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It’s been overshadowed by the meeting between President Trump and Chancellor Merkel, but this past couple of days has seen the meeting in the German city of Baden Baden of the G20 group of finance ministers, including Australia’s Treasurer, Scott Morrison. He’s been pressuring for a reference to trade to be included in the final communique. Link to video here.
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The German Schwarz Group, owner of the Lidl chain, is looking to expand its Kaufland grocery brand down under. The company has set up a website and is looking for land and staff in Australia.
Kaufland is apparently looking for big lots of land of up to 20,000 square metres, which will be similar in size as Masters stores were before they collapsed.
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Australia Day 2017 saw the launch of an exciting new initiative to encourage co-operation and interaction between members of the group members of the ABIE international network.
Founded in London in 1975, ABIE has grown into a dynamic network of organisations with a combined international membership of several thousand Australians working in Europe and Europeans involved with Australian industry and commerce, together representing both Australian companies with business interests in Europe and a wide range of European companies and professional organisations with reciprocal interests in Australia.
The purpose of the ABIE international network is to strengthen the contact and co-operation between different ABIE groups, the sharing of expertise and contacts, building common platforms for joint activities and initiatives, and meeting together to discuss issues affecting its collective membership.
The website was launched in Paris, Frankfurt and Munich at the Australia Day events of ABIE France and the German Australian Business Council, two cornerstone members of the ABIE international network. In Paris and Frankfurt it was launched by ABIE Czech Republic board member Richard York and in Munich by German Australian Business Council board member Eberhard Goihl.
“This website provides a one-stop-shop for ABIE members travelling around Europe, to find out in one click what is happening in their destination city “, he said. “And we also hope it will help facilitate ABIE members deciding from time to time to cross borders specifically to participate in some of the fantastic events organised around the network”. Richard emphasised that members of each ABIE group are entitled to attend events organised by other ABIE groups in any other country at the member rates.
The website can be found at ABIE.EU.
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Media Release from
Senator the Hon. Mathias Cormann
Minister for Finance
The Turnbull Government is pleased to announce that instruments of ratification were exchanged between Australia and Germany on Wednesday 7 December 2016, bringing the new Australia-Germany tax treaty into force.
The treaty, which was signed on 12 November 2015, replaces the existing Australia-Germany tax treaty which was signed in 1972.
It modernises the arrangements between Australia and Germany in line with changes to commercial practices, domestic tax systems and recent treaty policies and practices in both countries.
Importantly, the new treaty aligns with recent OECD tax treaty developments, including new provisions recommended by the OECD/G20 that are intended to minimise tax avoidance opportunities and create a more certain business environment for taxpayers.
It will also enhance the exchange of information and assistance in the collection of outstanding tax debts between our tax officials, with these provisions of the new treaty now in effect. This is consistent with both Governments’ support for ongoing OECD and G20 initiatives aimed at improving tax transparency and tax system integrity.
This new treaty is a significant step for Australia, and will further reduce tax barriers to investment and the cost to Australian business of foreign capital and of accessing foreign technology.
Some of the treaty’s new rules will enter into effect as soon as 1 January 2017, including those relating to withholding tax rates on non-resident income; and with respect to certain pensions first paid from 1 January 2017.
The finalisation of the new tax treaty with Germany was a centrepiece recommendation of the Australia‑Germany Advisory Group, co-chaired by Senator the Hon Mathias Cormann.
A copy of the new treaty is available on the Treasury website.
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German Australian Business Council board members Evangelos Kotsopoulos and Claas de Boer participated in two events organised around the visit to Germany of the Minister for Finance of Australia, the Hon Mathias Cormann.
At a luncheon in Frankfurt, hosted by the Australian Ambassador to Germany H.E. Mrs. Lynette Wood as well as AusTrade, Minister Cormann addressed a diverse group of business leaders. The group included representatives from German and Australian companies such as Volkswagen, SAP, Deka, Macquarie Bank and Sonic Healthcare. A lively discussion followed which touched upon various matters concerning the relationship between the two countries.
Later in the same week, during a speech in the offices of the Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation in Berlin, Minister Cormann stressed that it is good to be on friendly terms with each other – as Germany and Australia are -, but that this is not enough in today’s world. Rather, the bilateral relations have to be put on a deeper foundation. This foundation has been established. Recent past has shown that trade and commerce between Australia and Germany has improved and the future will show that the established foundation will be the basis for further improvement. Minister Cormann as well State Minister Prof. Maria Boehmer, who both co-chaired the Australia Germany Advisory Group, enthusiastically agreed that the path of deepening the ties between the countries has to be and will be followed in the future.
The German Australian Business Council is convinced that the enthusiasm of German as well as Australian politicians will deepen and support the growth in bilateral trade and commerce to the benefit of the peoples of the two nations.
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On November 25, 2016 GOstralia!-GOzealand! held the Career, Studies and Research in Australia and New Zealand Fair in Stuttgart. The fair was in cooperation with Austrade, Education New Zealand and Baden-Württemberg International. The German Australian Business Council also supported. German Australian Business Council Board Members Melanie Töpfer and Evangelos Kotsopoulos were part of the speakers and shared their experiences with the attendees, Board Member Eberhard Goihl was responsible for the German Australian Business Council booth which was beside the stands of main universities of Australia and New Zealand.
It was a big opportunity to make German Australian Business Council available to a big group of young people.
The feedback was overwhelming.
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Destination NSW is recruiting a new Business Development/Marketing Manager for their Frankfurt am Main office.
Further information regarding the position, including how to apply can be found here.
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On 1 November 2016, over 50 of our German Australian Business Council members and friends gathered at the Mantis Roofgarden in Frankfurt for a touch of the Melbourne Spring Carnival. Guests enjoyed an Aussie-style BBQ buffet while listening to a presentation on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles by Dr Frank Fuchs. This was followed by a presentation by Susanne Stellberg from Visit Victoria and a delayed telecast of the race.
Congratulations to Elizabeth Wood from Clifford Chance LLP who was the lucky winner of our sweepstake, which included a return Emirates flight to Melbourne, two Victoria Racing Club passes to the AAMI Victoria Derby Day and Emirates Melbourne Cup Day 2017, and a night’s accommodation at the Fraser Place Melbourne.
Other stylish winners included Uli Hein from Thai Airways for his rebel outfit in the Best Dressed Gentleman category, kindly sponsored by Bob’s Fine Wines; and Bri Connelly from Deutsche Flugsicherung for her elegant hat in the Best Dressed Lady category, kindly sponsored by the Australien Wine Store.
The German Australian Business Council expresses our appreciation to our generous sponsors and partners for the successful evening: Aesop, Australien Wine Store, Bob’s Fine Wines, Emirates, Fraser Place Melbourne, Victoria Racing Club, and Visit Victoria.
(L-R) Dietrich Klusemann, Irene Klusemann, Hon Andre Haermeyer
Speaker Frank Fuchs
(L-R) Susanne Muller and Kirsten Laupp
Susanne Stellberg from Visit Victoria
Guests networking
Grand prize winner Elizabeth Wood
Best Dressed Gentleman Uli Hein
Best Dressed Lady Bri Connelly
Council Chair Sabine Pittrof with Catherine Stephen
Excellent spread by Mantis Roofgarden
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At the occasion of the Minister Julie Bishop´s state visit to Germany, the Australian Embassy in Berlin hosted an evening reception on 6 September which was attended by several GABC members. The Minister led an Australian Government delegation to attend the first German-Australian “2+2” consultations. This new format brings together the two country´s respective Ministers for Foreign Affairs and Defence and was attended by Minister Julie Bishop, the Australian Minister for Defence, The Hon Marise Payne, and their German counterparts Federal Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Federal Minister Ursula von der Leyen.
In her speech to the evening reception´s guests, Minister Julie Bishop also announced the program of the 2017 Australia now initiative. This year-long series of predominantly cultural events seeks to highlight Australia´s creativity and power of innovation. Dubbed a “celebration of Australia´s culture in Germany”, the program will raise Australia´s profile in Germany and highlight the country´s cultural richness and diversity.
Julie Bishop, Foreign Minister of Australia, with Board members of the German Australian Business Council, Sabine Pittrof and Evangelos Kotsopoulos.
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GABC corporate member Sonic Healthcare has announced two acquisitions in Germany, further expanding in the country´s clinical lab market and also continuing a focus on innovative technology.
Through the acquisition of Munich-based Staber Laboratory Group, Sonic gains around 1,000 new staff in 17 laboratory sites across the country. Founded in 1982, the Staber Group operates three well-established hub laboratories in Munich, Dresden and Kassel as well as regional, specialty and hospital labs.
In a separate move, Sonic increased its stake in GLP systems, an innovative technology company headquartered in Hamburg, to 80%. With ongoing support from Sonic Healthcare laboratories, GLP systems has developed a cutting-edge laboratory automation technology which has now reached the stage of international commercialization. This technology includes a modular track system with a revolutionary single-tube transport system on intelligent “cars” which dynamically transport patient specimen to and from diagnostic instruments, storage modules and work areas.
Sonic Healthcare laboratories in Hamburg, Berlin and Sydney acted as co-development and beta-sites for the evaluation of this technology which has meanwhile been installed in several external customer labs as well, including in the UK, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Denmark.
Sonic Healthcare is the leading clinical laboratory group in Germany and employs over 5,500 staff in 40 laboratory sites. It offers referring physicians, hospitals and other customers the full spectrum of clinical diagnostics services ranging from routine blood testing to a complex and innovative genetics portfolio.