AmCham Slovakia has a powerful and direct legislative impact in Slovakia, supporting the continuous improvement of business environment in Slovakia for more than 25 years.
Continual development of the business environment in Slovakia through Committees and other initiatives.
Pillars
AmCham´s mission is to improve the business environment in Slovakia and
increase the country´s competitiveness. By combining our members´ focus
and expertise with most crucial areas for the country we focus our
advocacy efforts on the following four pillars:
Innovation Capital #InnovativeSlovakia
- Your Contact person:
- Kristína Gotthardová
- +421 948 692 133
- kristina.gotthardova@amcham.sk
Regional Capital #eastinnovation
- Your Contact person:
- Katarína Miňová
- +421 947 948 008
- katarina.minova@amcham.sk
Institutional Capital #ruleoflaw
- Your Contact person:
- Zuzana Petrová
- +421 947 949 005
- zuzana.petrova@amcham.sk
Capital of Talents #skills4future
- Your Contact person:
- Peter Rusiňák
- +421 948 592 775
- peter.rusinak@amcham.sk
Innovation Capital #InnovativeSlovakia
- Your Contact person:
- Petra Zappe
- +421 902 912 007
- petra.zappe@amcham.sk
Policy/Advocacy Platforms
Rule of Law Initiative
Construction Law Task Force
Civil Code Task Force
Public Procurement Task Force
Restructuring and Insolvency Task Force
Tax Committee
Business Service Center Forum
Business Academic Cooperation Committee
Employment & Social Affairs Committee
AIslovakIA
Digital Committee
Health Care Committee
Townhall Meetings Initiative
Košice East Innovation Conference
Regional Development Committee
News and Updates
Annual Charity Fundraising Drive 2022 – Thank you!
We took the opportunity to organize the Annual Thanksgiving Charity Drive
to share with those who need it the most in our community. Thanks to
your contributions, we are happy to announce that AmCham Slovakia and
its members donate 13,000 € that will be divided between these two organizations:
December 01, 2022
White & Case legacy team joins Hillbridges
Less than a year after White & Case pull-out from the Slovak market, the ex-White & Case partner Zoran Draškovič and counsel Peter Hodál join Hillbridges as partners and bring to the table a strong team of five lawyers, including managing associates Barbora Malík and Lukáš Královič and associate Alex Medek.
December 01, 2022
Rule of law: We request MPs' proposals to be withdrawn
Members of Parliament (MPs) have already advanced to the second reading a number of parliamentary proposals.
KPMG Slovakia appointed new partners
The KPMG Slovakia Partner Board has been expanded to four new Associate
Partners as of October 1, 2022, to strengthen the firm's strategic
development and client relationships.
November 16, 2022
November 15, 2022
download
Legislative & Policy Update - November
Format: pdf, size: 0.58 MB
Rule of law: Slovakia has fallen 2 places in the Global Rule of Law Index 2022
According to the international World Justice Project, Slovakia's performance in the Rule of Law Index
2022, presented on October 26, has deteriorated compared to the
previous year. It ranked 35th globally and 25th out of 31 countries in
its region. By comparison, we lag behind the Czech Republic in the Index
by 15 places.
November 10, 2022
Download PDF
Annual Charity Fundraising Drive 2022 – Thank you!
We took the opportunity to organize the Annual Thanksgiving Charity Drive
to share with those who need it the most in our community. Thanks to
your contributions, we are happy to announce that AmCham Slovakia and
its members donate 13,000 € that will be divided between these two organizations:
December 01, 2022
Rule of law: We request MPs' proposals to be withdrawn
Members of Parliament (MPs) have already advanced to the second reading a number of parliamentary proposals.
Rule of law: Slovakia has fallen 2 places in the Global Rule of Law Index 2022
According to the international World Justice Project, Slovakia's performance in the Rule of Law Index
2022, presented on October 26, has deteriorated compared to the
previous year. It ranked 35th globally and 25th out of 31 countries in
its region. By comparison, we lag behind the Czech Republic in the Index
by 15 places.
November 10, 2022
Download PDF
Education: Wrapping up our career development program in Košice for women from Ukraine
We successfully wrapped up our "Open labor market for Ukrainian women" series of workshops in Košice on 9 November. The participants received a professional training session on interview communication, practiced their interview skills, designed their own set of questions to be discussed with potential employers and put together their professional CV.
November 09, 2022
AmCham Entrepreneurial Mindset development program in Banská Bystrica wrapped up on 4 November
Entrepreneurial Mindset program is a soft skills and development program for 13 selected directors of high schools in Banská Bystrica region. Its main goal was to develop their “skillset of the 21st century” and provide a continuous support on their transformative journey in accommodating a student-centric and employer-centric concept of public education services.
November 04, 2022
Rule of Law: We are on the selection committee for the election of the new head of the Antimonopoly Office
We have some good news! The Rule of Law Initiative is on the selection
committee for the election of the chairman of the Antimonopoly Office of
the Slovak Republic. Peter Šťastný from Allen & Overy Bratislava
will represent the initiative.
November 02, 2022
White & Case legacy team joins Hillbridges
Less than a year after White & Case pull-out from the Slovak market, the ex-White & Case partner Zoran Draškovič and counsel Peter Hodál join Hillbridges as partners and bring to the table a strong team of five lawyers, including managing associates Barbora Malík and Lukáš Královič and associate Alex Medek.
December 01, 2022
KPMG Slovakia appointed new partners
The KPMG Slovakia Partner Board has been expanded to four new Associate
Partners as of October 1, 2022, to strengthen the firm's strategic
development and client relationships.
November 16, 2022
CMS Expert Guide to employment termination law and legislation
The CMS Expert Guide to Dismissals has been created to assist an
employer in anticipating all the possible courses of events when the
decision has been made to terminate an employee (i.e. end an employment
contract) or dismiss a managing director.
November 01, 2022
Companies that are loss-making should expect a tax audit in the near future. The tax administration is mainly examining transfer
For the past few weeks, the Financial Administration has started
intensive audits across Slovakia of all manufacturing companies that
report long-term losses. This move is related to the upcoming change in
transfer pricing rules, but also reflects the governments desire to
raise additional tax resources. Silvia Hallová, partner at Grant
Thornton, advises on what companies should prepare for and what steps to
take to defend their financial statements.
October 19, 2022
Dentons announces an historic combination with Link Legal in India
Dentons, the world's largest global law firm, has announced a
combination with leading Indian law firm, Link Legal. Dentons would
become the first global law firm to combine with a law firm in India
giving the combined firm first-mover advantage and a competitive edge in
international panel competitions. This is not a joint venture, not a
best-friends relationship or a liaison license, nor a merger or an
acquisition, but a combination like Dentons has done around the world,
building one, integrated global firm.
Major investment in Eastern Slovakia by Carmeuse, a lime producer with Belgian origins
Carmeuse Slovakia, s.r.o., opens three new lime kilns at its lime plant in Košice. These new kilns (Parallel Flow Regenerative kilns) are the most important investment Carmeuse has ever made in Europe.
October 10, 2022
November 15, 2022
download
Legislative & Policy Update - November
Format: pdf, size: 0.58 MB
September 19, 2022
download
Legislative & Policy Update - September
Format: pdf, size: 0.37 MB
August 18, 2022
download
Legislative & Policy Update - July/August 2022
Format: pdf, size: 0.37 MB
June 15, 2022
download
Legislative & Policy Update - June 2022
Format: pdf, size: 0.31 MB
May 17, 2022
download
Legislative & Policy Update - May 2022
Format: pdf, size: 0.34 MB
April 20, 2022
download
Legislative & Policy Update - April 2022
Format: pdf, size: 0.77 MB
Policy process
Work in Committees and Task Forces
Voluntary participation, no entitlement for compensation.Voluntary participation, no entitlement for compensation.
Chairperson – elected by members of the Committee, approved by the Board
Vice Chair – assists with coordination, in the absence of the Chair takes over the leadership
Chairperson – elected by members of the Committee, approved by the Board
Vice Chair – assists with coordination, in the absence of the Chair takes over the leadership
- Meetings – should be on a regular basis, preferably once a month
- Agenda – prepared by C. Coordinator 5 working days in advance
- Minutes – Actions and Decisions – sent to C. members within 7 working days after the meeting
Every advocacy/lobbying initiative should be accompanied by an Advocacy Plan, available at the members only website area, containing:
- Lobbying Tool – Position Papers, Policy Briefs, Press Releases
- Target Audience – Government, Parliament, Stakeholders
- Timeframe – adapted to the AmCham rules and procedures, legislative process or other processes of concern
- Possible Coalitions – Foreign Chambers of Commerce in SR, business alliances, organizations or federations
- Leadership and Issue – Ownership - Chairs, Vice-Chairs, Spokespersons
Standard approval procedure
In case an urgent Position of AmCham needs to be released – two working days. The fast-track procedure has been amended on the Board Meeting in Oct. 2007.
- First stage - pre-draft of a Position Statement, written by a member or committee coordinator is circulated among AmCham members that have expressed interest in the given topic. Comments to be submitted within 5 working days.
- Second stage - members’ suggestions incorporated and an appropriate wording of the position formulated. The second stage shall not exceed 3 working days.
- Third (final) stage - final draft circulated among members and AmCham Board Members for their review. Conflicting requirements to be resolved by the coordinator. The final stage must not last more than 5 working days. Not responding within this timeframe is considered as an approval.
In case an urgent Position of AmCham needs to be released – two working days. The fast-track procedure has been amended on the Board Meeting in Oct. 2007.
- First phase (24 hours – one working day): AmCham consults the proposed Statement (and enclosed Advocacy Plan / Lobbying Strategy if applicable) with Members of the Board Policy / Advocacy Standing Committee; potential comments and subsequent approval of at least three Members of the Policy Standing Committee and at least one Member of the AmCham Executive Committee are needed within a 24-hour period. In addition, an Executive Sponsor from within the Board must be identified for each initiative.
- Second phase (48 hours – two working days): AmCham sends the draft of the Position Statement in the version approved by the Policy Standing Committee to the full Board. This stage should not last more than two working days. Not responding within this timeframe is considered as approval. Unless a member involved in the process is not happy with the final version, the position paper can be released.
Election Process
A Committee coordinator (member of AmCham policy team) is responsible for conducting a transparent and smooth process of nominations, digital voting via email/Google sheets and announcement of the results.
Committee Election Process:
- A leadership of each committee will be voted by members of a respective committee after two calendar years.
- Only committee members are allowed to run for the elections and have a right to vote.
- Each company would have 1 vote (filling out 1 election ballot giving their preferential vote to 1 chair and 1 vice-chair).
- Chairs and vicechairs are allowed to run for reelection without any limit on the number of terms.
- The Board reserves the right to dismiss a chair and/or vicechair of a committee in case of serious breach of ethical principles and/or lack of professional competency and/ or capacity to lead the committee.
Testimonials
The Business Academic Committee is one of the most active groups at Amcham and our members have contributed many ideas that have turned into actions and concrete results with a very high success rate. We have a constant dialogue with the Ministry of Education and influence decisions that have an effect on all Amcham members. We provide forums where the best and brightest students from our Universities can find their match in the Business world. We bring Deans and Professors in the same room with CEOs to exchange ideas and foster communication. We have success stories that speak for themselves: students turned into interns, interns turned into new hires and on their path to be our future leaders.
—Martin Kardoš, CSI Leasing
Small steps to make Slovakia better
“I was recently asked whether legal certainties exist in Slovakia and whether predictability works in business. The predictability of a result will always be questionable; however, what should be predictable is the process of arriving at that re...”
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