History of economic self-government in Poland

Traditions of chambers of commerce and industry dates back to the beginnings of the 19th century. Based on French traditions, the first chambers affiliating Polish entrepreneurs used to be established by authorities. Voluntary associations set up by industrialists and merchants in England, USA, Switzerland and Belgium represented a different type of organizations. Chambers of commerce and industry in particular countries differed from one another in membership principles and a form of organization, and had distinct ranges of activity. Yet they all were giving opinions and moving proposals in talks with government, what enabled entrepreneurs to affect economic policy. In Polish areas the first organizations of this type were chambers of commerce, established in 1809 in the Duchy of Warsaw under the decree of Fryderyk August. They were subordinate to the Ministry of the Home Office, who controlled them through mayors and prefects. Councils grouped together 46 members elected by merchants and industrialists. Lists of members had to be signed by mayors and confirmed by the Ministry of the Home Office. Besides, there also existed a General Council of Commerce based in Warsaw, which included 8 members appointed by the king out of 13 candidates, earlier elected by regional councils. Councils of commerce were to inform the government about matters concerning industry, trade, and craftsmanship. The General Council was obliged to answer all questions asked by the Ministry of the Home Office and give opinions on these matters.

After the defeat of the Napoleonic army and collapse of the Duchy of Warsaw the councils were turned into chambers of commerce and handicraft under a decree of tsar Alexander in 1817. The chambers were coordinated by "The General Council of Commerce and Handicraft" established at the Commission of the Home Office and Police. The council consisted of 8 members appointed by a lieutenant out of 12 candidates chosen by chambers. The general council and chambers were also giving opinions in the field of industry, craftsmanship and trade. Business circles put their hopes on these chambers, yet the November insurrection caused chambers to be eliminated. In place of them were established Provincial Councils that were giving opinions on matters going beyond trade and production. In the Congress Kingdom of Poland they were working only for a dozen or so years, and effects of their activities are rather little-known.

In Russia in the 19th century chambers of commerce and industry did not exist. But functions connected with representing economic circles were served by exchanges, that used to effectively object to creating chambers based on European patterns. The first plan to establish chambers in the Russian Empire arose in 1903. Two years later the Ministry of Commerce and Industry drew up a bill on establishing institutions of "trade and production classes" and organization of exchanges. According to this bill, chambers were to take over the right to represent trade and industry. They were to be divided into sections depending on their size and also into sectoral branches. Prepared by the Russian government in 1907 and based on the Western European pattern, the new project was being discussed intensively until the First World War broke out. In these discussions active were also representatives of Polish economic circles.

Distinct from the Congress Kingdom of Poland, chambers of commerce and industry in Austrian and Prussian annexation arose far later - in the second half of the 19th century. As in the case of the Duchy of Warsaw, it was government who initiated to establish them. On March 18, 1850, one enacted the first bill on chambers of commerce and industry in Cracow, Lvov and Brody. Galician chambers were supervised by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce. Active voting rights had public members and managers of joint-stock companies, one voting right had: mining companies, economic societies, enterprises owned by communes, public corporations and savings banks. To the authorities of chamber could be elected only those who had been having active voting rights for at least 3 years. Galician chambers dealt with problems of industry, craftsmanship, trade, taxation and credit policy, and vocational education.

In the Prussian annexation chambers could be established on the strength of the 1848 bill concerning chambers of trade and the 1849 bill concerning chambers of industry. To establish a chamber one needed an approval of the Ministry of Commerce. According to the bill, all companies listed in the commercial register were members of chambers. Distinct from Galician chambers, Prussian chambers assembled majority of German enterprises.

During the First World War, in October 1915, German chambers of Commerce presented a proposal to establish an agency in Warsaw, which was to contribute to rationalization of trade between Russian and German lands. In fact they were collecting amounts due for German companies from former Russian lieges.

After regaining independence, establishing chambers of commerce was anticipated in the Constitution from March 17, 1921. These chambers along with chambers of hired labor and the Chief Chamber of Commerce would compose self-government. Never have these institutions been established. Modern chambers of commerce and industry commenced activity in independent Poland in 1927 under the decree of the President of the Republic of Poland from July 15, 1927. Principles of their activity were based on French patterns, where chambers are public-legal associations. Membership in chambers was obligatory. In accordance with the decree, to the chamber of commerce and industry belonged everybody who was running an industrial or trade company "by the fact of running a company, without necessity to apply for membership". Chambers were founded under the decision of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, who was also taking decisions about the seat of a chamber and boundaries of its district. In the 2nd Republic of Poland (according to the article 4 of the decree) to the range of activities of chambers belonged:

"1. debating and moving proposals as well as providing authorities with observations and news;

2. giving opinions on bills and decrees of major importance, co-elaborating amendments in legislation concerning industry, trade and mining, tariff of duties and customs regulations, foreign barter, monetary policy, new roads and railways, taxes, monopoly, labor protection, national insurance, social welfare, directly concerning industry and trade."

Moreover, chambers were establishing and maintaining vocational and supplementary schools in cooperation with education authorities; they were creating arbitration courts whose tasks were settling litigations between trading counterparts and collecting statistical data about chambers' activity. Pre-war chambers were managed by counselors. Under the 1927 decree 10 chambers of commerce and industry were established in Poland. In 1932 arose two more chambers. They founded Association of Chambers of Commerce and Industry. Besides regional chambers, there existed many bilateral ones. In the 1930s in Poland 20 bilateral chambers were established. Simultaneously, 16 foreign chambers of commerce were active in trading with Polish partners.

Chambers of commerce and industry reactivated soon after the end of the Second World War. 11 chambers were established in 1948. In fact their role in the postwar period was very limited. Apart from keeping registers and files they were licensing and dividing raw materials between private producers. In 1950 chambers of commerce and industry were eliminated in Poland. A few months earlier the Polish Chamber of Foreign Trade had been established, which played an important role in promoting Polish trade in foreign markets, but cannot be regarded as a self-government institution. Rebirth of self-governance and chambers of commerce ensued in 1989 when the political system of the country was being changed.

Under the bill on chambers of commerce enacted by the Parliament, the first institution of this kind commenced to arise, at first exclusively regional and sectoral, but soon also bilateral chambers, grouping entities interested in developing co-operation with business partners from a given country. In 1990 the Polish Chamber of Commerce was established - the chamber of chambers, the chief organ of self-government in Poland, affiliating approximately 150 members.

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