Confederation of Commerce of Catalonia

1. Confederation of Commerce of Catalonia

2. What is the Confederation of Commerce of Catalonia? • The Confederation of Commerce of Catalonia is an industrial corporate body aimed to defend, represent and promote the general interests of the retail, services and tourism industries of Catalonia. • It was founded in 1985 and currently comprises about 350 associations and sector organizations of commerce, tourism and services, as well as collaborating institutions, representing more than 90,000 retailers and shopkeepers and 300,000 employees all over Catalonia. • During these 25 years the CCC has promoted many initiatives aimed at Catalan retailers, so they could have more powerful tools to improve their competitiveness.

3. Estructura NIA CONFEDERATION TRADE AND SERVICES TARRAGONA FEDERATION OF COMMERCE GIRONA FEDERATION OF COMMERCE TERRES DEL EBRE TRADE FEDERATION OF LLEIDA CONFEDERATION OF COMMERCE AND SERVICES TARRAGONA

4. The areas of work where the CCC has recently focused some of its activities are: • Deepening social dialogue with unions representing the employees. • Direct negotiation of the General Commerce Agreement of Catalonia. • Through its associated organizations, the negotiation of provincial agreements on the diverse commerce branches: metal, textile, bookstores, furniture, food and others. • Employment: promoting a reform of the labour relationships that makes hiring and dismissal in small and medium enterprises more flexible. Strengthening security related to unemployment benefits, allowing combining part time work with partial unemployment benefits, as in the German and Austrian models.  

5. Promoting professional qualifications, supporting vocational training schools and programs aimed at retailers and employees. Especially promoting lifelong learning of employers and workers.

6. 10.500 students per year

7. Incentives for training. Development of the system of qualifications and professional accreditations. • Introduce environmental practices that improve the management of commercial waste, energy efficiency, the minimization of the elements of pollution in all its forms, and all aspects of sustainability.

8. Providing access to new technologies especially those related to B2B and B2C, ICT and others. • Getting a better deal by reducing credit and debit card fees bearing small businesses, and to propose the abolition of cards of change. Tracking new forms of payment, such as via the cell phone.

9. Incentives to increase consumer demand through income tax deductions for work and reforms in housing, as well as for the purchase of durable goods. Reducing the taxation of business modules in the commerce and services industries. Modification of personal income tax and VAT, in order to obtain tax deductions for refurbishments of business premises and the purchase of new equipment. Promoting easy access to credit and guarantees to companies. • Moderation in the collection of taxes to favor small and medium businesses: tax exemption on corporate tax for capital investment in small and medium enterprises, as a measure to increase its capitalization. Tax exemption on profits reinvested in the company's business. Taxation of VAT in the period when the bill has been effectively settled. Tax compensation with public administrations: the small and medium enterprises must be able to offset the debts in arrears for services rendered to the authorities.

10. Planning and promotion of commerce: stability of the current regulation of business hours and the regulation of commercial organization. • Leading, from the point of view of commerce, the problem of self-employed workers. • Improving the set of social benefits for the self-employed and obtaining a tax framework adapted to the economic sector.

11. Consolidation of the business model in the form of small and medium enterprises, particularly in urban areas, providing rules for commercial organization and competition that ensure their presence in the market. • To collaborate with the industries of tourism and services to business companies to strengthen the competitiveness of the entire group of small and medium entrepreneurs in Catalonia. • To ensure the presence of the SME sector in international bodies, and in a significant manner within the European Union. Since its creation, the CCC has participated in the former Confederation of European Retail, currently EuroCommerce.

12. Anti-dumping: fight against peddling, selling of fakes and imitations, selling at a loss, street vending of pirated goods, sale of vehicles on the street; requiring compliance with the terms of payment to small providers, and adapting inspection activity to the context of the current crisis. • To ensure greater security in cities and towns in Catalonia through a reform of the criminal law which includes harder penalties against repeat offenders and tougher administrative sanctions to those involved in crimes committed by organized gangs.

13. Representation of the Confederation of Commerce of Catalonia in other business entities

14. Organizations and Commissions in which CCC participates • ICASS (Catalan Institute of Assistance and Social Security), an executive committee member. • INSS (National Social Security Institute), members in the provincial executive committees. • Catalan Food Safety Agency, a member representative. • Joint Commission on Commerce with business representation, at the Tripartite Foundation for Training in Employment, a member representative. • Committee on Education and Social Affairs of the Spanish Confederation of Commerce, an expert counselor.

15. General Council of the Consortium for Lifelong Learning of Catalonia, on behalf of the National Employment Promotion Authority and the CCC, a member representative. • Joint Committee of the Tripartite Foundation for Training in Employment, in the branch of professional qualifications of the marketing and commerce family, a member. • Commission on Training, Social Security and Workplace Risk Management of CEOE-CEPYME, a member representative.

16. Commission on quality of service for small businesses according to UNE 175001 regulation, at AENOR (Spanish Association for Standardisation and Verification), a member representative. • National Institute of Qualifications, of the Ministry of Education, Social Policies and Sports (at the commerce and marketing working group), a member representative of the CCC. • Catalan Institute of Professional Qualifications, a member representative. • Strategic Metropolitan Plan of Barcelona, ​​five representatives. • Labor Council of the Autonomous Government (Generalitat) of Catalonia, a representative.

17. Catalan Institute for Traffic Safety, Department of Government of the Autonomous Government (Generalitat) of Catalonia. • Advisory Board on Commerce of the Department of Business and Employment of the Generalitat of Catalonia. • Consumer Arbitration Board of Catalonia. • Participation in city councils, boards of commerce and tourism at regional organizations. • Security Council of Catalonia, a member representative. • Labour Court of Catalonia, a member. • Waste Agency of Catalonia, agreement for reducing the use of plastic bags, a member representative.

18. New goals for 2012 • In 2012 we will introduce two new areas that we consider essential for business: corporate social responsibility (CSR) and workplace safety and health.