IHK Ostbrandenburg, together with the IHK Cottbus and Polish partners, warns of long-term damage caused by border controls
With the signing by Kamila Szwajkowska, Managing Director of the Western Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ZIPH) in Gorzów Wielkopolski, the "Cross-border Appeal of the Economy" is now officially supported by a total of four partners. In addition to the Polish Chamber of Commerce, the IHK Ostbrandenburg, the IHK Cottbus and the Lubuskie Employers' Association (Organizacja Pracodawców Ziemi Lubuskiej – OPZL) are also taking part in the appeal. Kamila Szwajkowska was the last of the four business representatives to sign the economic policy appeal today at the premises of Euroregion Pro Europa Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder).
In doing so, the business community in the German-Polish border region is sending a clear and united signal to the governments and other decision-makers in both countries.
The business representatives sharply criticize the border controls that have been in place for almost two years. These not only hinder the daily exchange of goods and commuter traffic, but also jeopardize economic development on both sides of the Oder. The chambers and the employers' association are warning of a step backwards in the relationships that have been built up over decades.
The signatories are calling for short-term relief measures at the border crossings in the form of extended control lanes on the freeways and joint controls by the federal police and Polish border guards.
The East Brandenburg Chamber of Industry and Commerce strongly supports the appeal: "The situation at the borders is a major burden for many companies. For freight forwarders in particular, long congestion times mean that orders are canceled, costs increase and drivers work at their limits. We need solutions, and we need them quickly," emphasizes IHK Managing Director Monique Zweig, who handed over the appeal to the Managing Director of the Polish Chamber, Kamila Szwajkowska, for the final signature today.