MARK STARZMANN, COUNTRY MANAGER UK, COMMERZBANK

1
Issue 2 • Summer 2013
The magazine for members of the German-British Chamber of Industry & Commerce
INITIATIVE TALKS TO...
MARK STARZMANN,
COUNTRY MANAGER UK,
COMMERZBANK AG
SEE PAGE 4
EVENTS DIARY
SEE PAGE 8
ROUND-UP OF
CHAMBER EVENTS
SEE PAGE 13
Anglo-German specialists
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CONTENTS
initiative
Future growth needs the
‘right’ mix of education
Despite the current economic problems and
the resulting high unemployment, especially
youth unemployment, in many countries,
there is, and always will be, demand for skilled
workers. This shows that education is a crucial
factor for future growth of any economy,
although it is important to remember that it is
not just education per se which will deliver the benefits, but rather the right
mix of education.
Germany with its long tradition of vocational training is seen by many as a
model to copy in these challenging times. Of course, it is worthwhile to look
across borders to see what can be learned from others; but as the individual
economies of Europe can be very different in terms of their structural set up,
frequently only elements can be successfully copied and even this may
already prove to be difficult.
Introducing a vocational training system on a large scale often requires a
huge change in attitude by society as a whole, the business sector and
individual employees. In Germany, it is customary for nearly all companies
to train young people. This commitment by the business sector is necessary
as it reduces the free rider problem, meaning companies that do not
train poaching skilled people from businesses which invest in training.
Furthermore, one needs to bear in mind that young people who embark on
an apprenticeship receive very modest ‘training’ salaries for two or three years,
thus making it economically viable for companies to train them.
As nearly everyone who does not go to university enrols in an apprenticeship
programme, there is only little peer pressure on school leavers to take up a
position as an unskilled worker which - even if it is only in the short term –
pays a much better wage. These are just a few important elements of any
strategy aiming to develop a successful vocational training culture.
We, at the German-British Chamber of Industry & Commerce, are ready to
help the British government achieve its ambition to increase the number of
apprenticeships substantially but, in order to accomplish a lasting change,
the government needs to take a much closer look at the wider framework.
Dr Ulrich Hoppe
Director General, German-British Chamber of Industry & Commerce
CONTENTS
4 INITIATIVE TALKS TO...MARK STARZMANN
6 CHAMBER & MEMBERS' NEWS
7 CHAMBER CONTACTS
8 EVENTS DIARY
11 LEGAL COMMENT
13 ROUND-UP OF CHAMBER EVENTS
14 BUSINESS TO BUSINESS
15 STATISTICS / BUSINESS NEWS
Cover photo: Metal production, Shutterstock.com
sustaining members
3
4 INITIATIVE TALKS TO...
Gateway to the
UK market
initiative talks to Marc Starzmann, Country Manager UK
of Commerzbank AG
initiative: Being a financial hub, there are
a great many banks in London. So what sets
Commerzbank apart?
Marc Starzmann: The fact that we have
a uniform cross-border client relationship
model for German companies entering
the UK market as well providing British
companies a gateway to Germany. And at
the heart of this model, there is a personal
Relationship Manager for the clients, both
in their home country and in international
markets. The close cooperation between
these Relationship Managers ensures high
quality and uniform customer care both
at home and worldwide. This is one of our
trademarks as Germany’s second-largest bank
and as the bank that handles more letters of
credit for the benefit of German exporters
than any other bank, making us the market
leader in German foreign trade business.
Around 10% of foreign direct investment in
the UK originates in Germany – only the USA
is more heavily involved in this area. And here’s
another example: Germany’s biggest automobile
manufacturer, the Volkswagen Group, sells almost
as many vehicles in the UK as it does in the whole
of the USA.
initiative: How exactly do you assist German
companies in entering the UK market?
Marc Starzmann: First of all, the personal
Commerzbank Relationship Manager assigned to a
company in Germany is also their central point of
contact for their activities abroad. This Relationship
Manager cooperates closely with the Germanspeaking Relationship Managers at our German
Desks, which have been set up not only in London,
Marc Starzmann, Country Manager UK
of Commerzbank AG
in addition to our broad range of services that
covers all aspects of corporate and investment
banking.
initiative: Setting the language issue aside, a
UK bank could also handle all of that...
Marc Starzmann: I don’t doubt it in terms of
their expertise. But as Germany’s leading bank
for corporate clients, we are already familiar
with the companies and their business models,
together with the opportunities and challenges
they face from our experience in their home
market. This level of understanding of our
customers and also our business relationship
that sometimes stretch back years represent a
decisive added value that has really proved its
worth in our partnerships here in the UK too.
but also in all of our other international branches.
While English does not pose a problem to us as a
initiative: What sort of take-up rate is there
business language, a lot of companies simply feel
for your services?
more comfortable if they have a German-speaking
initiative: So how much interest do German
companies show in the UK market?
contact worldwide who can attend to their
Marc Starzmann: A very high one. We
business matters personally. The proven relationship
have trusting partnerships with close to 1,000
German companies that are represented in the
UK. Incidentally, we also have such partnerships
with more than 100 UK companies who we
accompany into the German market.
banking model which is familiar to the clients
Marc Starzmann: The level of interest
in Germany is also applied to their activities in
has increased significantly again in the last
two years in particular. For the first time,
the volume of trade relations between
the UK and Germany has now outstripped
Germany’s imports and exports with France.
international markets. As part of our comprehensive
package to support a new market entry, we have
an extensive network of local contacts including the
German-British Chamber of Industry & Commerce,
auditors, attorneys and consulting firms. This is
initiative: How important in general is the UK
to Commerzbank?
Marc Starzmann: The fact that our London
office is Commerzbank’s largest international
branch by a large margin, with close to 2,000
employees, provides the answer to this
question. Historically speaking too, the UK has
played a special role for us right from the start.
Way back in 1873, Commerzbank was one of
the co-founders of the London & Hanseatic
Bank. The London branch has now been
around for 40 years, so we are very familiar with
the UK market and its particularities and rules.
We speak your language
Wir sprechen Ihre Sprache
Blick Rothenberg is a leading, London based
accounting, audit and tax practice. Together
with our outsourced accounting company BRAL
Limited, we have a substantial German speaking
team that specialises in assisting German
companies entering and operating within the UK
market.
Blick Rothenberg ist eine führende Buchhaltungs-,
Wirtschaftsprüfungs- und Steuerberatungsfirma
mit Sitz in London. Gemeinsam mit unserer
Tochterfirma BRAL, die eine ausgelagerte
Buchhaltung anbietet, haben wir ein großes
deutschsprachiges Team, das darauf spezialisiert
ist, deutschen Firmen zu assistieren, die auf den
britischen Markt wollen oder dort bereits tätig sind.
With 28 partners and directors and 160 staff,
and exceptional experience and expertise in
all the major financial disciplines. We offer a
comprehensive service to aid early stage set-up
or large scale expansion, supported by a range
of outsourced accounting and administration
services.
For further information, or to receive our English or
German ‘Establishing a Business in the UK’ guide,
please contact:
Steven Bruck
T: +44 (0)20 7544 8970
E: steven.bruck@blickrothenberg.com
www.blickrothenberg.com
Mit 28 Teilhabern und Direktoren und 160
Mitarbeitern haben wir außergewöhnliche
Erfahrung und Kompetenz in allen wichtigen
Steuer- und Wirtschaftsfragen. Wir bieten einen
umfangreichen Service, inklusive Buchhaltung
und Verwaltung, mit denen wir Unternehmen
währrend der Gründungsphase sowie Expansion
unterstützen können.
Wenn Sie unseren Leitfaden „Geschäftsgründung
in GB“ erhalten wollen, oder weitere Informationen
benötigen, wenden Sie sich bitte an:
Steven Bruck
T: +44 (0)20 7544 8970
E: steven.bruck@blickrothenberg.com
www.bral.com
Blick Rothenberg is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority to carry on investment business
6 CHAMBER & MEMBERS’ NEWS
Celebrating 15 Years of Peschel
Communications
This year sees Peschel Communications celebrate its 15th
anniversary. The translation and interpreting company is
planning various highlights to mark this important milestone,
such as a special discount to thank long-standing customers
and a summer BBQ party for employees and their families.
Founded in Freiburg in 1998 by Anja Peschel, the company
now employs eight permanent translators, proofreaders and
project managers, and a branch office was opened in Oxford
in 2011. It serves a continuously growing international client
base in the following sectors: renewable energy, medicine and
pharmaceuticals, law, economics, social sciences, politics and
the public sector. www.peschel-communications.co.uk
Expert SEO – vital for success
In both the UK and Germany, Google is the dominant
search engine. Businesses rely on Google to advertise
their services and receive sales or leads. For these reasons,
appearing on the first results page is incredibly important for
your company’s website as it receives the most attention.
Many organisations are using search engine optimisation (SEO)
techniques to increase rankings and drive traffic. However, the
discipline of SEO is fraught with danger. For instance, in 2011,
JCPenney’s USA ranking was removed because the use of link
building techniques resulted in a penalty issued by Google. In
2013, Interflora received a similar penalty after placing about
150 advertorials on regional UK news sites to increase ranking.
To avoid these issues it is recommended that your organisation
seeks professional guidance from an international SEO agency.
www.translatemedia.com
Team Peschel
Welcome to
the London
Oktoberfest!
The famous Oktoberfest is back. This year the celebrations in a
3,300-seater tent will be extended to three weekends to give
more people the opportunity to join in. The Oktoberfest will be in
Kennington Park Thursday to Sunday on two consecutive
weekends starting 19 September 2013.
The party then moves to Southwark Park from 3 to 6 October
2013. Guests will experience an authentic Bavarian Oktoberfest
atmosphere with original live music from southern Germany,
Bavarian food and delicious cold steins of beer.
www.london-oktoberfest.co.uk
Expert in Research & Development
tax joins Smith & Williamson
Deutsche Bahn (DB) has won the Business Travel Awards 2013
in the category “Best Rail Operator”. Director of International
Sales Northern Europe, Oliver Schmidt (centre) received the
award in London, from where DB passenger trains could
directly link the UK and Germany from 2016 after Deutsche
Bahn received permission to use the Channel tunnel.
www.bahn.com/uk
Laurence Bard has recently joined Smith & Williamson London as
a tax partner specialising in enhanced research & development
(R&D) tax reliefs and refunds expanding the team’s ability to work
in this area. Approved R&D reliefs are an extremely valuable way
of getting HMRC to fund part of the costs of R&D, especially for
small and medium sized companies undertaking scientific or
technological research; this covers a wide range of industries and
activites including companies developing software for their own
use. www.smith.williamson.co.uk
Join the German-British
Chamber's group on LinkedIn
or follow us on Twitter!
CHAMBER CONTACTS
Chamber welcomes
new Vice-President
and Councillors
The German-British Chamber of Industry & Commerce
held its Annual General Meeting on 1 July 2013 and
elected a new Vice-President and two new Councillors.
We would like to take the opportunity to welcome
them to the Chamber.
Sir Michael Anthony Arthur KCMG, a former senior
British diplomat, who was British Ambassador to Germany
from 2007-2010, was elected as a Vice-President of the
Chamber. Previously, he was the UK's High Commissioner
in New Delhi. During his career he has worked in a
number of positions within the Diplomatic Service, starting out in 1972 in
the UK Mission to the United Nations. Currently, Sir Michael is the UK
Chairman of the Königswinter Foundation and has been elected VicePresident of the German-British Chamber of Industry & Commerce..
Richard Hall, President Automotive of Schaeffler
(UK) Ltd since 2007, was elected as a Councillor of the
Chamber. With a degree in Manufacturing Engineering
and Business Studies, and an MBA from Warwick
Business School, he has extensive senior management
experience across all sectors within Schaeffler's Automotive and
Industrial businesses. At the beginning of 2012 he was elected as a
Director of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT)
and has been Chairman of the Automotive Components Section since
January 2013. He is also a member of the UK Automotive Council.
Simon Jonsson, a Partner at KPMG LLP for 14 years,
was elected as a Councillor of the Chamber. He is
currently KPMG’s UK tax sector lead for manufacturing
and automotive. He is both a Chartered Accountant
(ACA) and Chartered Tax Advisor (CTA) and has a
degree in Economics from London University. He is an accredited
transfer pricing partner and cross border M&A tax specialist. He has
served on the (West Midlands) Advisory Board of Business in the
Community (BITC) for nearly 10 years and he leads a project centred on
engagement with the pupils of Shenley Academy.
CHAMBER CONTACTS
Honorary Officers /
Präsidium und Vorstand
Patron / Schirmherr
The Ambassador of the Federal
Republic of Germany
President / Präsident
Sir Nigel Broomfield, KCMG
Vice-Presidents / Vizepräsidenten
Sir Michael Arthur, KCMG
Robert A Bischof
SCCO International Ltd
George W von Mallinckrodt, KBE
Schroders plc
Franz W Smet
ACI Group Ltd
Prof Barry Stickings, CBE
Councillors / Vorstandsmitglieder
Chairman / Vorsitzender
Dr Klaus Peter Fouquet
Robert Bosch Ltd
Vice-Chairperson / Stellv. Vorsitzende
Patricia Godfrey
Nabarro
Councillors / Vorstandsmitglieder
Roland Aurich
Siemens plc
Marcus Breitschwerdt
Mercedes-Benz UK Ltd
Armin Brestrich
KfW IPEX-Bank GmbH, London
Martin Dawkins
Bayer plc
Jean-Louis Evans
TÜV Süd Product Service Ltd
Dr Stefan Georg
Delta Economics
Richard Hall
Schaeffler (UK) Ltd
Dr Ulrich Hoppe
German-British Chamber of Industry
& Commerce
Simon Jonsson
KPMG LLP
Frank Kuhnke
Deutsche Bank AG, London
Clemens M Richter
CMR Controls Ltd
Carsten W Scheffel
Allianz Global
Corporate & Specialty
Neues Merkblatt: „Health & Safety – Sicherheit
am Arbeitsplatz in Großbritannien“
Marc Starzmann
Commerzbank AG, London
Soeben erschienen ist das Merkblatt „Health & Safety – Sicherheit
am Arbeitsplatz in Großbritannien“. Gesundheits- und Arbeitsschutz
hat in Großbritannien einen hohen Stellenwert und stellt an
britische Arbeitgeber erhebliche rechtliche Anforderungen an den
Schutz ihrer Arbeitnehmer.
Nigel R Wood
The Wilkes Partnership
Das Merkblatt richtet sich an kleine und mittelständische deutsche
Unternehmen, die in Großbritannien Arbeitnehmer beschäftigen.
Es ist in deutscher Sprache erschienen und erhältlich über: legal@
ahk-london.co.uk
Holger Wessling
DZ Bank AG, London
Company Secretary
Chris Putt
Speechly Bircham LLP
For details of the Chamber’s
regional committees, email:
members@ahk-london.co.uk
Management / Geschäftsführung
Dr Ulrich Hoppe
Director General / Hauptgeschäftsführer
Tel: +44 (0)20 7976 4110
Thesy Lobitzer
PA to Director General / Assistentin
des Hauptgeschäftsführers
Tel: +44 (0)20 7976 4112
Finance & Organisation
Sabine Marland
Manager Finance & Organisation /
Finanzen und Organisation
Tel: +44 (0)20 7976 4120
Kai Daniel
Finance & Organisation /
Finanzen und Organisation
Tel: +44 (0)20 7976 4187
Marketing Services
Sven Riemann
Head of Marketing Services /
Leiter Marketing Services
Tel: +44 (0)20 7976 4185
Marguerite McCaughan
Marketing Services
Tel: +44 (0)20 7976 4183
Jana Lindner
Press & Public Relations /
Presse- & Öffentlichkeitsarbeit
Tel: +44 (0)20 7976 4188
Members’ Services
Evelyn Mensah
Manager Membership & Events /
Mitgliedschaft & Veranstaltungen
Tel: +44 (0)20 7976 4145
Katja Ludwigs
Membership & Events /
Mitgliedschaft & Veranstaltungen
Tel: +44 (0)20 7976 4146
Legal & Tax Services / Rechtsund Steuerabteilung
Angelika Baumgarte
Deputy Director General / stellv.
Hauptgeschäftsführerin
Head of Legal & Tax / Leiterin der
Rechts- und Steuerabteilung
Tel: +44 (0)20 7976 4140
Johanna Hess
Legal Services / Rechtsabteilung
Tel: +44 (0)20 7976 4141
Friederike Uebing
Payroll Services / Lohnbuchhaltung
Tel: +44 (0)20 7976 4144
Katrin Albrecht
Head of Tax Services / Steuerabteilung
Tel: +44 (0)20 7976 4154
Gunnar Pohl
Manager Tax Services / Steuerabteilung
Tel: +44 (0)20 7976 4168
Anja Reeves
Manager Tax Services / Steuerabteilung
Tel: +44 (0)20 7976 4161
Michaela Böttcher, Verena Gronewold,
Kay Köhnkow, Christina Schild,
Martin Werhahn
Tax Services / Steuerabteilung
Tel: +44 (0)20 7976 4160
7
XXXXX DIARY
8 EVENTS
SPRING RECEPTION 2013
On 21 March 2013, the Members'
Spring Reception was held at the
German-British Chamber. Over 130
members and guests gathered to
discuss with business partners and
associates both the challenges of
the year so far and the opportunities
for the future. The German guest
beer of the evening was kindly
provided by Karlsberg Urpils and
JTC Security Systems.
Mr Thomas Kolbe of Kolbe AV Technology Ltd and
Mr Harry Fisher of H Fisher Accountancy Services
Ms Beate Marschewa; Mr Siôn Taylor and Mr Sebastian Labovitch,
both of De Pinna Notaries
Ms Valentina Tammaro of languagematters, Mr Maurice Christie of Euro London Appointm
Dr Klaus Peter Fouquet, Chairman of the German-British Chamber of
Industry & Commerce and President of Robert Bosch Ltd
Ms Helen Comley of Comley Marketing, Mr Stephen Sutton of Efaflex
UK Ltd and Ms Miriam Kennet of Heinemann & Co
EVENTS XXXXX
DIARY
ANNUAL DINNER 2013
The Annual Dinner of the German-British Chamber was held
on Monday, 1 July 2013 at the Waldorf Hilton Hotel, London.
Over 200 guests attended the event. As ever a summer
highlight in the Chamber’s events dairy, members of the
German-British business community welcomed the
opportunity to network at the Drinks Reception followed by
a three-course meal in the Adelphi Suite.
Guest of Honour at this year’s dinner was Dr Rüdiger Grube, Chief
Executive Officer of Deutsche Bahn AG who spoke about future
developments and challenges of the European railway industry.
The Annual Dinner was kindly sponsored by London &
Partners – the official promotional agency for London tasked
by the Mayor of London to
sell and showcase London
to the world as the best city
to visit, invest and study in.
ments and Ms Sophie Nathan of Multilingualvacancies.com
Mr Martin Dawkins of Bayer plc and Mr Graham Neale of KPMG LLP
Mr Jan Hoppe of Jeffrey Green Russell Ltd, Mr Matthias Lehleiter of
Berenbank Bank and Mr Thilo Schneider of Pinsent Masons LLP
Mr Philipp Schaeffler, Ms Tamara Seng, Mr Tobias Josing
and Mr Holger Perrey of Commerzbank AG
Guest of Honour, Dr Rüdiger Grube, Chief Executive Officer of
Deutsche Bahn AG
9
10 EVENTS DIARY
Mr Oliver Schmidt of DB Bahn Sales, Ms Siri Schmidt of DB Bahn AG
and Mr Jörg Schmidt of DB Schenker Rail UK
Ms Susanne Gelhard of ZDF German Television and Mr Carsten
Scheffel of Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty
Guests networking during the pre-dinner reception
Mr James Gillespie and Ms Bärbel Strecker of The Winehaus Ltd
LEGAL COMMENT
Advertise
in initiative
Initiative magazine is the perfect
vehicle to reach decision makers
connected to the German-British
Chamber both here in the UK and
in Germany.
Steuern in Europa – Europäisches
Parlament empfiehlt gemeinsame
Bemessungsgrundlage für die
Körperschaftsteuer
Der Trend zur Angleichung der europäischen Steuerrechtsordnungen geht
weiter. Dies schafft Potenzial für eine Vereinfachung des Handels zwischen
Deutschland und dem Vereinigten Königreich.
As well as reaching clients and
partners of the Chamber, the
magazine is read by key people in
government departments, associations and other companies within the
German-British business community.
Published three times a year with a targeted circulation of
1,500 you can be sure that your advert will be highly visible
as we restrict advertising space.
You can buy half, quarter and whole pages… or for maximum
exposure, exclusive sponsorship of one issue (members only),
which includes two one-page adverts and a one-page article
(page 11) plus a suitable ‘company picture’ (1/2 page) on the
front cover.
To discuss your advertising needs in detail, please contact:
Jana Lindner
German-British Chamber of Industry
& Commerce
16 Buckingham Gate
London SW1E 6LB
Tel: +44 (0)20 7976 4188
Fax: +44 (0)20 7976 4101
Email: press@ahk-london.co.uk
initiative is the official membership magazine of the German-British Chamber
and is published three times a year.
Publisher:
German-British Chamber
of Industry & Commerce
16 Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6LB
Tel: +44 (0)20 7976 4100
Fax: +44 (0)20 7976 4101
Email: mail@ahk-london.co.uk
Web: www.ahk-london.co.uk
11
Editorial & Advertising
Jana Lindner
Tel: +44 (0)20 7976 4188
Email: press@ahk-london.co.uk
The reproduction in whole or in part of any material published in initiative
requires the prior written consent of the publisher. The publisher cannot accept
any liability for the accuracy or the completeness of any material published in
initiative. Opinions expressed in initiative do not necessarily reflect the views
of the German-British Chamber.
The German-British Chamber of Industry & Commerce
is supported by the Federal Ministry of Economics and
Technology in accordance with a Resolution of the
German Parliament.
Das Europarecht prägt zunehmend die europäischen Rechtsordnungen, so
auch das Steuerrecht. Ein Kernziel der EU ist die Förderung des Binnenmarktes.
Umgesetzt wird der Binnenmarkt durch Harmonisierungsmaßnahmen, soweit
die Mitgliedstaaten der EU hierzu Kompetenzen übertragen haben. Dies betrifft
in erster Linie indirekte Steuern. Tendenzen zur Harmonisierung direkter Steuern,
insbesondere der Körperschaftsteuer, nehmen zu.
Zur Harmonisierung der direkten Steuern ist die EU nur eingeschränkt
befugt, da ihr hierzu – anders als bei indirekten Steuern – eine ausdrückliche Rechtssetzungskompetenz fehlt. Eine Angleichung ist nur unter engen
Voraussetzungen möglich. Dies hat dazu geführt, dass im Bereich der direkten
Steuern der europäische Einfluss bisher punktuell geblieben ist. Dennoch
besteht aus unternehmerischer Sicht oft ein Bedürfnis nach Rechtsangleichung.
Gründet etwa eine in Deutschland ansässige GmbH im Vereinigten Königreich
eine Limited, wird sie bei der Ermittlung der Bemessungsgrundlage für
die Körperschaftsteuer auf unterschiedliche Regelungen beider Länder
treffen, beispielsweise zu Abschreibungen („capital allowances“) oder
Pensionsrückstellungen („pension provisions“). Das Unternehmen wird in
erster Linie daran interessiert sein, dass die Steuerbelastung seines Gewinns so
gering wie möglich ausfällt und hierzu Preise für konzerninterne Leistungen
(„Verrechnungspreise“) interessengerecht gestalten. Um daher Missbrauch zu
verhindern, legen die einzelnen Rechtsordnungen und Abkommen Regeln
zur Ermittlung von einwandfreien Verrechnungspreisen fest. All dies führt zu
erhöhtem Dokumentations- sowie Beratungsaufwand und nicht immer zur
Vermeidung einer Doppelbesteuerung.
Folglich strebte die EU-Kommission eine gemeinsame Bemessungsgrundlage
für die Körperschaftsteuer an. Im März 2011 wurde ein Richtlinienentwurf
verabschiedet, der die Gewinnermittlung einheitlich an eine Gewinn- und
Verlustrechnung koppelt. Das EU-Parlament stimmte dem im April 2012
grundsätzlich zu. Der Entwurf sieht vor, Gewinne und Verluste konzern- und
EU-intern bei der obersten Konzerngesellschaft zu konsolidieren und dann auf
die einzelnen Konzernmitglieder innerhalb der EU zu verteilen. Der auf den
einzelnen Mitgliedstaat entfallende Gewinn wird dann mit dem jeweiligen
nationalen Steuersatz versteuert. Schließlich wird die Schaffung einer zentralen
Anlaufstelle zur Steuerrückerstattung angestrebt, um durch verschiedene
Körperschaftsteuersätze entstandene innereuropäische Gewinne und Verluste
auszugleichen. Sollte im Europäischen Rat keine Einstimmigkeit erzielt werden,
erscheint auch die Umsetzung der Richtlinie durch eine Gruppe von EU-Staaten
nicht ausgeschlossen.
Wie auch immer entschieden wird: Eine einheitliche Gewinnermittlung
schafft Anreize, bei der Wahl des Standortes einer Niederlassung oder
eines Tochterunternehmens neben fiskalischen auch wirtschaftliche und
soziale Aspekte zu berücksichtigen. Gerade bei der Dokumentation von
Verrechnungspreisen könnte eine Rechtsangleichung administrative
Vereinfachungen für Unternehmen in Deutschland sowie im Vereinigten
Königreich mit sich bringen.
Gunnar Pohl
Manager Tax Services
German-British Chamber of Industry & Commerce
12 CHAMBER & MEMBERS' NEWS
Carbon Neutral Building –
German-British Chamber
organised a conference on
German-British perspectives
EVENTS
CALENDAR
Thursday 26 September 2013
Members’ Autumn Reception
On Tuesday 10 June 2013, a conference on carbon neutral building
was held at One Great George Street in London.
Organised by the German-British Chamber of Industry & Commerce
and sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Economics,
around 100 experts from the UK and Germany shared experiences
and discussed potential developments in the carbon neutral building
sector in a British-German context.
Topics included market development, the future of Passive Houses,
a change in consumer behaviour towards more energy efficient
housing and strategies for a holistic design in architecture.
As part of the initiative “Efficiency – Made in Germany”, seven
German companies presented their technologies and know-how in
this area.
The afternoon was dedicated to networking with all German
companies receiving huge interest from the British delegates.
Wednesday and Thursday were reserved for individual meetings for
the German companies with potential British partners in order to
establish business contacts and foster relations.
Venue: German-British Chamber of Industry & Commerce,
16 Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6LB
Time: 6.00pm – 8.30pm
Cost: Complimentary – For member and their guests only
Further information and registration: www.germanbritishchamber.co.uk
Tuesday 19 November 2013
Internationaler Beratungstag der Industrieund Handelskammer Region Stuttgart
Venue: GENO-Haus, Heilbronner Straße 41, 70191 Stuttgart
Time: 9:00 Uhr – 17:00 Uhr
Further information and registration: www.Stuttgart.ihk24.de
Thursday 21 November 2013
Exporttag Bayern
Venue: IHK-Akademie München, Orleansstraße 10-12,
81669 München
Time: 9:00 Uhr – 17:00 Uhr
Further information and registration: www.exporttag-bayern.de
Please see our website for registrations
and updates on events:
www.germanbritishchamber.co.uk
“GermanContractors”–
Match-making for the
construction industry
“GermanContractors” (http://germancontractors.co.uk)
is an online construction directory designed for British
construction companies and developers, architects, project planners
and specifiers.
Company meetings after the conference
The easy to use database encompasses more than 100 companies
working in a variety of industries from general construction and
building installation to specialised architectural services, machinery
installation and fixtures & fittings.
Information about the companies also includes company size and
references, where available. British companies can search for a
partner that best fulfils their requirements and contact them directly.
“GermanContractors” is administered by the German-British
Chamber of Industry & Commerce as part of our mission of
promoting German-British business relations and is free to use.
For more information, please contact Katja Ludwigs on
020 7976 4146 or email info@germancontractors.co.uk .
CHAMBER & MEMBERS' NEWS
Round-up of Chamber events
Fritz Schaefler private viewing
Teeing off in Warwickshire
On Monday, 15 April, members of the German-British Chamber were
treated to a private viewing of the works of the artist Fritz Schaefler
(1888-1945), at the German Embassy, London (pictured above). The
one hour guided tour, from the Heymann collection, explained the
works of this talented expressionist artist, whose varied paintings
date back to the early part of the 20th century and reflected the
landscape and surroundings of the time.
The Chamber’s 25th Annual Golf Tournament was held at The Forest
of Arden Golf Course in Warwickshire on Tuesday 18 June 2013.
On a bright summer’s day 16 members and guests mastered a very
challenging 18-hole round, followed by a well-earned dinner and
the awards ceremony. Winner of the 2013 trophy was Steve George
of HSBC Midlands.
Visit to Bosch Thermotechnology Ltd
On Thursday, 18 April over 30 members of the Chamber’s Midlands
region were treated to a visit of the Bosch Thermotechnology facility
in Worcester and given a tour of the factory, the recently completed
state-of-the-art Training Academy and award winning Contact
Centre.
London "Big Data" seminar
Also on Thursday, 18 April IOVOX Ltd hosted a seminar at the
German-British Chamber on “Big Data is the New Oil”. Ryan
Gallagher and Dan Donegan explained how to manage vast data
sets and use analytical tools for company success and gain crucial
advantage over competitors. The seminar was attended by over 20
participants who found the topic engaging and gave the speakers
useful feedback.
Wine tasting in Birmingham
On Tuesday, 4 June the Midlands region, together with member
company Winehaus Ltd hosted a special wine tasting event. Over 20
members and guests sampled a selection of wines from the Baden
and Württemberg regions in southern Germany.
Pictured below are: Dr Klaus Peter Fouquet, Chairman of the GermanBritish Chamber and Nigel Wood, Secretary of the Chamber’s
Midlands regional committee with winner Steve George.
13
14 BUSINESS TO BUSINESS
initiative provides a regular listing of companies in both the UK and
Germany who are seeking B2B partners and representatives
Business Partners from Germany / Geschäftspartner aus Deutschland
LABORATORY COMPETENCE
HIGH QUALITY SOAP
We are searching for commercial agents and distribution partners to
promote our laboratory supplies in the UK.OMNILAB-LABORZENTRUM
is a German wholesaler of laboratory equipment, consumables and
chemicals. Since 1935 we have grown to a solid mid range, family
owned company with 165 employees, our own 1200 p. catalogue,
e-commerce and an effective infrastructure (stock, direct shipments
to endusers). For further information, please contact: Stefan Jaschek,
OMNILAB-LABORZENTRUM GmbH & Co. KG, Robert-Hooke Str. 8,
28359 Bremen, Germany. Email: sjaschek@omnilab.de; Website:
www.omnilab.de
Who wants to represent a quality soap producer from Germany?
The company was founded in 1848 and is part of the biggest soap
producing group in Western Europe. The company is known for its
innovative, fashionable products of high quality, produced with high
ecological standards. We are looking for a partner with good contacts
to all relevant customer groups (department stores, health & beauty
retailers, pharmacies etc.) Our website: www.kappus-seife.de will give you
an indication of our capacities For further information, please contact:
Ms Khederzadeh, M. Kappus GmbH & Co. KG, Luisenstrasse 42-52,
63067 Offenbach am Main, Germany. Tel: 0049 698297010; Fax:
0049 698297010; Email: khederzadeh@kappus-seife.de; Website:
www.kappus-seife.de, www.kappus-soap.com
STATISTICS / BUSINESS NEWS
British exports 2012 by country
British imports 2012 by country
14%
USA
14%
USA
Rest
world
Rest
ofof
world
31%
31%
Germany
13%13%
Germany
of world
RestRest
of world
32%
32%
11%
11%
Germany
Germany
China
10%10%
China
Hong
(inc.(inc.
Hong
Kong)
Kong)
Belgium
Belgium
&&
Luxembourg
Luxembourg
5%5%
7% USA
7% USA
France
7%7%
France
Other
Other
EU EU
countries
14%
countries
14%
Belgium
Belgium
& &
Luxembourg
Luxembourg
5% 5%
Irish
Republic
6%6%
Irish
Republic
China
(inc.
5%5%
China
(inc.
Hong
Kong)
Hong
Kong)
Source: Office for National Statistics 2013
10% China
(inc. Hong
Kong)
German imports 2012 by country
nce
8% USA
Rest of world Rest of world
28%
10% China 28%
(inc. Hong
Kong)
% Norway
8% USA
7% China
(inc. Hong
Kong)
7% UK
Rest of world Rest of world
25%
25%
7% China
(inc. Hong
Kong)
7% UK
6%
6%
Netherlands Netherlands
7% USA
6% France
9% Netherlands
9% Netherlands
10% France 10% France
8%
8%
Netherlands Netherlands
% USA
Other EU
Other EU
countries 24%countries 24%
Other EU
Other EU
5% Austria 5% Austria
countries 29%countries 29%
5% Italy
5% Italy
Source: Deutsche Bundesbank 2013
BUSINESS NEWS
Britischer Markt für Lüftungstechnik wächst solide
London (gtai)- Der britische Markt für Belüftungstechnik und Klimaanlagen
könnte nach einer Stagnation 2013 im kommenden Jahr wieder
um rund 2% zulegen, prognostiziert die Marktforschungsfirma AMA
Research. Wichtige Marktimpulse gehen von EU-Klimaschutzvorschriften
sowie britischen Bauvorschriften aus, die zum Beispiel den Einbau von
Frischluftventilationssystemen vorschreiben. Ein relativ hohes Wachstum
wurde zudem zuletzt bei Wärmerückgewinnungsventilatoren beobachtet.
+++
Wirtschaftstrends Jahresmitte 2013 –
Vereinigtes Königreich
London (gtai) - Relativ positive Konjunkturdaten im 1. Quartal 2013
deuten darauf hin, dass das Negativszenario einer "triple dip"-Rezession im
Vereinigten Königreich voraussichtlich nicht eintritt. Trotz wirtschaftlicher
Stagnation im vergangenen Jahr steigerten die deutschen Exporteure
ihre Lieferungen auf die Insel um 10,1%. Dadurch überholte das Vereinigte
Königreich in der Rangfolge der wichtigsten Abnehmerländer deutscher
Waren 2012 die Niederlande.
Weitere Artikel und Branchen-Trends unter
www.gtai.de
France
6% 6%
France
Norway
5% 5%
Norway
Source: Office for National Statistics 2013
German exports 2012 by country
ny13% Germany
of wo
RestRest
of world
28%2
8% 8%
Netherlands
Netherlands
8%8%
Netherlands
Netherlands
Other
Other
EUEU
countries
13%
countries
13%
15
9% China (inc.9% China (inc.
Hong Kong) Hong Kong)
7% France
7% France
6% USA
6% USA
5% Italy
5% Italy
5% UK
5% UK
5% Russia 5% Russia
Source: Deutsche Bundesbank 2013
Siemens seals deal to sell train carriages to UK
German engineering giant Siemens said on Thursday it had won an order to
supply 1,140 new commuter rail carriages to Britain for around €1.8 billion.
The agreement, in partnership with industrial consortium Cross London
trains, is for the Thameslink commuter railway route which connects Bedford
with Brighton. The trains will be manufactured in Germany, with the first to
enter service in 2016, Siemens said. It said that with this contract, it will have
supplied nearly 3,000 rail vehicles to Britain.
+++
Cloud Exchange to trade computing capacity
Deutsche Börse, operator of the Frankfurt stock exchange, unveiled plans
to launch a new market place where companies, public sector bodies and
research institutes can buy and sell excess cloud computing capacity. The
Deutsche Börse Cloud Exchange will be a joint venture between Deutsche
Börse and Berlin-based cloud management specialist Zimory and will be
operational from the start of next year, the two partners said.
More Business News from Germany:
TheLocal.de
This section is provided in
co-operation with Germany
Trade & Invest and TheLocal.de.
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