15 years of reporting about Central and Eastern Europe

-1995-
Austrian exports to Croatia boom. The foreign trade between Austria and Croatia developed most dynamically in 1994, primarily in regard to Austrian exports to Croatia, growing by 47,9 per cent  significantly stronger than imports from Croatia (+ 9,1%).

Annotation: Trade relations between Austria and Croatia are still excellent.

GW: Gebrüder Weiss branch office Slovenia is founded in Maribor.

-1997-
Hungary is number one in bankruptcies. In 1996 Hungary recorded the highest number of bankruptcies among the former communist countries. 2.000 companies went bankrupt in Hungary, 1.600 in Romania.

Annotation: The headline has been taken from an issue of Ostnews in 1997, and in fact the topic is up to date today more than ever. At the moment Hungary is going through its worst crisis since communism ended. Not only economic outline conditions but also severe internal political struggles keep the country from quietening down.

GW: The management board now comprises four members and a central organization for logistics is founded.

-1999-
Slovenia becomes an associated member of the EU. On February 1st, 2007 the Association Agreement between Slovenia and the EU entered into force, thus making Slovenia a formal associated EU-member. This sets the frame for becoming a full member. After Brussels had severely criticized Slovenia for not preparing for its EU-accession quickly enough, the government in Ljubljana took great efforts to prove ”fit for the EU”.

Annotation: May 1st, 2004 brought about the so far largest expansion of the EU, including Slovenia. On January 1st, 2007 Slovenia is the 13th EU-country to introduce the Euro.

GW: Wolfgang Niessner is appointed as member of the Gebrüder Weiss managing board, being responsible for, amongst other things, the whole CEEC-region.

-2002-
Former Yugoslavia becomes ”Serbia –Montenegro”. Having been severely hit by war and political blockades the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro shall head for the European Union. For Vojislav Kostunica, previous president of the Federal Republic Yugoslavia, the new state is ”neither a confederation nor a loose union of states but something really new”. A common administrative apparatus, a common one-chamber parliament offering a representation of Montenegro above proportion, a common council of ministers and a common supreme court are planned.

Annotation: On February 4th, 2003 the changes were realized. In May 2006 the whole system was changed again, creating two separate independent states.

GW: The new location Kosice was opened in Slovakia and a new terminal Dunaharaszti was opened in Hungary.

-2003-
It is rather doubtful if Romania will manage to join the EU in 2007, but official comments are very self-confident. ”19 of the 31 chapters have been completed”, Hildegard Puwak, Minister for European Integration announces. But Romania knows that it is facing a highly demanding task of changing much of the country if it wants to reach its aspired goals: establishing a working market-oriented economy as well as reforming administration and judiciary.

Annotation: Together with Bulgaria Romania managed to join the EU on January 1st, 2007. But nevertheless the country is still struggling with wide-spread corruption and still lacks a sufficiently improved infrastructure.

GW: At the end of March Cargolog Weiss (now Gebrüder Weiss) moves into a new terminal in Sofia/Bulgaria, which is the company’s sixth location in Bulgaria.

-2006-
The Czech Republic launches a new electronic road toll system. On January 1st, 2007 the new all-electronic road toll system for vehicles of more than 12t is in operation on all motorways and dual carriageways. The Czech toll system is based on microwave technology. The toll-rate depends on the distances driven on toll-roads as well as on the category of the individual vehicle, which depends on the number of axles and its emission parameter.

Annotation: Presently the Czech Republic is working to restructure the system and we may be curious about what the result will be like.

GW: On July 1st, 2006 Gebrüder Weiss opens Europe’s most modern terminal in Maria Lanzendorf (near Vienna). Amounting to more than € 50 million the building is the largest investment in the company’s history.

-2007-
Bosnia-Herzegovina joins the CEFTA. This accession shall ensure stable economic growth in Bosnia-Herzegovina in the years to come. Apart from harmonizing trade CEFTA is, in the first place, expected to back government procurement and to protect intellectual property. Furthermore the agreement is expected to make South-eastern Europe more attractive for investments and to further the region’s EU-integration.

Annotation: At the moment the EU is quite hesitant when it comes to further expanding. A question of principle has been raised about the further course.

GW: In this year Gebrüder Weiss start their daily unit rain traffic between eastern and western Austria. This model project is awarded the trigos-Award.

-2008-
Slovakia introduces the Euro. On January 1st, 2009 the Euro replaced the Slovakian Crown as national currency, thus crowning Slovakia’s economic upturn. For years the country, which joined the EU in 2004, has shown one of the highest economic growth rates in the community. The Minister for Economic Affairs, Lubomir Jahnatek, expects a new boom in investments from the common currency for his country. For a short time foreign investments might increase by up to 90 per cent. In the long run he expects an increase of about 50 per cent. According to Jahnatek the introduction of the Euro will result in lower capital charges and transaction costs as well as in more certainty for domestic and foreign investors. 

Annotation: The originally expected large number of foreign investments has finally not come true. The world-wide economic crisis has also hit Eastern Europe badly.

GW: Gebrüder Weiss Bosnia-Herzegovina is founded. GW takes over activities from Hellmann Worldwide Logistics in the Czech Republic.