Bulletin_NCCC_90_CS6.indd

BULLETIN

NUMBER 90 | 2015 MARCH

FLOWER POWER SPRING PARTY 9FLOWER POWER SPRING PARTY 9CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY CLUB 1011CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY CLUB 1011

NIZOZEMSKO-ESK OBCHODN KOMORANIZOZEMSKO-ESK OBCHODN KOMORANETHERLANDS-CZECH CHAMBER OFCOMMERCENETHERLANDS-CZECH CHAMBER OFCOMMERCE

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EDDDITOORRIAAL

CONTENTSEDITORIAL 1

INTERVIEW 2

RECENT EVENTS 6

NEW ACTIVITIES 8

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY 10

NEWS FROM MEMBERS 12

NEW MEMBERS 17

NETHERLANDS CHAMBER INSLOVAKIA 18

TAX ANDLEGAL CORNER 19

NEWS FROM THEEMBASSY 21

E15 ANNEX: THE NETHERLANDS - ABUSINESS PARTNER OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC 22

TRADE FAIRS 24

Dear Members andFriends,

We can already feel spring in the air; the days are longer and warmer and this years fi rst Bulletin is in your hands.

In this issue you can look forward to an interview with Jaroslav Vittek, the new Country Manager of ING Czech Republic as well as our new Board member. You will also fi nd an interview with Teunis T. Scholtens, the new national commander of the Salvation Army in the Czech Republic. We will inform you about the New Years Reception which was held in January with the hospitality of Ambassador Ed Hoeks, and we would also like to invite you to the events coming up. We kindly invite you to two of our seminars that we are organizing in cooperation with our members: Business risks and opportunities in Central and Eastern Europe with KLM and TMF, and alaw seminar with DKVA and ING.We also invite you to ajoint event of 11 Chambers of Commerce, Business Meets Art. And donot forget to save the date for our traditional Flower Power Spring Party 21 May. On behalf of the Corporate Responsibility Club, we would like to invite you to an event called Afternoon Beer at the Kruovice brewery. We hope to see you at one of our upcoming events.

Apart from the news from members we regularly prepare for you, we would also like to take this opportunity to welcome our new member MA-MA Foundation. More about the endowment can be found inside this Bulletin.

And last but not least, we prepared ashort summary in English about the special E15 annex about the Netherlands as an important business partner of the Czech Republic. Thanks to the generosity of the Netherlands Embassy we were able to participate on this publication. If you missed it at the beginning of February, donot worry, we added one copy to each Bulletin for you.

Elias DrakopoulosChairman oftheBoard ofDirectors

The Bulletin is kindly supported by:

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INTTERVIEEW WWITH JJAROOSLAAAV VITTTEKKNEW COUNTRY MANAGER ING CZECH REPUBLIC ANDNCCC BOARD MEMBER

Jaroslav Vittek has been with ING Bank for more than 20 years, during which time he held several executive andmanagement positions indiff erent fi elds. In2010, he was appointed Country Manager ING Bank inSlova-kia. Asof1 December, 2014, Jaroslav isthenew Country Manager ING Bank intheCzech Republic responsible for the management and development of corporate and retail banking operations. In January this year, theNCCC Board ofDirectors welcomed Jaroslav asits new member.

You are Slovak, so Isuppose moving toPrague was not abig change for you. Still, isthere anything that strikes you, oryour family, intheCzech Republic?Indeed, moving here may look easy due to the proximity andcommon history thetwo countries used tobeone country not so many years ago. By theway, Iwas born and lived half ofmy life inCzechoslovakia . Still, any change isachallenge, particularly if it is the fi rst time. And for me and my family it is the fi rst experience of such relocation. The similarity oflanguage andculture dohelp andweget great support from colleagues intheCzech branch. Itisprobably themost diffi cult for my wife asweare trying tocombine her time with thefamily, which weall appreciate, andthejob she loves inSlovakia. Only time will show if the arrangement works. What is currently themost important for us isthat our son isdoing well; he likes theschool andisvery enthusiastic. This isgreat andweare very happy about this.

Attheend oflast year you were appointed Country Manager ING Czech Republic. What are your priorities andkey objectives?Iam coming totheCzech Republic todeliver on thepurpose ofour bank empowering our clients, both corporate andretail, tostay astep ahead inlife andinbusiness. Iwant tobuild on and deepen ING Banks profi le and perception as best-in-class banking partner, with expertise relevant for large local and international corporate and institutional clients, as well asasafe haven for fl exible growing ofwealth for our individual clients. Wewant tobeapartner one that can provide thebest customer experience and clear, easy and transparent service, as well as cross-border and specifi c value added solutions. Atfair prices for all clients.

What doyou think about thelatest developments inthefi nancial market intheCzech Republic andinEurope ingeneral? How has thecrisis aff ected thebehavior ofbanks andits clients?The Czech Republic is doing well and benefi ts from its geographical location, industrial history andthestructure ofits economy, aswell asfrom its stable andhealthy banking sector, relatively low sovereign debt, retail andcorporate sector but mainly from its ties tothegrowth engine ofEurope: Germany. Indices of consumer and business confi dence are positive and solid drivers of GDP growth. Macro-economic outlook

looks really good. On theother hand, thecountry isrelatively small and the economy very open, which makes it sensitive to external shocks. The external geopolitical situation has radicalized andthere isaserious confl ict (if not war) not so far from here, which is something no one imagined or expected awhile ago. Furthermore, when times are good, people tend to forget the bad times or shift the risk appetite too much. Good times should beused for building buff ers andreserves. So lets enjoy the good times but we ought to stay vigilant andbeprepared that itmay not last forever

Asfor thesecond question itisneither black nor white. Iam sure that diff erent banks or clients would tell diff erent stories. For some itwas a lesson, for others agreat opportunity. Iam sure that lessons were learned by both, banks and clients. Over-optimistic expectations andtoo much risk appetite have led to sometimes drastic measures and internal measures, andtochanges intheclient approach or even cultural/ethical standards. Andrightfully so. In a way tosweep away thedust, cut off theslack doaway with ineffi ciencies. But there is still a journey to go. I hope it is not just a one-off correction but rather anew way ofdoing business inaprudent andresponsible way, with integrity. There were also lucky ones who were prudent before andbenefi ted from being prepared. For them it was an opportunity leading to a stronger market position, expansion, outperforming others or even acquisitions.

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Cooperation with theNetherlands Chamber ofCommerce isnothing new for you; you were anactive member oftheBoard oftheChamber inSlovakia for anumber ofyears. Can you see any substantial diff erence between theNetherlands-Czech Chamber andtheSlovak one?Yes, Iwas Board member oftheSlovak Chamber ofCommerce for more than 3 years, but also participated on events organized by the Chamber before. It was an experience and an oppor-tunity to be exposed to diversity, Dutch culture and Dutch community. Ihave been here only for three months so itistoo soon tojudge. Nevertheless, Iam sure that atthecore they will bevery similar anetworking platform for theDutch commu-nity, bringing andsharing locally thebest practices, supporting Dutch-Czech business but also doing our part for the environ-ment and local communities.

You had theopportunity toobserve therole oftheNetherlands Chamber over aperiod ofmany years. What isyour impression ofthedevelopment oftheChambers role andwhat doyou think should betheadded value oftheChamber nowadays?Ibelieve that next totheobvious role asaplatform for social andbusiness networking, chambers could play amore active role in sharing and bringing best practices from the home countries andinalso fi nding ways tocultivate thelocal business environment, social and environmental responsibility, being partner also for authorities in setting business and ethical standards. Inthis respect Ibelieve that joining forces with other chambers is the most effi cient way to be a credible partner inany discussion.

Wehave thepleasure ofhaving you on theNCCC Board now. What would you like toachieve inyour new posting? What doyou consider asyour main contribution totheChamber?Itmay bemy somehow semi-local profi le. Not Dutch, not Czech, but coming from a similar culture and business background. With some management experience under my belt Iknow that having a diverse professional and personal profi le is an asset for any organization. Experience from the Dutch Chamber ofCommerce inSlovakia can hopefully help too.

Welearned alot about your professional life. Can you tell us how you like tospend your time outside theoffi ce, for achange? Presently it is very simple arranging a lot of small things to make sure that our family landing in Prague is smooth and completed. Personally I need to reinstate my usual way ofcompensating themental pressure ofwork running. Ilike running and the weather is improving so I hope to increase the intensity I had to scale down due to the relocation and starting afresh in Prague. We are very keen and looking forward to exploring Prague and the countryside, nature and cultural heritage in the Czech Republic. There are many nice destinations here andwewant toexplore them andget toknow thecountry better. So traveling around andexploring the Czech Republic is something we are defi nitely looking forward to.

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4 QQUESTTIONSS FORR TEUUNISS T. SCCHOLLTENSS, MMAJORROFFICER INCHARGE, THESALVATION ARMY CZECH REPUBLIC

1 What istheconnection between Armda spsy andTheNetherlands?Armda spsy intheCzech Republic isapart ofaninternational Christian movement The Salvation Army, which operates in125 countries around theworld. In terms oforganisational structure, we form one territory called The Netherlands andCzech Republic Territory. From themoment werenewed our operations in what was then Czechoslovakia, we gained a partner inThe Netherlands, where The Salvation Army has a history of 130 years, a country with which we have very good relationships, both working and personal. In recent years we have been able to draw on their knowledge, learn, share and benefi t greatly from many working visits to The Netherlands, transferring their good practice into thelocal environment.

2 What milestones have you reached during those years?Agreat milestone intheexistence ofArmda spsy intheCzech Republic was its registration as a church in 2013. This was not done inorder toreceive property inrestitution wehad never even qualifi ed for that, but we were able to declare who we really are. At a time when the Czech Republic ranks among the most atheistic countries in Europe, this little church isgrowing. Thechurch has its fi rm place insociety even today, but only achurch that isrelevant andresponds fl exibly totheneeds andchanges insociety. Ofcourse, there are other achievements in the area of social work, where we are one of the leading players inproviding services todisadvantaged people homeless men, women, mothers with children, aswell as the elderly. We also run many programmes for children andyoungsters.

3 What isyour long-term vision?Wewant tomaintain our position asaleading provider ofsocial services for the homeless, not just by increasing the capacity and number of places where we operate but by giving just as much importance to the quality and relevance of our services. Along with that we want to infl uence the legislation andfunctioning ofthesocial system on national level. All ofthat would not bepossible if wedid not grow asachurch aswell.

4 What then isArmda spsy facing inthenearest future?We are an army and therefore we work in a united line according to a laid-out strategic plan. And our goals for 2015? Wehave afew tostart with, wewill celebrate the25th anniversary of renewing our activities in the Czech Republic, but we will also continue with our involvement in preparing materials for the creation of a law on social housing (as one of only a few organisations we have had our own written concept of social housing for several years now and can currently off er almost 200 fl ats to our users), but we also want to be anarmy in motion which will expand its social services to new towns and regions. Another signifi cant goal is to stabilize our social enterprise ReShare which focuses on thesorting andprocessing ofused clothing. This isanidea we also adopted from our partners in The Netherlands with whom we cooperate very closely. We believe that the future profi t from this project will provide themuch needed funding for our social andspiritual services.

Thank you for your answers and we wish you success inyour work.

www.zdrava5.czFacebook Zdrav 5

Cooking with Albert

Amusing wizardry with healthy food

CULINARY CONTESTHEALTHY 5 FOR CHILDREN

The contest closing date is 24 April 2015!

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New Years ReceptionNew Years Reception20/01/201520/01/2015

Ithas become atradition that our fi rst event oftheyear ishosted attheResidence oftheDutch Ambassador. That iswhy theNew Years Reception was opened by H.E. Ed Hoeks, who welcomed the guests and summarized the most signifi cant events intheNetherlands last year. Also, he focused on thechallenges that theworld, andnamely thetwo countries represented by theNetherlands-Czech Chamber ofCommerce will face in2015, emphasizing thenecessity totackle terrorism after theattacks inParis atthebeginning ofJanuary. Pavel enych, NCCC Vice-Chairman, greeted the members and friends of the NCCC, too. He added his view on the economic and political developments oftheCzech Republic andEU inthepast year, aswell asprospects for 2015.

Guests following the welcome speech

Paul Roncken (UTC) and Vladimra Pajerov (AK Pajerov) selecting wineMilo Malank (TNT, NCCC Board member) with Jakub Vopelk (Salvation Army)

Jaromr Hjek (LeasePlan), Richard van Reem and Gijs Boot (GEREO)

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of the Residence and delicious, genuine Dutch refreshments. It was altogether a great evening, for which we thank all the guests and primarily the Ambassador and the Embassy oftheKingdom oftheNetherlands. Guests of the New Years Reception 2015

Guests of the New Years Reception 2015

Frantiek iling (KLM) tasting the bitterballen

Mirko Lachman (Awenum), Ambassador Ed Hoeks and Jaroslav Vittek (ING Czech Republic, NCCC Board Member)

Odilia de Ranitz (wife to Ambassador Ed Hoeks) with Oldich Uttendorfsk (Honorary Consul-General of the Czech Republic to the Netherlands)

Eveline Goesten (Netherlands Embassy), Oldich Uttendorfsk, Ambassador Ed Hoeks and Magdalna Pokludov (Ministry of Foreign Aff airs)

H.E. Ed Hoeks (Ambassador) and Pavel enych (NCCC Vice-Chairman) greeting the guests

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25/03/2015, 17.30 22.00

NH Hotel Prague, Mozartova 261/1, Praha 5

You will learn how to prepare Minestrone Calabrese (rich vegetable soup), Fregola Sarda con frutti di mare (pasta from Sardinia with seafood) and delicious Creme Brule. Apart from that, you will have a unique opportunity to have a tour of the hotel and the reconstructed, beautiful Il Giardino Restaurant.

21/04/2015, 18.00 21.00

TheMark Luxury Hotel Prague, Hybernsk 12, Praha 1

Are you doing business in Central and Eastern Europe? TMF Group will share with you useful fi ndings from the Economist Intelligence Unit and CEEMEA Business Group on business risks and opportunities in nine CEE countries. The seminar is organized in cooperation with the Netherlands Embassy and KLM, and will be followed by networking (from 19.00 onwards). You can look forward to Heineken beer, a selection of great Dutch cheese and superb wines from Chez Greg Pre & Fils.

ITALIAN COOKING SHOW

BUSINESS RISKS ANDOPPORTUNITIES INCEE

23/04/2015, 18.30 23.00

Veletrn palc, Dukelskch hrdin 47, Praha 7

Time for a change! Following the success of the Czech Beer Festival, the joint event of several bilateral chambers ofcommerce which wehave participated insince 2010, weare happy toinvite you to Business Meets Art. Come see your friends from the other (10!) organizing chambers andenjoy aninteresting cultural program this time.

BUSINESS MEETS ART

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If you have any specifi c questions, please, write to: veronika.karaskova@nlchamber.cz by 15th April, 2015.

12/05/2015, 10.00 12.30

Peterka & Partners offi ces, Karlovo nm. 671/24, Praha 1

TheImportance oftheRetention ofTitle Clause intheGeneral Terms andConditions

Brigitte Vaatov, lawyer, De Koning Vergouwen Advocaten

General legal andfi nancing topics relevant toentrepreneurs when they need fi nancial products todotheir business

Erik Vrij, Head ofCorporate Banking Legal, ING TheNetherlands

21/05/2015, 17.30 22.00 ofn Garden, Slovansk ostrov 226, Praha 1

Spring iscoming soon, andso isour traditional Flower Power Spring Party! Asusual, itwill befocused on CSR activities. Dont miss this opportunity tospend anice evening inthepleasant ofn Garden, andinthecompany ofNCCC members andpartners. TheAnnual General Meeting will take place before theevent.

DKVA & ING: LAW SEMINAR

FLOWER POWER SPRING PARTY & ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

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CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY CLUB

26/03/2015, 9.00 11.30Hotel Pyramida, Blohorsk 24, Praha 6

The Corporate Responsibility Club invites you to a round table meeting within SYMA 2015 (annual meeting of members and clients of the Czech Society for Quality). Themeeting will beled preliminarily by pioneers ofCreating Shared Value intheCzech Republic Ahold, Bosch, Nestl, T-Mobile, etc.

What isthecontribution oftheCSR activities tothecompany?

Exchange ofexperience, anew way ofcreating shared value.

The panel will be moderated by Ing. Alena Plkov, CSc. andwill beinCzech only.

Topics covered:

How tounderstand creating ofshared value?Ondej Hyk, University ofEconomics, PragueVilm Kunz, University ofFinance andAdministration

Creating Shared Value inpracticeBest practice ofintegrating CSR into thecore business.Possibilities ofproving reciprocal success.

CZECH SOCIETY FOR QUALITY: CREATING SHARED VALUE CSR ROUND TABLE

15/05/2015

5TH INTERNATIONAL DAY OFCORPORATE VOLUNTEERING

For one day, every year, thousands of people around the world give up their day jobs in offi ces and volun-teer to support a local community organization during working hours. This strength innumbers enables thecom-pletion of tasks that would otherwise be unachievable anddemonstrates thepower ofvolunteering intransform-ing communities.

Business for Society, off ers complete provision of this volunteering project including preparation, imple-mentation, coordination of all volunteering activities, communication with NGOs, external communication via our media partners, using your own corporate profi le on

portal www.zapojimse.cz, production andadministrative costs, volunteering insurance andacontribution on work-ing utilities for participating NGOs.

Deadline for corporate registration: 20/03/2015, berankova@byznysprospolecnost.cz

BUSINESS FOR SOCIETY: GIVE & GAIN DAY 2015

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Please, contact Veronika Karskov veronika.karaskova@nlchamber.czif you have any questions, thematic ideas, media orspeakers recommendations.

BUSINESS FOR SOCIETY: BUSINESS VISION 2015

AFTERNOON BEER ATTHEKRUOVICE BREWERY

09/06/2015, 16.00 18.30

Kruovice brewery, Upivovaru 1, Kruovice

Following the requirement to liven our CSR activities, weare organizing a tour to the Kruovice brewery for you. You can look forward to a defi -nitely responsible progam, after which we will responsibly taste the local beer. Abus will beready totransport you toKruovice andback.

04/06/2015, 9.00 15.00Lichtentejnsk palc, USovovch mln 506/4, Praha 1

Introduction ofbusiness concepts, innovative management styles, strategic approaches to communication and supply chain management based on responsible and sustainable business.Theconference ispart oftheEuropean week ofSustainable Development, and is supported by the Government Council for Sustainable Development and the Embassy oftheKingdom oftheNetherlands.For more information seewww.byznysprospolecnost.cz, or contact Katerina Kolska atkolska@byznysprospolecnost.cz

Please follow our website toget up-to-date

information on particular events.

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FORREWWEAR SUCCESSFUULLY COOPEERATESSWITH DIFFERENT COMPANIES. TRY ITWITH USS TOO!

BIKEE TTOWORK 2015

The socially benefi cial project FOREWEAR in cooperation with sheltered workshops Fokus Vysoina and Borvka Praha o.p.s. recycles old clothes inameaningful way. Theresult isecological products such as diaries, tablet covers, mobile phone covers andbook covers which companies use aspresents for employees, partners or assmart marketing materials. What isspecial about the products for companies is that they have a strong story: Usually, a clothes collection is fi rst organized in the companies whose employees actively participate andthis starts thewhole cycle ofold clothes. On top ofthat, theFOREWEAR team then produces tailor-made print design according to the company colors and corporate identity materials. Thealready successfully completed company orders include cooperation with PricewaterhouseCoopers, T-Mobile, Envirocont, EPS and AXA Assistance. Another order for Modr pyramida is being processed andtheFOREWEAR team isdesigning cooperation with Veolia. Theturn oftheyear has been quite busy anditresulted into another successful cooperation, this time with Tchibo. InSeptember 2014, weorganized aneducative clothes collection inTchibo asapart oftheGreen Week initiative, sorted the clothes in Kolobh (a small shop of Borvka Praha o.p.s.), donated a part of the clothes toBoromejky sisters, had therest processed into thenew recycled textile material andthen new products sewed inthesheltered workshop Fokus Vysoina.

We produced 200 book covers with a made-to-fi t design refl ecting Tchibos colors dark blue andyellow. Thevery nice way tothank theemployees who took part insaving resources during the Green Week initiative is a present in the form of 100 book covers with yet another design corresponding totheGreen Week colors. These book covers as a result represent an exemplary cooperation with companies which FOREWEAR aims atinitiating.

For more information please visit: www.forewear.cz/spoluprace-s-fokus-vysocina/

Contact: Markta Boreck, marketa.borecka@forewear.cz, gsm: +420 603 226 420

Book covers for theTchibo Green Offi ce project, source: FOREWEAR archive

With spring coming another year of the Bike to Work competition is knocking on your door. Whether or not you want toincrease your fi tness, improve your mood, or stop losing time intraffi c jams, encouraging team spirit at your work and joining the competition is absolutely worth it.

Teams and individuals can win valuable prizes in competition categories such asregularity, performance (mileage) or creativity. Companies with thebest conditions for cycling will vie for thetitle of Cycle-employer of the year. In 2014 there were almost six thousand participants from 912 companies in19 cities competing in this campaign. This year already 27 cities will participate andbrighten up their streets inMay with hundreds ofcyclists.

Auto*Mat, anon-profi t civic association isorganizing this project with thehelp oflocal organizers from participating cities. Weare excited to announce some interesting news for the fi fth year of the competition. A special emissions calculator will show each participant how much of which harmful pollutant they have spared with each kilometre riding on their bike. Wehope to illustrate the eff ect of our everyday transportation habits on theenvironment andour health. Participants inPrague will have theopportunity totry abrand new application for smartphones which will help them fi nd thebest bike route towork andrecord themileage into thecompetitions system.

The fi rst two hundred registered participants will receive not only a stylish T-shirt, but also special sport headphones from TDK. If a participant registers before the end of March, the reg-istration fee will be at least 50 crowns less than later on. Make

sure not to hesitate and register soon with your colleagues atwww.dopracenakole.net.

We are very thankful to many Dutch companies, without their generous support this project would not bepossible toorganize. Above all thanks toTNT Express, our great general partner who delivers starter packs with T-shirts to thousands of participants, to the Netherlands Embassy, our traditional partner who helps promote the idea of sustainable transport across the Czech Republic, andING Bank.

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ING Bank isworking innew premises from November 18th. After more than ten years ING Bank left Prague, Andl andmoved into the dynamically developing area Harfa Offi ce Park, Prague, Vysoany, next to O2 Arena. The bank occupies top three fl oors of a new offi ce building with a total area of 3,600 m. There is situated not only the ING Bank headquarters but theNetherlands-Czech Chamber ofCommerce and our long-term partner Nadace Terezy Maxov dtem aswell.

For more than ten years wehave witnessed therebirth andrevi-talization ofSmchov, formerly industrial, inanattractive andone of the busiest locations in Prague, says Jaroslav Vittek, Coun-try Manager of ING Bank Czech Republic, adding: We believe inthepotential ofthis new area inPrague 9, which isdynamically growing andalready off ers a number ofopportunities for business andprivate activities aswell. Wealso believe that weare making astep intheright direction. Adequate capacity andquality back-ground ofamodern Harfa Offi ce Park building will undoubtedly support the further development of our company and allow us tomeet theneeds ofour clients.

We are proud to welcome ING Bank in the Harfa Offi ce Park andbelieve that thecorporate faade branding, will endeavor our A-class building with aspecial charm, declared Tamir Winterstein, CEO ofLighthouse Group, continuing: ING Bank, with its require-ments and standards assures us that the Harfa Offi ce Park can serve even the most demanding tenants, while simultaneously confi rming our development strategy.

The box offi ce for corporate clients also moved to these new premises at Prague 9, eskomoravsk 2420/15. The opening hours remain unchanged andare available on working days from 9 to 15hours. Telephones andemail contacts remain unchanged aswell.

Contact points for personal clients remain unchanged. Clients can continue touse theservices of ING Financial Centre inPlzesk street, Prague 5 or any of the current ING Kiosks in shopping centers (address list on www.ingbank.cz) and free of charge client line 800159159.

IINGG BANKK CHANNGGED LLOCCATION OOOFITS HEEADQUARRTTERSAFTER TEN YEARS ANDMOVED TOTHEHAARFA OFFICE PARK BUILDING

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HOWW TTOBREAKK THECIIRRCLE OFFPOVERTTYY?THESALVATION ARMY (ARMDA SPSY) ANDD SOCIAL HOUSSING

CTPP | DOKSYRACE 201155 * 09/088/20015POPULAR TRIATHLON ATTHEEMACHOVO JEZEERO WILL BEHEELD AGAIN THIS YYEAR!

Social fl ats oftheSalvation Army are afollow-up service for families or individuals who have come through the homeless hostel social service and are unable primarily for fi nancial reasons to fi nd aff ordable housing.

Usually, the family or individual enters into a sub-tenancy contract with theSalvation Army, who guarantees totheowner ofthefl at (municipality, private landlord) that therent andall related fees will bepaid. Theclient stays inthefl at for 3-5 years and the intensity of social support provided by theSalvation Army gradually decreases, depending on the clients abilities andneeds (initially, acontact with theSA social worker takes place every week, towards the end it can be once every two months), says Jan Frantiek Krupa, Director ofSocial Services attheSalvation Army, explaining theprinciples ofsocial fl ats.

Asocial fl at does not need tobeatransitional stop...The purpose of the Salvation Army social fl ats is to teach aperson who had lost their home tolive independently once again, following normal rules for using an apartment. Social housing does not actually need to be temporary. The client has theoption if they are ready tobecome anindependent tenant ofthefl at inthefuture. Insuch acase, theSalvation Army steps out oftherelationship between theclient andthefl ats owner, who then makes a contract directly with the client. Theowner who gained areliable tenant this way, then provides adiff erent apartment tous asareplacement, adds Krupa.

The Salvation Army started the pro-gramme in 2005, adding the option oftransferring thetenancy tothecli-ent in 2008. Similar services are also provided by other organisa-tions in Ostrava, but none of them isashighly esteemed asthePreven-tion ofHomelessness project, which runs the social fl ats. The Salvation Army currently operates over 200 so-cial fl ats in9 cities.

Weare looking forward totheparticipation ofall thetriathletes who took part last year. Thehalf-ironman track of1.9 km swim, 90 km bike and 21 km run can be, same as in the previous years, also split among up to7people, team relays are more than welcome set up ateam together with your colleagues andbeat CTP!

We look forward to seeing you all in DOKSY on SUNDAY, AUGUST 9th, so you better start training!

More information can befound on WWW.CTPdoksyrace.cz

or on Facebook: www.facebook.com/DOKSYMAN or contact Hana Mkov, hana.miskova@ctp.eu

See you there!

Team CTP Doksyrace

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ALLBERT INNTHECZECH REPUUBBLICISSUCCESSFULLYY IMPLEMENTINGG THEACQUISITION OFSPAR

InMarch last year, anagreement on strategic acquisi-tion ofSPAR Czech Trade Company andits incorporation under the Albert brand was signed in the Czech Re-public. In total, Albert took over 35 INTERSPAR hypermarkets and14 SPAR supermarkets, with atotal value exceeding CZK 5 billion. After the transaction was approved by antimonopoly authority on 1 August, 2014, the process of transformation and rebranding of individual stores under the Albert brand began. Along with these acquired stores, Albert is operating over 330 stores in all regions of the Czech Republic. With over 17 thousand of employees, Albert ranks among thelargest employers inthewhole country.

Prior to acquisition and the beginning of rebranding, Albert performed a series of extensive customer surveys that gave Albert exact information about customer preferences ineach store. Rebuilding was then adapted tothese fi ndings and feedback the stores retained SPAR ranges, attractive to customers with their features, and supplemented by additional Albert ranges.

Since August 2014, all SPAR stores were gradually integrated under the Albert umbrella. During autumn 2014, all 14 SPAR stores had already undergone rebranding andbecame Albert supermarkets. Atthesame time, pilot rebranding ofINTERSPAR store took place in Pilsen. This store has become a model shop for rebranding that took place since the beginning of 2015. During fi rst quarter of 2015, 35 hypermarkets were incorporated under theAlbert brand ashypermarkets.

Within the integrated stores, Albert further extended or started brand new cooperation with regional food suppliers. This ismainly involving cooperation with local bakers, whose products complements to the assortment of pastries across Albert stores. For us, cooperation with regional suppliers iscrucial. Weare responding togrowing customer demand for homemade, fresh food. Thanks tothese local suppliers, namely promoted atthepoint ofsale andvia media, wehave managed to achieve a greater connection with local community, says Jesper Lauridsen, CEO Ahold Czech Republic. Customers are also increasingly interested in the origin of products and its quality. In this regard, we strive for maximum transparency ofour off erings, adds Jesper Lauridsen.

Apart from local bakers, Albert closely cooperates with Czech farmers andstrategic partners who specialize infruits andveg-etables segment. They represent the connection between Albert and producers and ensure the shortest possible route toget their products to individual stores as fresh aspossible. Alberts strategy inthis area focuses on sale offruits andveg-etables locally grown inneighbourhood. Great emphasis isalso placed on maximum freshness offood sold within entire supply chain. Assortment ofgoods from Czech suppliers are prevalent among Albert products.

Inaddition tovisual transformation ofrebranded stores, other changes include the store layout, composition of the supply of goods and arrangement of selected store sections and its product ranges. These were expanded toown-brand products BASIC, Albert Quality, Albert Excellent and Albert Bio. As for thefruits andvegetables, this section underwent thebiggest change and is presented in a special way. Fresh fruits andvegetables are now off ered tocustomers atlower shelves with wooden design andneutral colours. Given that theitems are very sensitive to handling and prone to damage, we are eliminating the risk mentioned above and customers have the opportunity to choose from easy on eye products. These changes doget very positive feedback from our customers.

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LOCCAL BASED SOCIAL RRESPONSIBIILITYYEUROPEAN PLATFORM FOR EEDUCATION OF CCHILDREN ANDYOUTHAA

CHAANNGES INTHHENCCCCC TEAM

We believe that only local based social responsibility has real impact inthecommunity, where weare living, studying andworking.

You are welcome tojoin theprojects weare preparing:

Weknow that itisanecessary part ofsocial education, which brings the community members values of fairness, equality, accountability andcontinuous learning.

Dear members, please beinformed that thecurrent staff oftheNCCC includes Veronika Karskov andIva mov. Martina Netuhov left the Chamber as of 28 February, 2015. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Martina andwish her all thebest with her new job.

Iva mov returned to the Chamber part-time, after a one year break due to her maternity leave. She istaking over all respon-sibilities from Martina Netuhov, so you can turn to her regarding the Bulletin, website, LinkedIn and general inquiries. Iva, who has worked for the Chamber since 2007, will closely cooperate with Veronika Karskov, who continues to be responsible for events, CRC, fi nancial andoffi ce administration.

Please do not hesitate to contact either Veronika or Iva with any ideas or questions regarding your membership and the value added you expect from the Chamber. The NCCC team strives to deliver maximum performance for your maximum satisfaction!

Iva mov Veronika Karskov

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The Dutch-Czech endowment MA-MA Foundation was established in 2014 by Martina Motshagen and Mar-tina Koudelkov. The reason why both ladies started this foundation was to continue with their previous char-ity activities which they consider very useful. The name ofthefoundation comes not only from thefi rst two letters of the founders names, but also from the word mama which has got the same meaning around the world. You can fi nd one important message inthename which weuse asamotto ofour foundation: HELPING GOOD THINGS ALWAYS MAKES SENSETo help where it is needed, to support education, traditions, and to appreciate the message of previous generations with the aim to leave this heritage for next successors. That isthebasic idea which one ofthefounders, Martina Motshagen, took with her from her former homeland, the Netherlands, toher new home, theCzech Republic. Webelieve that thanks tocollective eff orts andvisions that weshare with our actual and future partners, we can come up to the mission of our foundation atthemaximum.

EXAMPLES OFOUR CHARITY ACTIVITIESCharity bazaarAcharity bazaar with thefamous Czech singer, Bra Basikov. This bazaar was supported by themayor ofthecity ofJablonec nad Nisou, Petr Beitl. A big sale of things from personal wardrobes ofknown singers, actresses andproducers.

Installation ofthefountain ThePeeing Dog Why this fountain? Krytofovo dol, a picturesque vil-lage which you can reach by car from Prague in less than an hour, would like to become an important vil-lage within the European Union. A symbol of the capi-tal of the European Union, the city of Brussels in Bel-gium, is the Manneken Pis (a statue of a urinating boy). That brought us to the idea to support the installation ofthis fountain with aurinat-ing dog (ofatypical Czech race) asone ofthetourist attractions ofKrytofovo dol.

Charity concertAcharity concert ofthefamous singer Bra Basikov intheearly baroque St. Christopher Church in Krytofovo dol will take place on March 22, 2015. Theprofi t ofthis charity concert will fi nance the installation of thePeeing dog, and will be used as a donation for the oncology department of the Liberec Regional Hospital.

Installation oftheSt.Christopher StatueThe next signifi cant activity supported by MA-MA FOUN-DATION is the installation of the St. Christopher Statue. St. Christopher is a patron of travelers, drivers, pilgrims, mountain roads, miners and air rescuers. He gave the name to Krytofovo dol (Christopher Valley) near thecity ofLiberec (partnership with Amersfoort intheNether-lands), so this village deserves to have his statue. It is a big challenge for the foundation, to collect enough funds for this purpose.

MA-MA Foundation

Thefounders ofMA-MA FOUNDATION, Martina Motshagen andMartina Koudelkov, are proud ofall activities andappreciate each donor who iswilling togive any kind ofcontribution tosupport its activities.

Our vision issupport without borders, with partners not only from theCzech Republic but also from abroad.Weare proud that wecan beamember oftheNCCC andare looking forward tocooperation with its dear members.

Author: Martin ChaloupkaSculptor: Ale John

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NEWWSFROM THE NNETHERLANDS CHAMBER OFCOMMERCE INTHESLOVVAAK REPUBLIC

For more information, please go towww.netherlandschamber.sk or follow us on Facebook.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING January 22, 2015The Annual General Meeting was held at the traditional venue of the Radisson Blu Carlton Hotel. The Chamber president, Mr. Emile Roest, informed members regarding the results and activities in 2014. We would like to congratulate the newly elected board members, Bjorn van den Berg (Business Lease), Jozef Tth (Philips) and Zuzana Bartooviov (Hillbridges).

NEW YEARS RECEPTIONJanuary 22, 2015Traditionally, the fi rst event of the year the New Years Reception was held immediately after the Annual General Meeting. The Chamber invited the Dutch Society and special guests from the other foreign chambers in Slovakia and members to this popular event, which was held on the premises of our member, Radisson Blu Carlton Hotel Bratislava.

The members and our special guests drank atoast to ahappy and successful 2015.

TAX SEMINAR February 5, 2015The Foreign Chambers of Commerce in Slovakia organised this years annual TAX SEMINAR with the theme Changes in Income Tax Legislation.Toko Beran from the Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic opened the event with Outlook 2015. Wilfried Serles, Managing Partner at Grant Thornton and Bart Waterloos, Partner from VGD - AVOS TAX, spoke about changes to corporate income tax.

BUSINESS MOTIVATIONAL WORKSHOP: INSPIRATIONAL FEMALE LEADERSMarch 10, 2015In support of International Womens Day, we invited successful women leaders to talk about their success story. The main speakers at the event were Zuzana Remrov, General Manager, GlaxoSmithKline Slovakia and Cristina Dumitrache, Managing Director, Cushman & Wakefi eld.

INVITATION TOUP-COMING EVENTS

24/03/2015 SPEED BUSINESS MEETING

27/03/2015 WINE AND CULINARY EXPERIENCE

April/2015 BUSINESS BREAKFAST ON PUBLIC PROCUREMENT

April/2015 KINGS DAY CELEBRATION

May/2015 WORKSHOP ON LEADERSHIP

21-22/05/2015 VISITING MEMBERS IN PIEANY REGION

04/06/2015 WISHING YOU ASUNNY SUMMER BUSINESS COCKTAIL

10/06/2015 SPEED BUSINESS MEETING

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Companies often ask us why it is important to include aretention oftitle clause inthegeneral terms andconditions of an agreement. The answer is quite simple. Rather than regulating matters related to the core of an agreement, such as product and price, the general terms and conditions are concerned with theframework around theagreement. These include liability, theduration ofthecontract, thetime limit for complaints, jurisdiction incase ofdisputes, theretention oftitle, debt recovery costs andlate payment penalty. Companies that supply goods toother companies, nationally or internationally, would be wise to negotiate and include a retention of title clause inthegeneral terms andconditions oftheir agreements.

What isretention oftitle?

Retention oftitle means that theseller remains thelegal owner ofthegoods he delivers until thepurchase price ispaid infull. Aslong astheseller retains title tothegoods, he has theright to reclaim them from the buyer, should buyer fail to pay the purchase price. The retention of title clause is therefore apre-emptive measure, regarded asahighly eff ective business tool. Under Dutch law, theretention oftitle clause must meet several conditions.

1. Itmust beagreed inwriting either by being included inthepurchase agreement or inthegeneral terms andconditions.

2. Thegoods delivered must besuffi ciently defi ned andidentifi able; Should itbeunclear which exact goods are involved, itbecomes very diffi cult for theseller toreclaim them.

3. Thegoods delivered must not yet beincorporated into new products; This includes parts such asscrews, which may form part ofother products.

4. Thegoods must not beprocessed andremodelled into anew product.

Unfortunately, the retention of title clause is not available for companies delivering services, such as the provision ofeducation, courses andthelike.

Inpractice, theretention oftitle clause isincluded inthegeneral terms and conditions. Companies are advised to have thebuyer sign for thereceipt andacceptance oftheir general terms andconditions. Noting aretention oftitle provision on theinvoice isnot suffi cient.

What happens if thebuyer declares bankruptcy?

Should thebuyer become insolvent prior tothefull payment of the purchase price, the seller can reclaim his goods from thebuyers bankruptcy estate. Astheseller retains ownership ofthegoods, these donot form part ofthebankruptcy estate oftheinsolvent buyer. Under theDutch Bankruptcy Act, incase ofbankruptcy thesupervisory judge may specify that recovery claims not be exercised for up to a period of two months, and then only with the authorisation of the supervisory judge. This gives theadministrator oftheestate time toassess theoutstanding claims.

Thetwo months are theso-called cooling off period. Acooling off period may extend to a maximum of two months. After this period, the administrator must either return the goods to the seller, or he can choose to pay for them. This could betotheadvantage oftheestate, for instance incases where part of the purchase price has already been paid. Under Dutch law, a seller who has not been paid but has retained the title to his goods has a very strong position in case ofbuyers bankruptcy. Theseller may either reclaim thegoods or be entitled to payment in full. If the seller has reserved ownership ofthegoods, he can demand payment even when thebuyer has applied for amoratorium. TheDutch Bankruptcy Act contains asimilar provision for moratoriums.

Conclusion

Unless you have agreed on aretention oftitle clause, you will not beable toreclaim your goods andmust join afrequently long queue ofunsecured creditors. You will have towrite off the debt as uncollectible, at considerable cost. It is a case ofbetter safe than sorry. Should you have any questions about this topic, please donot hesitate tocontact us.

Brigitte Vaatovvanatova@dkva.nl

Jan de Koningdekoning@dkva.nl

De Koning Vergouwen (DKVA) isamedium size law fi rm inAmsterdam, TheNetherlands. Weregularly publish notes on legal issues across jurisdictions. Theregular contributors are attorneys at law, Brigitte Vaatov andJan de Koning. Born inTheCzech Republic, Brigitte isfl uent intheCzech language. For further information, please see our website: www.dkva.nl

THHEIMPPORTTANCCE OFFTHEERETTENTTION OFTTITLE CLAUSEIN TTHEGENERAL TERMS ANDCONDITIONS

The Best Value Procurement Transport Infrastructure Projects

Dutch Best Practice & Experience

10th April 2015, 8.30 15.00Ministry ofTransport, Nbe Ludvka Svobody 1222/12, Prague 1

Three Dutch experts will becovering Best Value Procurement, Most Economical Advantageous Tendering andother methodologies andaspects determining successful selection ofthebest off er for

delivery ofcomplex infrastructure projects.

For more information, please follow www.ceskainfrastruktura.cz/akce/kulaty-stul-ari-o-metodach-hodnoceni-ekonomicke-vyhodnosti

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ARCHIKULTURA 2015 ANDCONTEMPORARY DUTCH ARCHITECTURE2 April 7 June, House ofArts, OstravaInternational architecture festival ARCHIKULTURA 2015 will host 2 exhibitions on contemporary Dutch architecture. House ofArts will present theDutch studio NL Archi tects andanexhibition called Contemporary Architec-ture intheNetherlands 2000-2015. www.gvuo.cz

22nd DAYS OFEUROPEAN FILM FESTIVAL

10 17 April inPrague, 1826 April inBrno andother Czech citiesDays of European Film has become a tradition among thespring fi lm festivals, showing fi lms ofthecurrent andfuture member states of the European Union. This year a fi lm from theNetherlands INTRUDER by Shariff Korver will bepresented. www.eurofi lmfest.cz

AUTO*MAT BIKE TOWORK1 31 May, Czech RepublicAgain this year with the sup-port of the Netherlands Em bas sy, Auto*Mat is organising the Bike to Work campaign and competition. Over 7,000 participants and1,000 companies andinstitutions are expected toparticipate from Prague aswell astheregions. This year anew tool emission calculator will automatically count emissions of all dangerous pollutants saved by each oftheparticipants. Positive environmen-tal impact oftheBike toWork competition isalso appreciated by the UN Offi ce in Prague which holds a patronage over the cam-paign this year. www.auto-mat.cz

LITERATURE NIGHT 201513 May, 6 11 pm, Prague 6Literature Night off ers aplatform toEuropean countries topresent their contemporary writing. Ase-ries ofpublic readings performed by famous Czech actors will take place during one evening at at-tractive venues in Prague. This year we will discover Dejvice in Prague 6. The Czech transla-tion of the novel THIRST by the Dutch writer Ester Gerrit-sen will beread attheResidence of the Ambassador of the King-dom oftheNetherlands. www.literaturenight.eu

PRAGUE FRINGE FESTIVAL22 30 May, PraguePrague Fringe Festival has wel-comed over 600 companies and thousands of theatre goers totheheart ofthecity from all over theworld since its incep-tion in2001. Thefestival off ers 9 evenings ofcomedy, theatre andmusic inunique venues throughout beautiful Mal Strana. This year the Netherlands will be represented by two shows, TheFruits ofFailure by ALMOST HUMAN andIam not Antigone by THEOTHERS. www.praguefringe.com

reSITE 2015: THESHARING CITY18 19 June, Karlin Hall Forum, PragueThe 4th reSITE Conference, the largest such event in Central Europe, aims to improve the quality of life in cities through better urban planning, architecture, governance and public participation. reSITE 2015 will bring the worlds best thought leaders in tech startups, urban planning, politics, social innovation and real estate fi nance. The conference will be accompanied by workshops, exhibitions and discussions on the Sharing City. TheNetherlands will berepresented by Hiroki Matsuura from Maxwan architects and Henk Ovink of Rebuild by Design. http://resite.cz/en/

UNITED ISLANDS MUSIC FESTIVAL 201518 20 June, PragueUnited Islands is a multi-genre music festival, which is held on the Vltava river islands and in the historical centre of Prague, attracting more than 60,000 visitors. The festival presents more than 200 new and progressive artists from the Czech Republic and abroad. The Netherlands will be represented by a Dutch duo WEVAL. www.unitedislands.cz

PRAGUE QUADRENNIAL OFPERFORMANCE DESIGN ANDSPACE 201518 28 June, PragueThe Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space is the worlds largest exhibition in the fi eld of scenography and theatre architecture. The fi rst PQ took place in 1967 and since then every four years it welcomes representatives from more than 80 countries. The Quadrennial is a place toshare expertise andtoprovide aninternational platform for scenography education, workshops or symposia. ThePQ 2015 theme is SharedSpace: Music, Weather, Politics. Exhibitions of individual countries and regions present the best works inthefi eld ofscenography andperformance design that have been realized intherespective countries. TheNetherlands will berepresented by ThePlatform-Scenography team. www.pq.cz/en

Photo: NLArchitects.nl

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR THELATEST UPDATESwww.facebook.com/AmbassadePraag

SSELEECTTIOON OOFFEVVENNTTSSSUPPORTED BY THEEMBASSSY OFTHEKINGDOM OFTHENETTHERLANDS

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TTHE NNEETTHERRLAANNNDSABUSINESS PARTNNER OOF THE CZECH REPUBLIC

Thanks to the generosity of the Netherlands Embassy we were able to participate on the special E15 annex about the Netherlands as an important business partner of the Czech Republic. The publication was issued at the beginning of February and you will fi nd it inserted in this Bulletin. Since it is in Czech only, we prepared ashort summary in English for you.

ED HOEKS: OUR COMMON VOICE SOUNDS LOUDER IN EUROPEThe Netherlands is the tenth biggest business partner of the Czech Republic and one of its biggest investors, says EdHoeks, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the Czech Republic.

The two countries share similar opinions in Brussels and their population is partly EU-sceptic. With the Czech Republic being amember of the Visegrad Group, and the Netherlands being a traditional part of the Benelux, our common voice can sound louder in Europe, if we join forces. Our countries are also signifi cantly interconnected in culture. The Embassy supports many projects introducing Dutch art and culture, as well as projects that deal with human rights. My personal goal is to show how both nations can learn from one another, says Ambassador Hoeks. I see the Netherlands as a gateway to Europe, while the Czech Republic lies in the heart of Europe and forms abridge between the East and the West. Thats why we are agood team together.

DUTCH ECONOMY IS BASED ONINNOVATION AND CREATIVITYThe Netherlands ranks among the most developed countries of the world, with the lowest unemployment rate and distinctive orientation of the national economy on products with high added value and on innovations.

The Dutch fi nancial sector is one of the most developed in the world. The economy is also driven by trade, which is connected with its advantageous position by the sea Rotterdam is the third biggest harbor in the world. The main trade partners are Germany, Belgium, France and Great Britain.

Netherlands: 24 strongest and largest public companies in the worldAccording to renowned American magazine Forbes, and its list of the largest public companies worldwide, Forbes Global 2000, there are 24 Dutch companies on this list, e.g. Royal Dutch Shell (7th), ING Group (60th), Unilever (103rd). For comparison, theCzech Republic has only one, EZ. Economic ratingHigh economic freedom, great conditions for doing business, low corruption, simple tax system, functional public administration and superb infrastructure. No wonder that the Netherlands proves to be successful in various rankings, aselection of which you can see below.

15th highest economic freedom (2014 Index of Economic Freedom, The Heritage Foundation)

28th best conditions for doing business (Doing Business 2014, World Bank)

3rd most competitive economy in EU (The World Competitiveness Report 2014, World Economic Forum)

8th lowest corruption (2013, Transparency International) 28th simplest tax system (Paying Taxes 2014, World Bank &PwC)

Acountry of part-time employeesThe Netherlands has the largest share of part-time employees of all EU members. More than 60% of women and every 7th man work part-time. It is one of the reasons for a very low unemployment rate in the long-term, which even during the crisis did not exceed 5%. Foreign investors have to count on higher labor costs, though, in comparison with other EU countries (6th highest). The minimum wage is 1.469 EUR (2013), per month, the third highest in the world.

Open doors for the CzechsThe Netherlands has been building its position of trade superpower for hundreds of years, so Dutch companies possess extensive knowledge of both local and international trade. This is often lacking with Czech companies, which is why cooperating with Dutch counterparts brings not only the possibility to export goods to the Dutch market but also to have access to additional markets, including developing countries.

MAASVLAKTE 2: ROTTTERDAM HARBOR SQUAREDRotterdam traditionally dominates European sea transport. The magnifi cent project Maasvlakte 2 will almost double the capacity of the harbor and make Rotterdam accessible for the most modern gigantic container ships, as the current shipping trend requires.

During the fi rst fi ve years of the project, the construction cost 1.5 billion EUR. However, surprisingly for the Czech readers, the costs for the fi rst phase of the project are approximately 20% lower than the original estimate. The harbor generates 3 % of the national income. 90,000 people are employed at the harbor and the expansion should bring another 6,000 jobs.

AGATEWAY TO EUROPE IS OPEN FOR CZECH INVESTORS, TOOThe Netherlands off ers investors liberal conditions, tax relief as well as atransparent and stable legal environment. In addition, setting up a company in the Kingdom of the Netherlands is relatively easy and quick it only takes about 10 days.

How to set up acompany in the Netherlands?The newly established company must have a seat in the Netherlands. The fi rst prerequisite is the so-called Social Contract which has to be notarized, or a Contract on Setting up a Company, if there is more than one founder, as added by Brigitte Vaatov from De Koning Vergouwen Advocaten. The notarial record needs to be in Dutch. Another step is recording the company in the Trade Register by the Chamber

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of Commerce. Also, you need to register the company with the local Tax Authority.

How much and how long does it take?In case of BV (s.r.o.), the starting capital is only symbolic, around 2,000 EUR (most of which are notarial fees). In the case of NV (a.s.), it is 45,000 EUR. Registering the company with the Tax Authority (and social security system at the same time) is free of charge and takes approx. amonth. The registration with the Chamber of Commerce (Trade Register) costs 50 EUR and takes only hours.

Taxes in the NetherlandsThe Netherlands off ers several types of tax relief. The basic VAT rate is 21%, the lower one is 6%. As for income tax, if your taxable income is not higher than 200,000 EUR, the rate is 20%. Taxable income higher than 200,000 EUR means a tax in the amount of 40,000 EUR and a rate of 25% from the amount exceeding 200,000 EUR. Some qualifi ed investment funds can be exempted from tax, says Vladimra Pajerov from AKPajerov s.r.o.

RENOWNED DAM BUILDERS TO BE BUSYGod created the world, and the Dutch created the Netherlands, states apopular Dutch saying. About afi fth of the Netherlands area actually lies below sea level on polders, soil that they tore away from the sea, thanks to almost 4,000 kilometers of dams. Global warming threatens not only with increasing the sea level, but also with increased rainfall of rivers that fl ow into the Northern Sea, in the area of the Netherlands. The current level of fl ood security is very high, but due to alarming forecasts, the Dutch government plans to reinforce it by raising the dams and improving the drainage system. Massive improvements should concern the Delta Project, too, which protects the whole South of the country, and is considered a technical wonder of the world. For construction companies, this means large business cases as well as an opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and competitive advantage for similar projects around the world.

SHALL WE EAT INSECT AND ALGAE?Our future is based on our past, including diet habits. Billions of people all over the world consume grasshoppers, seaweed, grigs, mealworms and other healthy delicacies, usually because of a low standard of living. Dutch innovators create high nutritional quality food made from these ingredients, with high protein content, high energy value, almost no cholesterol and chitin, for intestines cleansing. In the future, these ingredients may be an important part of soldiers and astronauts nutrition. Todays number of restaurants off ering insect delicacies on the daily menu will increase. In the Netherlands, meer-brood made from Chlorella, freshwater algae stimulating fi fth taste umami, is already available on the market. This bread consists

of 30% less salt than wheat bread. Pasta or cookies with algae contain a lot of minerals and unsaturated fatty acids. Algae grown in covered halls are very popular as these clean algae contain almost no bacterium or other microorganisms.

DUTCH INVENTIONS: FLYING POWER STATION OR INTELLIGENT HIGHWAY

Netherlands registers the highest number of patents at the European patent court after Germany. In 20072012, there were 38,000 registration requests from the Netherlands, for comparison, only 800 from the Czech Republic. In the past, Dutch inventors have enriched the world e.g. through the compact disk or submarine. In 2014, the city Krommenie, opened aunique ecological project, a70 m long solar bicycle path made from panels which generate energy from sunlight (test operation). Wubbo Ockelse, an experiment named Kite power fl ying power station is simple abig dragon released in the air is copying the eights in the wind and the anchored rope transmits the motion on amachine, which transforms the movement into energy. The streaks on the intelligent highway invented by Daan Roosegaar, are made by luminescent colour which shines independently at night. Warning symbols show up during bad weather, e.g. once it is freezing, due to the chemical reaction (test operation). In the Netherlands, we can fi nd also some funny inventions such as electronic joints imitating the taste of marihuana, or the student project alcohol powder.

DUTCH ARCHITECTURE STAR FASCINATES THE WORLDRem Koolhaas, a seventy year old Dutch architect, professor at Harvard and other Universities, urbanist, teacher, web designer and writer, was born in Rotterdam harbor, center of todays Dutch modern architecture. The Offi ce for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA), established in 1975 by Rem Koolhaas, Elia and Zoe Zenghelis and Madelon Vriesendorp in London, has realized about 100 projects all around the world (list on www.oma.com). Koolhaas knows that thousands of ideas are nothing without the clients and promotes the motto that in architecture, creativity and functionality need to be in balance. The concert hall in the Portuguese Port Casa Musica, the modern tower CCTV in Chinese Peking, Lille Grand Palais in France, the Building of the Netherlands Embassy in Berlin (winner of Architecture Prize, Berlin 2003, Mies van der Rohe Award for European Architecture, 2005) or Prada Sport in Rotterdam, those are only a few of the famous perfectly functional buildings with an untraditional exterior. In 2000, Rem Kolhaas won the Pritzker Architecture Prize (inspired by the Nobel Prize). Most famous publications: Delirious New York, 1987, S, M, L, XL, 1994.

Source: E15

Source: beeldbank.rws.nl

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CZECH REPUBLICAPRIL JUNE 2015

NETHERLANDSAPRIL JUNE 2015

INTERBEAUTY PRAGUEInternational Fair for Cosmetics andHairdressing10. 11. 4. 2015 Praha Vstavit Holeovicewww.interbeautyprague.cz

FESTIVAL EVOLUTIONBIOSTYLE, HEALTH 10th Healthy Nutrition andHealthy Lifestyle Trade FairECOWORLD 7th Ecology andSustainable Development Trade Fair 17. 19. 4. 2015 Praha Vstavit Holeovicewww.festivalevolution.cz/biostyl-zdraviwww.festivalevolution.cz/ecoworld

FOR INDUSTRY14th International Fair for Engineering Technologies21. 23. 4. 2015 Praha PVA EXPO Letanywww.forindustry.cz

WINE & DELICACIES18th International Trade Fair for Gastronomy22. 24. 4. 2015 Praha Vstavit Holeovicewww.vinodelikatesy.cz

IBF MOBITEXInternational Building Fair International Furniture andInterior Design Fair 22. 25. 4. 2015 Brno Vstavitwww.bvv.cz/ibf, www.bvv.cz/mobitex

FLORA OLOMOUCInternational Horticultural Exhibition andFair, Spring Version23. 26. 4. 2015 Olomouc Vstavit Florawww.fl ora-ol.cz

SPORT EXPO9th Sport Facilities andEquipment Fair30. 4. 2. 5. 2015 Praha Vstavit Holeovicewww.sport-expo.cz

BOOK WORLD21st International Book Fair andLiterary Festival14. 17. 5. Praha Vstavit Holeovicewww.svetknihy.cz

MINERALS BRNO32nd International Sales Exhibition ofMinerals, Fossils, Jewels andNatural Products23. 24. 5. 2015 Brno Vstavitwww.bvv.cz/mineraly-brno

BUILDING HOLLANDInternational Building Exhibition31. 3. 2. 4. 2015 Amsterdam RAI www.buildingholland.nl

VERZAMELAARS JAARBEURSInternational Collectors Fair11. 12. 4. 2015 Utrecht Jaarbeurswww.verzamelaarsjaarbeurs.nl

EMPACK NETHERLANDSTrade Fair for Innovative Packaging Solutions15. 16. 4. 2015 Hertogenbosch Brabanthallen Exhibition Centrewww.easyfairs.com

AUTORAI Amsterdam International Motor Show17. 26. 4. 2015 Amsterdam RAIwww.autorai.nl

JAARBEURS OVERHEID 360Trade Fair on ITInnovations, BI, Security andSoftware22. 23. 4. 2015 Utrecht Jaarbeurswww.jaarbeursoverheid360.nl

AMSTERDAM GOLF SHOWGolf Fair25. 26. 4. 2015 Amsterdam Amstel / Borchlandwww.amsterdam-golf.com

PLMA INTERNATIONALWorld ofPrivate Label International Trade Show & Conference19. 20. 5. 2015 Amsterdam RAIwww.plmainternational.com

PROVADAReal Estate Trade Fair2. 4. 6. 2015 Amsterdam RAI www.provada.nl

RENEWABLE ENERGY WORLD EUROPEAnnual Conference andExhibition ofPower Industry9. 11. 6. 2015 Amsterdam RAI www.powergeneurope.com

Nizozemsko-esk obchodn komora Netherlands-Czech Chamber ofCommerce

eskomoravsk 2420/15CZ - 19000 Praha 9Tel.: +420 257474740

E-mail: nlchamber@nlchamber.czInternet: www.nlchamber.cz

Editors: Martina Netuhov, Iva mov

Editorial, Advertising & Subscription Contact: iva.simova@nlchamber.cz

Front cover photo: Fleur Suijten (www.sxc.hu)Bulletin, thenewsletter oftheNetherlands-Czech Chamber ofCommerce, is published quarterly and distributed among members and other relations inanedition of350 copies.

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