Despite being a global company,
METRO GROUP is not homeless. This is why the group has representative offices in the German capital Berlin as well as in Brussels. From here,
METRO GROUP maintains a permanent, open and transparent dialogue with the government, parliament but also with trade associations, relevant stakeholder groups and non-governmental organisations in Germany and the European Union. In Germany alone, the company has a workforce of around 110,000 employees working at about 1,000 locations operated by its sales divisions in Germany. In the EU,
METRO GROUP is present in 18 of 27 member states. As a major employer, it is important for
METRO GROUP to be present where the discussions take place and where decisions are taken that impact the company's work and its future. In this context, building relationships of trust with all stakeholder groups is one of the key elements of our corporate strategy.
cbi:///cms/311787METRO GROUP opened representative offices in Berlin and Brussels because besides building up trust it also wants to be involved in the public debate. Politics is a key player in this interaction.
cbi:///cms/311789Major international corporations like METRO GROUP and its branch offices are directly influenced by the effects of politics, but they - in turn - also influence politics and society through their business operations. They contribute to the public welfare, for instance, by providing jobs and vocational training positions and by paying taxes. This applies in particular for retailing and consumer goods wholesaling: with a turnover of € 800 billion and about 4 million employees, the retail industry is one of the most important job drivers and economic engines in Germany.
cbi:///cms/311790Political contacts at the national and European level are also important because they create transparency and trust on both sides, reduce the risk of adverse consequences of decisions taken by both, the company and also politics, and they have an important information and early warning function for the company.
cbi:///cms/311794A company like
METRO GROUP whose development in many ways strongly depends on national regulatory frameworks, needs contacts with politicians to voice its positions. Policymakers in principle welcome this exchange of information because they in turn also need to make sure that, when communicating their decisions, these are demonstrably efficient and feasible. Over and beyond this, companies like
METRO GROUP are also regularly asked by policymakers to actively contribute and cooperate: important issues like youth unemployment, environmental protection, food safety, the global combat against hunger and also the search for solutions to the financial and economic crisis and its persisting effects require a permanent dialogue.
cbi:///cms/311801METRO GROUP embraces its corporate social responsibility – in Germany and around the world – and, together with politics, seeks new alliances of shared responsibility. Therefore, it is essential for the success of political work to inform and advise with facts that are not embellished for communication purposes, to clearly present one’s position and seriously cooperate in solving problems. This way, lobbying through representative offices in Berlin and Brussels will materially contribute to increasing participation and transparency.
cbi:///cms/311802If lobbying and the representation of interests are done openly, all parties can benefit from this: the companies, politics and society. This is why, in addition to representing its interests through associations,
METRO GROUP also represents its interests on its own and directly.
cbi:///cms/311803METRO GROUP maintains international representative offices in those countries where it has at least two active sales divisions and a strategic interest in expanding. Currently, these offices facilitate early recognition of major changes and issues and ensure timely positioning in Poland, Russia and Turkey.
cbi:///cms/63901
