The smell of spices filled the conference room in Rotterdam. A Turkish delegation from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Manisa region brought a delicacy ‘Manisa Mesir Macunu’ as a tasty introduction to an important topic: the Green Deal and its consequences for European and Turkish companies.
Spicy snack for Dutch supermarket?
Macun, a traditional Turkish firm toffee chewing paste made from honey or grape molasses, mixed with various herbs and nuts, offers a tasty change from the everyday sweet, salty and bitter that can be found in Dutch stores. This snack is flavored with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and sometimes herbs such as mint or thyme.
Raisins were also shown mixed with wafer-thin orange peels. A creative and smart way to add an extra flavor ‘twist’ to an ancient product, the raisin. Interested Dutch producers and importers can contact the foundation in Rotterdam to discover these types of trends and other opportunities in Turkiye.
Manisa toffee
Avoid CO2 tax
The European Green Deal and the mandatory bureaucratic processing and implementation of these rules were next on the agenda. The Holland Trade Center Istanbul was invited to give a presentation on this subject. Representatives of the Chambers of Commerce and municipalities of the twin cities of Valencia from Spain, Manisa and other municipalities from Turkiye were present.
“The Green Deal sets strict requirements for CO2 emissions,” said the spokesperson for the Holland Trade Center Istanbul. “Companies that do not meet these requirements risk high CO2 taxes on their products. This could significantly harm their competitive position.”
Maintain competitive position through training
It quickly became clear that sharing knowledge, practical guidance and training on how to implement the Green Deal rules is of great importance. “We are ready to support Turkish companies in this transition,” continued the Dutch expert. “It is crucial that they take the right steps to make their production processes more sustainable. Only in this way can they maintain and even expand their market share in Europe.”
In general, it can be said that Turkish Chambers of Commerce are preparing for the Green Deal with ‘Europe’ sessions and training. However, it is typical for Turkiye that these are often facilitated by (technical) engineers or (general) consultants.
Delegation Manisa Chamber of Commerce & Industry and partners
This is precisely what sets the Holland Trade Center Istanbul apart. The training courses are given by entrepreneurs who have already implemented the Green Deal implications with their clients. They specialize in international product, program and project management and have years of practical knowledge in, among others, the food, energy and IT sector.
Personal matchmaking
The presentation ended constructively with the distribution of contact details. A question that the foundation often receives from interested Dutch entrepreneurs is “What kind of Turkish participants can we expect when we visit you? Here is a screenshot of the above-mentioned delegation:
The visit ended with a mix of business insights, culinary discoveries and the typical Turkish ceremonial courtesy.
