THE IBERO-AMERICAN BUSINESS COUNCIL -CEIB
THE VOICE OF EMPLOYERS IN THE REGION
The Ibero-American Business Council (CEIB) was created in 2015, during the 24 th Meeting of Presidents of Ibero-American Business Organisations, as an initiative backed by the International Organisation of Employers (IOE), an institution to which the 24 most representative business organisations from the 20 Ibero-American countries, Spain, Principality of Andorra and Portugal belong.
The objective of the Ibero-American Business Council (CEIB) is enhancing the competitiveness drivers shared by Ibero-American employers and contributing to a better economic and social development in the countries of the region. Its work is aimed at developing long term strategies and policies in the Ibero-American context, defending business interests and keeping a permanent open line with Latin-American institutions and governments from the different nations.
With this aim, on the 24 th February, 2016, CEIB signed a collaboration agreement with the Ibero-American Secretariat General, SEGIB, in Madrid, consolidating its prestige and recognition, both in Spain and the Ibero-American region.
THE WIDEST BUSINESS ORGANISATION NETWORK IN IBERO-AMERICA
CEIB encompasses the most important business organisations in Ibero-America, on a voluntary basis, representing and defending the interests of companies, professionals and the self-employed, thus creating the widest business network in the region.
The Council members are the following business organisations: Argentina - UIA; Bolivia – CEPB; Brazil – CNI; Chile – CPC; Colombia – ANDI; Costa Rica – UCC; Ecuador – Industry Chamber of Guayaquil; El Salvador – ANEP; Paraguay – FEPRINCO; Peru – CONFIEP; Mexico – CONCAMIN – COPARMEX; Nicaragua – COSEP; Panama – CONEP; Principality of Andorra – CEA; Honduras – COHEP; Uruguay – CIU – CNCS; Guatemala – CACIF; Dominican Republic – COPARDOM; Venezuela – FEDECAMARAS; Spain – CEOE and Portugal – CIP.
Thus, CEIB has become the main spokesperson of companies before governments and international social, economic and political stakeholders.
PERMANENT ACTIVITIES OF THE IBERO-AMERICAN BUSINESS COUNCIL
Through the alliance with the Ibero-American Secretariat General – SEGIB, the Ibero-American Business Council becomes a business reference for Ibero-America, being identified as the only official institution in charge of organising the Ibero-American Business Meeting, held every two years, and before that, the Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government.
Together with SEGIB, it co-hosts the Ibero-American Fora of MSMEs, held on a yearly basis. This forum receives micro, small and medium enterprises across the region that meet in order to discuss specific issues of this type of entities, which represent the highest share of the productive fabric of our countries.
Also, every year, the Ibero-American Business Council (CEIB), together with the International Organisation of Employers (IOE), holds the Meetings of Chairpersons of Ibero-American Business Organisations, either in the country hosting the political summit or in Madrid, where it is headquartered. At these meetings the chairpersons of Ibero-American business organisations share a forum in which they can tackle the challenges and potential solutions faced by companies in the countries of this region.
Besides these activities, every year CEIB holds a myriad of business meetings and general fora, with the aim of maintaining an on-going work, in line with the mandates and topics of the political summits. These activities take place in all countries in this region and aim at fulfilling the main purpose of its existence: defending and protecting the interests of Ibero-American companies, which are the drivers of the different economies in the region.
STRUCTURE AND COMPETENCES
The presidency of CEIB rotates among the presidents of the business organisations and it is always the leader of the country hosting the Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government, while the Permanent Secretariat of CEIB is the Spanish Confederation of Business Organisations-CEOE.
CEIB’s roles are as follows:
· Representing its members before the Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government and, on a permanent basis, before the Ibero-American Secretariat General (SEGIB).
· Coordinating business positions in the context of trade and investment relations between EU/Latin America.
· Supporting a business regulatory environment that fosters the establishment and development of businesses.
· Fostering economic growth and social development of Ibero-American countries.
In this sense, CEIB aims particularly at:
· Promoting initiatives in the different countries for administrative simplification and legal convergence.
· Identifying administrative barriers.
· Proposing better regulatory practices.
· Preparing a report with indicators on legislative output in the different countries and legal certainty indexes.
· Holding investment and business cooperation fora on a regular basis for countries or regions.
· Creating trading opportunities among the member countries.
· Fostering technological projects open to companies from the different countries.
· Creating a pool of online training programs.
· Defending market economy, competitiveness and business internationalization, free competition and corporate social responsibility.
· Promoting market unity.
· Fostering research and technological innovation in companies, information society and business training, as well as sustainability and environmental protection.
· Creating trading opportunities among the member countries.
· Implementing training and Ibero-American grant programs for candidates in the region, thus contributing to enhancing the human capital in companies.
MEMBER ORGANISATIONS
