Each Chamber being a member of IGCC is equally represented on the Board and able to contribute to define the action plans and activities of the organization. The IGCC started in 2005 with four Chambers as founding members – American, British, French and Italian. Today IGCC is a group of 16 Chambers of Commerce representing 22 Countries and over 2000 companies employing hundreds of thousands people, representing the most significant foreign investments in the country.
Poland represents an important partner for growth and development for all the companies who invested in this market. There is also great opportunity to attract significantly more foreign direct investment in different economic sectors. The knowledge across the world about what Poland means from a business perspective is becoming more widely known through the track record of successful FDI and strong economic development.
IGCC is well placed to help create the best framework for investments and growth in Poland bringing international business community experience, capital and know-how. IGCC supports the interests of its members through activities including:
- Keynote meetings to address directly senior Government officials and decision-makers
- Joint statements on pressing issues affecting in the business environment
- Business climate surveys and reports.
The role of IGCC is to maintain and actively develop cooperative relations with the Government and support the process to make Poland an attractive place for foreign investors for mutual benefit to the investor and local community.
IGCC Presidency
Each member Chamber holds the Presidency of IGCC for a six-month term.
The current Chair (January 2024-June 2024) is held by the Polish-Portuguese Chamber of Commerce.
The rotation is followed in this order:
- Polish-Canadian Chamber of Commerce
- Polish-Romanian Bilateral Chamber of Commerce
- Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Poland
- German-Polish Chamber of Industry and Commerce
- Irish Polish Chamber of Commerce
- Polish-Israeli Chamber of Commerce
- British-Polish Chamber of Commerce
- French-Polish Chamber of Commerce
- American Chamber of Commerce in Poland
- Polish-Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce
- Belgian Business Chamber
- Polish – Spanish Chamber of Commerce
- Netherlands-Polish Chamber of Commerce
- Advantage Austria
- Scandinavian-Polish Chamber of Commerce
- Polish-Swiss Chamber of Commerce
- Polish-Portuguese Chamber of Commerce
IGCC meet every month for working meetings to discuss the strategic challenges and opportunities facing our member companies, and appropriate actions to take.
Business Environment Principles
Business Environment Principles
Our Business Environment Principles are a common understanding of IGCC member Chambers of how business is conducted to be win-win for the investor and the receiving country to create prosperity for all sides.
1. Equal treatment of investors
2. Predictability of the legal environment
3. Quality of legislation preceded by consultations
4. An effective judicial system
5. Mutual respect
1. Equal treatment of investors
When foreign and domestic investors are treated equally and fairly, subject to non-discriminatory laws and regulations in a transparent, open environment, all businesses can operate freely under the principles of fair competition regardless of origin.
2. Predictability of the legal environment
Laws that are stable, that are not applied retroactively, and that can be interpreted in the same way across the country allow companies to effectively plan their activities and investments, build strong ethics into their practices from the get-go, and optimize their relationship with society by paying their fair share of social costs as well as adhering to high standards of labour, health, and environmental protection based upon acknowledged, country-wide norms.
3. Quality of legislation preceded by consultations
Public consultations held during the process of writing legislation can serve to increase the stability and predictability of the economic environment. Effective public consultations build cooperation and trust – and where followed by good laws are crucial to building an innovative economy in which openness, a willingness to play by the rules, and an intolerance for corruption unite all participants.
4. An effective judicial system
Investors place high value upon the efficiency and soundness with which an effective and independent judicial system manages litigation in commercial and regulatory cases. They also look for fairness in the interpretation of the law, including in cases of taxation. Clarity and consistency are key drivers of an effective legal system.
5. Mutual respect
Mutual respect is an indispensable ingredient of a positive investment and business climate in which all stakeholders enjoy a positive outcome.
Joint Statements
IGCC actively support the creation of a good business environment for companies to invest and operate in Poland in line with our Business Environment Principles. Our Joint Statements represent our position and act as an invitation to dialogue with the Polish Government on issues of significant influence to fair and sustainable business operations in Poland.
Some issues affecting business operations which we have raised with Ministries and/or the President of Poland include:
- Regulatory barriers concerning the employment of foreigners
- Inefficient regulations and process for public tender projects
- Limitation on sales of dermo-cosmetics in pharmacies
- Concern over institutional changes affecting the independence of the Polish court system
- Amendments to renewable energy law affecting existing investors
IGCC’s comments to the Act of 1 October 2021 amending the Act on personal income tax, the Act on corporate income tax and some other acts. Letter addressed to Mr. Kazimierz Kleina, Chairman of the Committee on Budget and Public Finance.
Date of issue: 13.10.2021
Letter requesting consideration of giving employers the possibility to verify vaccinated persons, addressed to the Minister of Health, Mr. Adam Niedzielski.
Date of issue: 12.10.2021
IGCC’s comments and opinion on the RES Act of 20 February 2015 regarding the possibility for an electricity generator to apply for an extension of the deadline for fulfilling the obligation. Letter addressed to Mr. Ireneusz Zyska, Secretary of State in the Ministry of Climate and Environment, Government Plenipotentiary for Renewable Energy Sources.
Date of issue: 01.10.2021
IGCC’s comments and opinion on the draft regulation of the Minister of Finance, Funds and Regional Policy amending the regulation on transfer pricing information with regard to corporate income tax. Letter addressed to Mr. Marcin Jamroży, Director of the Transfer Pricing and Valuation Department at the Ministry of Finance.
Date of issue: 24.09.2021
IGCC’s comments and opinion on amendments to the Corporate Income Tax Act regarding the introduction of the so-called minimum income tax, the so-called hidden dividend and the tax on passed-through income. Letter addressed to Mr. Henryk Kowalczyk, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Public Finance.
Date of issue: 15.09.2021
IGCC’s comments and opinion on the draft law amending the Law on Personal Income Tax, the Law on Corporate Income Tax and some other laws addressed to Mr. Marcin Jamroży, Director of the Transfer Pricing Department at the Ministry of Finance.
Date of issue: 30.08.2021
IGCC’s comments and opinion on the draft law on amending the Law on Personal Income Tax, the Law on Corporate Income Tax (CIT Law) addressed to Mr. Jan Sarnowski, Undersecretary of State at The Ministry of Finance.
Date of issue: 30.08.2021
IGCC’s position on the amendments introduced as a result of the second round of public consultations of the draft Regulation on the assessment of applications in the offshore determination procedure adressed to Mr. Andrzej Adamczyk, the Minister of Infrastructure.
Date of issue: 26.08.2021
IGCC´s letter requesting consideration of obtaining by employees access to data on vaccinated persons in relation to the change in personal limits and the exclusion of vaccinated persons from limits, addressed to Mr. Jan Nowak, the President of the Personal Data Protection Office UODO.
Date of issue: 26.07.2021
IGCC’s position on the announcement of the Polish government, presented at the conference on April 1, 2021, regarding rents for tenants in commercial facilities with an area of more than 2,000 m2 addressed to Mr. Mateusz Morawiecki, Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland and Mr. Jarosław Gowin, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Development, Labor and Technology.
Date of issue: 23.04.2021
The positions, comments and opinion of the IGCC on the document functioning under the title “Tax clarifications on transfer pricing No. 4 – presumption and due diligence referred to in Art. 11o paragraph. 1b of the CIT Act and Art. 23 for paragraph 1b of the PIT Act ” addressed to Mr. Jan Sarnowski, Undersecretary of State and Mr. Marcin Jarmożny, Director of the Transfer Pricing and Valuation Department at the Ministry of Finance
Date of issue: 19.04.2021
IGCC letter requesting the repeal or temporary suspension of the provisions of Art. 11o paragraph. 1a and paragraph. 1b of the CIT Act. addressed to Mr. Tadeusz Kościński, Minister of Finance, Funds and Regional Policy.
Date of issue: 19.04.2021
IGCC’s position on the Act on additional revenues of the National Health Fund, the National Monument Protection Fund and the creation of the Fund for Supporting Culture and National Heritage in the Media Area addressed to Mr. Tadeusz Kościński, Minister of Finance, Funds and Regional Policy.
Letter issued: 12.02.2021
IGCC position on the draft of the Amendment to the Act on Competition and Consumer Protection and certain other acts published on January 14, 2021 (UC69).
IGCC questionnaire “Surviving Covid-19:The Impact of the Pandemic on companies’ business activity in Poland”
Member companies of the Chambers in the IGCC were invited to participate in a survey assessing the impact of COVID-19 on their operational and financial activities on the Polish market as well as their business and investment outlook for the time after the lockdown exit.
PRESS RELEASE
IGCC letter concerning changes in the media market in Poland addressed to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Digitization, Mr. Mateusz Morawiecki.
Date of issue: 24.09.2020
IGCC postulates regarding the aviation sector in Poland and the need to restore full international air traffic.
IGCC’s letter addressed to the Secretary of State and the Government Plenipotentiary for the Central Communication Port for the Republic of Poland, Mr. Marcin Horała.
Date of issue: 02.09.2020
IGCC’s letter concerning the resumption of international flights addressed to Minister Marcin Horała (Ministry of Infrastructure) and Minister Jadwiga Emilewicz (Ministry of Development)
(Document in Polish)
Date of issue: 1.06.2020
PRESS RELEASE
English version >>>
Polish version >>>
IGCC’s letter to the Polish Minister of Development the Public regarding the lack of systemic solutions supporting entrepreneurs in tax settlements, in relation to the postulates addressed to the Ministry of Finance.
(Document in Polish)
Date of issue: 25.05.2020
IGCC’s request to the Public Procurement Office to interpret the provision of the PPL on the recognition of qualified electronic signatures.
(Document in Polish)
Date of issue: 19.05.2020
IGCC’s postulate concerning the PFR Financial Shield Programme for the small and medium-sized enterprises sector.
(Document in Polish)
Date of issue: 5.05.2020
Postulates of the IGCC regarding withholding tax requirements
(Document in Polish)
Date of issue: 30.04.2020
Postulates of the IGCC presented in consultations on amendments to the CIT and PIT Act
(Document in Polish)
Date of issue: 30.04.2020
Postulates of the IGCC concerning discrepancies in the definition of a ‘small’ and ‘medium’ enterprise in relation to the aid granted by the regional Labour Offices within the so-called Anti-Crisis Shield.
(Document in Polish)
Date of issue: 30.04.2020
Postulates of the IGCC regarding the so-called Financial Shield of the Polish Development Fund (PFR)
(Document in Polish)
Date of issue: 22.04.2020
Summary of the conference of representatives of entrepreneurs affiliated in the IGCC with representatives of the Ministry of Finance which took place on the 8th April 2020.
Date of issue: 9.04.2020
Additional IGCC postulates prepared after the videoconference with representatives of the Ministry of Finance. (Document in Polish)
Date of issue: 10.04.2020
IGCC additional proposals to the so-called “Anti-Crisis Shield” related to labour law addressed to the Polish Minister of Development and the Polish Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy. (Document in Polish)
Date of issue: 2.04.2020
Key Note Meetings
Key note meetings
IGCC organize meetings with Ministers and key senior institutional leaders holding decision making authority in Poland that influence the economy and legislation. The meetings are an excellent forum to hear perspectives from Polish leaders and to raise concerns of importance to foreign investors in Poland.
Meeting with the representatives of the Ministry of Finance, Development Funds and Regional Policy
The meeting took place on the 26 of May 2021 and it was a part of the Ministry initiative “Dialog z Biznesem”.
During the meeting with the representatives of the Ministry of Finance, participated more than 130 representatives from companies associated with the International Cambers who are a part of the #IGCC (International Group of Chambers of Commerce).
The meeting was attended by Minister of Finance Mr. Tadeusz Kościński, Ambassador of Belgium to Poland Mr. Luc Jacobs, President of the Belgian Chamber of Commerce Mr. Pierre Detry and Deputy Minister Mr. Jan Sarnowski and Mrs. Anna Chałupa.
The resume of the meeting can be found here: Resume_meeting with Ministry of Finance
Meeting with the Government Plenipotentiary for Foreign Investments Mr. Grzegorz Piechowiak
On the 24th of March 2021 as the President of the International Group of Chambers of Commerce, the Belgian Business Chamber organized online meeting with Government Plenipotentiary for Foreign Investments Mr. Grzegorz Piechowiak.
The meeting was opened by a welcome speech of the President of the Belgian Business Chamber – Mr. Pierre Detry and Mr. Ambassador of Belgium to Poland – Mr. Luc Jacobs.
Before the speech of Government Plenipotentiary for Foreign Investments, Mrs. Eliza Przeździecka, Director of Institute of International Economics – Warsaw School of Economics, Chief Economist – AmCham, made a review of the latest Foreign Direct Investment Report.
After the publication of FDI report, we discussed with Government Plenipotentiary for Foreign Investments about the results of the report and created an opportunity for associated members to ask a representative of the Polish government bothering questions in this area.
Networking was organized by the end of the meeting.
The moderation was provided by Richard Stephens, Founder & Editor of Poland Today.
The summary of the meeting can be found here: Resume_meeting with Grzegorz Piechowiak
IGCC Doing Business meeting
To conclude the six-month British presidency of the International Group of Chambers of Commerce, members gathered for a business breakfast on 17 December 2019 to discuss Poland’s performance in the World Bank’s 2020 Doing Business report. Much of the meeting focused on the most pressing issue for businesses in Poland in recent years – the ease of paying taxes. Sagita Muco, senior economist at the World Bank and Mikołaj Woźniak, tax partner at PwC Polska, presented the report’s findings.
The release of the World Bank’s annual Doing Business report is always widely anticipated by inward investment agencies, location selection managers, COOs and politicians. Ranking countries by ten metrics relating to the ease (or not) of setting up and running a business across nearly 200 countries often provokes bitter controversies. Poland – which had made its way from 75th in the table in 2008 up to 24th in 2016 – has now slipped back to 40th place. One needs to remember though that the Doing Business score is relative – it compares Polish economy with other countries, and the progress Poland has made since 2010 is outstanding. The slipping back has happened largely because other countries are reforming at a faster pace.
Ease of paying taxes has been one of the main topics for the IGCC for years.
As the example of Estonia shows, the reputation of being a business-friendly economy does not depend on the tax rates solely. To a great extent, the simplicity of paying taxes counts – whereas the average time that a company needs to dedicate to tax compliance amounts to an average of 162 hours across OECD countries, it takes 334 hours in Poland. The digitisation and TaxTech solutions that have been introduced in Poland in recent years set out a very good trend, yet they were focused primarily on making tax collection easier for the tax authorities. The best example of such tool is the SAF-T file (JPK) that provides the tax authorities with much information in one file, but for the companies, especially at the time of its implementation, it was a revolution for which they were not prepared. As stressed by Mikołaj Woźniak from PwC, to achieve a friendly business environment, TaxTech solutions need to support companies as well making tax compliance easier and less time-consuming.
(un)discovered Łódź: study visit to Łódź
Representatives of bilateral chambers within the IGCC took part in a study visit to Łódź at the invitation of the Mayor of the City of Łódź, Hanna Zdanowska, on 20 and 21 November 2019 . Participants had the opportunity to visit the city, which in the 19th century was a thriving textiles manufacturing centre, and in the 20th century became the centre of Polish film. This can be seen in the architecture of the city. Today, many post-industrial buildings have been transformed into flats and lofts (Scheibler’s factory in Księży Młyn), commercial buildings (Manufaktura) or modern business premises (Łódź Special Economic Zone). This is possible thanks to the city’s extensive revitalisation programme, which has been underway for several years. Łódź will host a green expo in 2024.
The city has been experiencing a period of prosperity in recent years; the unemployment rate is a quarter of what it was when Poland joined the EU. The proximity to the capital and its location on the crossroads of Poland’s transport infrastructure network make Łódź a great place for new production facilities, as a logistics hub, and for ever increasing numbers of shared-service and business process outsourcing centres. The city has a conscious strategy of supporting investors interested in Łódź as a business location.
The participants of the study visit also visited Hydro, a Norwegian company producing car parts, to see the production line at work, as well as the city’s important place in the global supply chain.
Post-election breakfast with professor Witold Orłowski
On 25th October 2019 the IGCC hosted a post-election breakfast with professor Witold Orłowski, renowned Polish economist, and Matthey Day, correspondent of Daily Telegraph in Poland.
Press conference & Survey presentation – Poland in the eyes of foreign investors – April 2018
An annual economic survey on the current business climate in Poland is conducted by AHK German Chamber of Commerce compiling the views of foreign investors in Poland (IGCC members). The survey is also run in parallel by German Chambers of Commerce in other countries throughout the CEE region.
The 2018 survey results were presented in a press conference that included an opening address by Mr Paweł Borys, President of Polish Development Fund, followed by a discussion panel with Q&A for investors. Members of the panel included: Anna Holnicka-Szulc, Credit Suisse; Ewa Mikos Romanowicz, Siemens; Marcin Petrykowski, Standard & Poors; and Krzysztof Senger, PAIH.
Meeting with National Bank of Poland, January 2018
The IGCC was delighted to host a meeting with Ms. Katarzyna Zajdel-Kurowska, Board Member of the National Bank of Poland, January 12th 2018 at the Regent Warsaw Hotel. Ms. Zajdel-Kurowska attended as the guest speaker on behalf of Mr. Adam Glapiński, President of the National Bank of Poland, who was unable to be present. Ms. Zajdel-Kurowska gave an engaging talk on economic perspectives in 2018 before taking questions from the floor.
Keynote speech by Professor Adam Glapiński,
President of National Bank of Poland
Polish economy: past trends and perspectives for 2018
Meeting with Minister Morawiecki, May 2017
The IGCC International Group of Chambers of Commerce were delighted for the attendance of Minister Morawiecki at a breakfast meeting on May 17th at the InterContinental Hotel. The Minister covered several questions of importance for foreign investors put forward by the chambers including: special economic zones, Poland’s entry to the Euro-zone, problems connected with decreasing unemployment, bottlenecks in company registration, tax collection, environmental protection, bidding process for construction contracts, reform of the foreign trade promotion offices abroad, amongst others.
Event – The impact of Foreign Direct Investment: Contribution to the Polish economy in the past quarter century, March 2017
The report was commissioned by the IGCC to compile evidence that FDI is a vital component to economic success in Poland. The report was presented to Minister Morawiecki and to the Ministry of Economic Development in March 2017. Following presentation of the key findings of the report, a panel discussion was held with participation from representatives of the American, British, French and German chamber s and PAIH.
Further regional debates were held in Wrocław, Katowice and Poznan throughout 2017.
Reports and Surveys
Reports and Surveys
IGCC member Chambers monitor the business environment on a regular basis to gain insight into trends, issues and opinions of foreign investors in Poland. The information gained is shared with the public to inform decision makers.
2020 Report – Foreign Direct Investment in Poland
The value of foreign direct investments reached $236.5 billion in 2019. It corresponds to 40% of Polish GDP. The amount of employment in companies with foreign capital operating in Poland amounted to almost 2 million people at the end of 2018, which means that a foreign investor has created every sixth job position.
As indicated in the report prepared by the International Group of Chambers of Commerce in Poland (IGCC), nearly 25,000 foreign-owned enterprises from 107 countries operate in our market. Poland’s most influential investors are from Germany, the United States, Great Britain, and France.
The English version of the report can be found at the following link: Foreign Direct Investment in Poland
The Polish version at the following link: Zagraniczne Inwestycje Bezpośrednie w Polsce
Date issued: December 2020
Author: Dr hab. Eliza Przeździecka, American Chamber of Commerce in Poland
Business Climate Survey
An annual economic survey on the current business climate in Poland is conducted by AHK German Chamber of Commerce compiling the views of foreign investors in Poland (IGCC members). The survey is also run in parallel by German Chambers of Commerce in other countries throughout the CEE region.
The survey results are presented in a press conference that includes a discussion panel with Q&A for investors.
2019 Business Climate Survey – Poland ranks third. Legal uncertainty affects companies
Poland placed third in the ranking of investment attractive-ness among CEE and Baltic countries. In conditions of more intense competition, Estonia and Czech Republic are slightly ahead of Poland. In 2016-2018 it ranked second, and before, from 2013 to 2015, it was the ranking’s leader.
Poland receives positive marks from foreign investors most of all thanks to its membership in the EU, quality staff and availability of suppliers. Critical marks are given for low predictability of economic policy – these are the results of the 14th issue of the Economic Survey conducted by the Polish-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in co-operation with 14 other bilateral chambers in Poland, asso-ciated in the International Group of Chambers of Commerce. The survey included 205 foreign companies operating in Poland and, in total, ca. 1400 in Europe.
2019 Invest climate in Poland – Climate for business remains good
Poland is regarded as one of the most attractive locations on the investment map of Europe. Many important international corporations are already here or are considering bringing their investments to our market.
This “Investment Climate” report is a comprehensive study on Poland’s advantages and image in the eyes of foreign investors. The take-home message from the latest edition of the report is the satisfaction of the representatives of the global business community who have chosen our country to pursue high-technology projects.
It is also worth mentioning the growing interest from Asian countries. Entrepreneurs from that continent returned very high ratings for the investment climate in Poland. Moreover, the growing cooperation between local and Asian businesses within the framework of joint electromobility projects also adds to our positive image. Another positive sign on the market is the strong loyalty of foreign investors, evidenced by the growing reinvestment rate.
The powerful business appeal of Poland and the smart range of investment opportunities we offer to potential investors are reflected in bold investment projects with high added value for our economy. For such investments, our doors are always wide open.
2018 Business Climate Survey – Concern over availability of employees
According to foreign investors, Poland’s competitive advantage lies in the EU membership, quality of staff, availability of local subcontractors and increasingly better infrastructure. Unfortunately, foreign companies operating in Poland see a decrease in the availability of qualified employees. 90% of investors, however, claim that they would invest in Poland again. It’s a high percentage, but 5.5 pp lower than last year. In this year’s European investment attractiveness ranking , Poland is second after Czechia – these are the results of the 13th edition of the Economic Survey of the German-Polish Chamber of Industry and Commerce. The survey was carried out in cooperation with thirteen other bilateral chambers in Poland, associated in the International Group of Chambers of Commerce. 300 foreign companies operating in Poland took part in the survey, and approx. 1700 in Europe in total.
2017 Business Climate Survey – Poland’s excellent employees and political unrest
Poland attracts investors by its highly-qualified employees, wide availability of local suppliers and the European Union membership. Whereas the lowest-scoring factors according to foreign companies were the political and social stability, and the predictability of economic policies – these are the results of the 12th Economic Survey of the German-Polish Chamber of Industry and Commerce, carried out in cooperation with thirteen other bilateral chambers in Poland, operating within the International Group of Chambers of Commerce. The survey was carried out among 369 foreign companies operating in Poland.
Report – The Impact of Foreign Direct Investment: Contribution to the Polish Economy in the Past Quarter Century
The report was commissioned by the IGCC to compile evidence that FDI is a vital component to economic success in Poland. Unsurprisingly, the results of the research do confirm this.
Some highlights of the findings include:
- Foreign companies reinvested more of the profits they made in Poland than distribute them as dividends
- Engagement of foreign capital increased productivity faster in these companies than other Polish firms
- The inflow of FDI has contributed to the increase in the level of wages and to the reduction of unemployment
The report was presented to Minister Morawiecki and to the Ministry of Economic Development in March 2017.
Contact
Each member Chamber holds the Presidency of IGCC for a six-month term. The current Chair is held by the Polish-Portuguese Chamber of Commerce (PPCC) from January until June 2024.
Polish-Portuguese Chamber of Commerce
Puławska Street 14/504
02-512 Warsaw
Poland
Wojciech Baczyński
General Director of the PPCC
info@ppcc.pl