To see the ECCT 25th Anniversary video, please click here.

To see the ECCT 25th Anniversary photo, please click here.

On 26 February the ECCT celebrated its 25th anniversary and inauguration as a nation-wide association at a lunch event, marking the transition of the ECCT as a Taipei-based association registered with the Taipei City Government to a nation-wide association registered with the Ministry of Interior. The chamber is now the first and only foreign nation-wide business chamber in Taiwan. The chamber's new status is aimed at expanding the chamber's reach and activities to the whole of Taiwan. This will allow the ECCT to hold official dialogue with local municipal governments all around Taiwan on behalf of its members and host activities across Taiwan. The event was attended by around 300 ECCT members and prominent guests. They included President Ma Ying-jeou, Minister of the Interior Lee Hong-yuan, Secretary General to the President, Timothy Yang, former Vice President Vincent Siew, senior cabinet officials, city mayors from Taipei and Taoyuan as well as eleven former ECCT Chairmen and CEOs. The programme included speeches by President Ma, ECCT Chairman Giuseppe Izzo and the ECCT's first and founding chairman in 1988, John Brinsden.

In his speech at the event ECCT Chairman Giuseppe Izzo lauded the important contributions of all stakeholders to the chamber's success over the past 25 years. The chairman expressed gratitude to President Ma and his colleagues in the national government for 25 years of close cooperation and partnership and Taipei City Mayor Hau Lung-bin and the Taipei City Government for their support. He also singled out ECCT members, in particular, chairmen, CEOs and committee chairpersons for their hard work and dedication to the chamber.

Chairman Izzo went on to express optimism about the ECCT's future as a nation-wide association given its diversified membership, substantial investments of over US$31 billion dollars and excellent relations with the Taiwan government. "Our member companies are world leaders in many industry sectors. We have brought Europe's best technology, skills, standards and business practices to Taiwan. We have built a solid foundation for future prosperity and we are committed to Taiwan. We believe Taiwan is a good place to live and a great place to do business. As a nation-wide chamber, we will work together with our partners in business and government to make an even greater contribution to Taiwan's economic development. Together, we can build an even more dynamic, sustainable and successful economy for the people of Taiwan," he said.

In his remarks, Chairman Izzo thanked Minister Lee Hong-yuan and his colleagues at the Ministry of Interior for their assistance in ensuring a smooth administrative process in the Chamber's transition to a nation-wide association. He also welcomed the attendance of Taoyuan County Mayor Wu Chi-yang, who he described as a "new friend and partner of the chamber", saying that he looked forward to much closer cooperation with them in the future as the European Chamber of Commerce Taiwan.

At the event an awards ceremony was held during proceedings where Mayor Hau handed out commemorative plaques to former Chairmen and CEOs. The event also featured an inauguration ceremony to mark the transition of the chamber from a Taipei based association to a nation-wide association. On the evening of the event, the chamber hosted a cocktail party at an art gallery where former chairman, CEOs and staff mingled with members and friends of the chamber to share anecdotes and stories from the chamber's early days until now.