Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts cooperates with chambers, associations and similar organizations abroad and participates in bi- and multilateral incentives.

Pursuing the aim of establishing business to business relations, it initiates and organizes business meetings between Croatian tradesmen and entrepreneurs and tradesmen and entrepreneurs from other countries. It also organizes presentations and business exchanges between local and international partners.

Since 1995 Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts has been an associate member of European Association of Trades, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (UEAPME), situated in Brussels, where it follows the activities of different boards connected to tradesmanship and entrepreneurship in Europe.

With the aim of ensuring mutual cooperation and the best possible promotion of Croatian trades, Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts has signed cooperation agreements with Chamber of Trades for Munich and Upper Bavaria, Slovenian Chamber of Craft, Tradesmen Association of Vicenza (Italy), Hungarian Chamber of Trades and Crafts, Chamber of Commerce of Serbia and Montenegro and Western Australian Croatian Chamber of Commerce (WACCC).

HOK and Croatian tradesmen have made continuous efforts to adjust to European business standards since 1995, when HOK joined European Association of Trades, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (UEAPME) as associate member, until today, when HOK has its own office in Brussels.

The proof for that are many years of cooperation between HOK and many European chambers of trades and crafts, where international cooperation and projects with the Chamber of Trades and Crafts for Munich and Upper Bavaria, the Croatian-Austrian Chamber of Commerce, Tradesmen Association Vicenza, as well as with the Belgian organisation for Self-Employed and Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (UNIZO) in the last two years, should be mentioned. The fact that HOK cofinances organized participation of tradesmen and craftsmen - its members in international trade fairs every year and the increasingly larger number of successful exhibitors demonstrate that Croatian trades and crafts have their place in Europe and that they should stay the course.

Considering Croatia’s strategic orientation towards the European Union and opening of the negotiations for full membership of the Republic of Croatia in the EU, all Croatian institutions have to modernise and adjust to the new conditions imposed by the developed Europe and by Brussels, as its political and economic centre.

Therefore, the most important task of HOK for the next period is to organise its departments and activities to provide all the necessary help needed for adjustment to the European way of doing business. It is just as well necessary that HOK’s representatives are well prepared and make efforts in negotiation groups to protect the interests of tradesmen tradition, which is bearing the brunt of global competition.