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Objectives
Economies around the globe today are in a period of profound change: Globalisation of markets, rapid increase in foreign direct investment, limited government funds, privatisation, computerisation of the industries and new methods of financing are but a few trends that European contractors, too, have to address in their international business at the beginning of the 21st century. These general trends pose challenges, which have considerable knock-on effects on the construction industry. Cross-border mergers, diversification, concentration on construction-related services instead of pure execution of projects, investment-financing, reduction of labour force, increasing share of subcontracting are some of the consequences.
European International Contractors (EIC) as a professional organisation tries to address those questions on a political level and aims at improving the international framework conditions prevailing for its members outside the European Union. For this purpose EIC maintains permanent relations with international and other organisations whose policy is of relevance for the international construction business. Furthermore, it offers a unique forum for international contractors to come together and to exchange their international experience. Annual revenue of the international business carried out by those contractors affiliated by EIC’s Member Federations amounted in the year 2004 to more than 35 billion Euro (i.e. without the revenue from inside the European Union).
Priorities
International contracting poses a multitude of challenges and involves many risks to deal with for the foreign contractor. Within the broad range of business conditions influencing the work of European construction companies in foreign markets, the following framework conditions are identified as priority issues for EIC: |
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