilk, +31 (0)70 344 15 54 or [email protected]
Combine this unique event with your
business appointments in Poland!
28
Netherlands-Polish
issue 39 Chamber
Bulletin
of Commerce
News
from our members
Randstad: Tranquility among
employers
Fourteenth edition of the survey results „Plans
of Employers” conducted by Randstad
Research Institute, show that employers
predict a recession and economic growth
over the next six months. With the growing
economic optimism increased the number of
companies that over the last 6 months have
increased the salaries to their employees
(from 26% to 36%). As many as 93% of the
representatives of the surveyed companies
agree with the statement that workers 50+ are
good professionals, and almost every second
(41%) believe that the company employing
them gains on efficiency.
Agnieszka Bulik
Member of the Managing
Board of Randstad
According to 14th edition of the survey „Plans
of Employers” conducted by Randstad
Research Institute, significantly increased
the number of companies which forecast
economic growth over the next six months
(from 11% in November 2011 to 19% in April
2012). At the same time fewer and fewer of
the surveyed companies are afraid of the
recession (28% in November 2011 vs. Of 15%
in April 2012).
“Results of the fourteenth edition of the
survey „Plans of Employers” conducted by
Randstad Research Institute and TNS OBOP“
Analyzing the results of the survey of employers, we can expect an increase
in sense of security among workers - says Agnieszka Bulik, Member of the
Managing Board of Randstad. – It is apparent significantly more frequent than
in the previous quarter, in statements of employers, according to which during
the next six months employment in their companies will remain at the same level
(65%). New jobs can be expected while in every sixth company (17%). In addition,
summer season, which brings us temporary job growth, can strengthen peace in
the labor market.
Employment of new employees in the production departments is planned in
almost every third company participating in the research (29%) - they are mainly
construction (46%) and industrial companies (42%). Second biggest employment
opportunities can be expected by sales staff (12%), who will be sought primarily
by enterprises engaged in trade and repairs (25%).
For the wage increases we will have to wait
With the growing economic optimism there was a significant increase in the
number of companies which in the past 6 months increased the salaries of their
employees in comparison to the previous quarter (36% vs. 26%). They consisted
mainly of entities engaged in the export-import activity (47%).
As for the plans for the next 6 months, in contrast to the results of the previous
edition of the survey, significantly more companies declare that salaries will
remain at the same level (66% in November 2011 vs. 76% in April 2012). Wage
growth in the next six months is declared by significantly less employers (24% in
November 2011 vs. Of 14% in April 2012).
Workers 50+
The decision of the Government on pension reform raises the question of interest
in hiring workers aged 50 +. Apart from the questions asked cyclical in each wave
of the survey, we have examined attitudes of respondents to this group.
Workers aged 50 + are employed by the vast majority of employers participating
in the survey (94%). These are mainly companies employing 250 or more people
(99%). Only 6% of respondents said that they don’t have employees at this age.
This were mainly small companies employing from 10 to 49 employees (12%) and
companies involved in trade and repairs (11%).
Andrzej Miller
brews the
best Polish
homemade
beer
The tenth Polish homebrew
contest has been won by a
Polish brewer from the city of
Szczecin. Andrzej Miler was
able to prevail over 131 other local brewers from Poland. At the end of the
festival he was crowned in the city of Żywiec as the Grand Champion 2012
of the birofilia a festival which is organized by Grupa Zywiec. In December he
will be allowed to recreate his Smoked Bockbeer on a commercial scale in the
Castle Brewery in Cieszyn, based on his initial recipe. I knew that my beer is
very tastefull”, Miller said. “Together with my father we have brewed this beer
and besides that it is a good product it is great to have this common passion
together.”
Poland hopes to keep
SEZs open until 2026
A proposal to extend the lifespan of the 14 special
economic zones (SEZs) in Poland was recently
submitted to the Sejm, the lower house of the
Polish parliament, by the Ministry of the Economy. The zones are currently set
to remain open until 2020, as stipulated by existing EU laws. The submitted
measure aims to extend this date to 2026. The government has realized that it
is crucial to keep the SEZs as attractive to investors as possible, since they act
as major incentives for the largest investment projects in Poland. The fear is
that once the zones lose their special status in 2020, investments in Poland may
decline.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the Chancellery of the Prime Minister said
that “special economic zones (SEZs) would be the only major source of new
investments in the next three years.”
EU funds designated to financing for new investments for 2007-2013 have already
been exhausted. The amount that will be available for 2014-2020 has yet to be
determined, and will probably not be accessible until the middle of 2015. This is
why the government is so keen to keep the SEZs open for as long as possible.
Legislation is already in the works that could potentially keep the zones open
indefinitely.
issue 39
Bulletin
29
Columns
Remco van der Kroft & Pawel Mlicki
Remco van der
Kroft
Advocaat (Dutch
licensed lawyer) and
partner of Olczak-Klimek
van der Kroft Węgiełek
Summer Contemplations
My family is part Polish and part Dutch and the help is from Ukraine: not uncommon
in these parts. During the UEFA tournament, it seemed like a pretty good guarantee
that we would have a team to support after the group phase, but as it turns out,
none of “our” teams came through.
After the embarrassing loss of the Orange team against Denmark, Ukraine became
our family’s only hope, but ended up being a victim of UEFA’s refusal to embrace
modern technology. Analysts in the Netherlands are tumbling over each other to
decide what happened. I think we need a coach with fresh ideas. Maybe it is time
for the Dutch team to have a Spanish or German coach. They could even join in
singing our national anthem with phrases like “am I of German blood” or “I have
always honoured the King of Spain.” Thanks to this column, I can finally give my
opinion on Dutch football in print, although I am all but recognised as a football
expert, nobody else would probably let me say things like that.
Paweł Mlicki
Ph.D. Deputy Director
Dehora Consultancy
Group.
These two concepts, trust and business, have always been closely interrelated and
tied together. In whatever industry one does business, in order to be successful one
has to establish and maintain good, trust-based relationships with other people,
whether these are employees, partners or clients.
Trusting others and being trusted is particularly indispensable for long-term cooperation. When a one-time deal only is expected, cheating, and thereby proving
one’s untrustworthiness might seem to be an attractive option. On the other hand,
a loss of reputation might always entail, in particular due to new technologies and
new media, which easily and with almost no delay allows information to be spread
and obtained.
In this column I will address the issue of trust from a more theoretical perspective,
next time I will refer to empirical data regarding trust in commerce in Poland.
Doing business frequently resembles a social dilemma. In such a situation (1)
the interests of the participants are partly opposed and partly convergent, (2)
they have no or limited information as to the reputation of the partner, in particular
whether they can trust one another, (3) they have to take their commercial decisions
simultaneously, that is to say without knowing in advance what the other partner
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The Dutch in Warsaw have at least one thing to be happy about. Thanks to Euro
2012, the trip Warsaw-Amsterdam has been shortened by about three hours with
the help of two new stretches of highway, which would otherwise probably have
been finished in 2015. The construction of the A2 Stryków-Warsaw was halted
because the lowest bidder from China could not deliver, but thanks to the sense
of urgency created by Euro 2012, at one point 800 men were working on 12 km
of highway day and night to meet the Euro deadline, and miraculously they did.
What has Poland gained from Euro 2012? Four new stadiums, one new highway,
an unfinished second metro line in Warsaw, a ring road around Wrocław, a lot of
unfinished roads, a few new airports and some nice coverage on worldwide
television.
Besides a better road connection and much disappointment, Euro 2012 has also
brought the Dutch a lot of business in Poland, contributing to the stadiums in all
four host-cities, and the airports in Warsaw, Wrocław, Poznań, Lódź and Cracow.
The most notable contribution constituted the delivery of 111 pollard willows
around the National Stadium in Warsaw by a Dutch tree nursery: history repeating
itself. Although the pollard willow is typical for the Mazovian landscape, few
Varsovians know that Dutch settlers in the 16th century started to truncate willows
on a large scale to stabilise the land regained from the Vistula river and to protect
their homesteads from lightning.
As I write this, we are just through with the quarter finals. The semi-finals will be
between the enfants terribles of the Eurozone, Spain, Italy, Portugal, and the selfproclaimed saviour of the Euro, Germany. In the quarters, Germany already clearly
showed Greece who rules on the Europitch, if Angela Merkel did not make this clear
already. Football may no longer be war (as we used to say in the Netherlands), but
it is full of politics: will Germany be showing the south of Europe that it is all about
hard work, or maybe Mediterranean flair will prevail, as it did four years ago…
will do, and (4) there is a conflict between a tendency to maximise self-interest and
a tendency to maximise the interest of the collective.
Let me give an example. If, for simplification reasons, we limit the setting to just 2
parties, let’s call them A and B, both are collectively better off when they collaborate
(let’s say they have a profit of 8 Euro each). However, if A pursues an individualistic
strategy while B co-operates, then A will have the highest pay-off (10 Euro) while B
will be the loser (2 Euros). When both are tempted by a high profit and decide to
behave individualistically, the pay-off for each will be just 4 Euros.
Clearly, in a social dilemma there is an incentive to be non-co-operative because
whatever the partner does, one is better off by defecting from co-operation:
10>4 and 8>2. However when both partners succumb to it, they individually
and collectively lose: 4<8. That is why non-co-operative behaviour is a dominant
strategy for both partners if their primary motive is to maximise their own profit.
Let me stress that this pattern of profits is a characteristic of the situation, not of
personalities. The adopted behaviour, on the other hand, is obviously resultant
from what people think, feel and desire.
In numerous empirical studies (conducted in the laboratory as well as in real life
settings) it has been systematically found that people do indeed tend to adopt a
dominant, individualistic strategy. As we have seen, however, this behaviour yields
a suboptimal result for both. If they trusted one another and believed that the other
one would also choose co-operation, then collectively and after all also individually
they would be better off.
Real life business situations very frequently resemble the one described and briefly
analysed above. That is why it is so important to find a solution to this inefficiency
problem and to help business partners choose co-operation. Next time, with
reference to some empirical data, I will discuss the issue of mutual trust in Poles
compared to other nationalities, and will address its impact on business activities
in Poland.
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