Corporate Relations and Public Affairs

METRO Group in dialogue with decision makers

METRO Group maintains a continuous dialogue with the decision-making bodies in politics, the economy and society. On the one hand, this is due to the fact that trade and retail is affected by the social environment like no other industry. There the communication among customers and business partners must be trouble-free. On the other hand, the industry's key responsibilities, such as food quality and safety, can only be achieved through the cooperation of retail companies, suppliers and legislative bodies.

Cooperation is the philosophy

METRO Group therefore works closely with international, European and domestic associations. At the European level, EuroCommerce is the platform upon which the interests of trade and retail are represented. The wide-ranging activities of this association are supported by METRO Group. Moreover, METRO Group is the only German company with membership in the European Retail Round Table, in which major European retail companies work together to develop solutions to problems affecting the sector and to seek dialogue with the EU Commission. Some of the topics included are:

The future development of EU environmental policy
The liberalization of world trade
Regulatory framework conditions for E-commerce
Social and employment policy and education as well as training policy in the European Union

In Germany, for example, Group executives are active in the most important trade associations, as well as in almost all the 80 chambers and other bodies of the German Association of Chambers of Industry and Commerce (www.dihk.de). The Group also participates in the "Handelsvereinigung für Marktwirtschaft" (the German association for the retail industry’s market economy), in which the eight largest German retailers work together.

At the regional level, the Group has set up so-called METRO Group Regional Meetings (MGRM). Their aim is to support the employees of sales divisions and cross-divisional service companies in their involvement in chambers and associations. The MGRMs also coordinate the forming of opinions within the Group on important political issues.