Work meeting of the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme

Last October 17th and 18th, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg participated in the 24th work meeting of the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme in Granada, where different contact points, the support office and several representatives of the European Commission had the chance to discuss during two days the progress and the future of the programme.

During the meeting, attendees got to know the good practices of other intermediary organizations, apart from testing their abilities trough the workshops to advertise the programme, put into contact different companies and develop working plans that will boost the cooperation between new entrepreneurs and experienced entrepreneurs.

During the second day, the Practice V consortium, where the Chamber is taking part in, organized a meeting where the achievements of the consortium where presented, apart from discussing the priority action lines for the next year.

Second meeting of the EURES network

Last October 15th and 16th the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg participated in the second meeting of the EURES network that took place in Brussels.

Several European national employment agencies, different representatives of the European Commission and the recently incorporated partners of the network attended the event. Attendees had the chance to get to know cases of success and celebrate the 25th anniversary of EURES.

Moreover, through the workshops, attendees were able to discover the good practices of other organizations and propose their suggestions to improve the services that EURES offers.

The Chamber, as new partner of the network in Belgium, presented its employment platform, EmpleoBeLux, which is aimed at Spanish people in search of employment opportunities in BeLux.

Presentation of the EYE programme at the ForumOn of the Free University of Brussels

Last October 9th, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg participated in ForumOn, the job fair of the Université Libre of Brussels, introducing the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme.

The event was aimed at students, professors and entrepreneurs of the ULB. Both, students interested in entrepreneurship, and participating entrepreneurs at the fair, were able to get to know more in depth the benefits of the programme.

The Chamber presented the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme to the participants as an opportunity to test their business idea while doing an exchange in a European country with an experienced entrepreneur.

Day of Spain in Luxembourg

On October 19th, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg, in collaboration with the Spanish Office of Tourism, organized the Day of Spain in Luxembourg at the Place d’Armes. This event counted with the collaboration of the Spanish Embassy in Luxembourg.

Through this unprecedented day in Luxembourg, Spain was presented as a tourist destination, along with the gastronomic, cultural and business offer that surrounds it. More than 8,000 attendees enjoyed the Journée de l’Espagne. The Ambassador of Spain in Luxembourg, Bernardo de Sicart Escoda, and the Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Xavier Bettel, among other public figures, visited the Place d’Armes to take part in the event.

TOURISM

In the stand of LuxairTours, attendees were able to get information about the travel offers of the company in Spain and its flight connections from Luxembourg. Moreover, they organized several activities, such as face painting for kids or a golf-corner to test the attendees’ swing abilities. Luxi, their mascot, also attended the event. The Luxembourgish tour operator was the main sponsor of the Journée de l’Espagne.

Multiple Autonomous Communities were present at the Place d’Armes with the objective of showing the diverse tourist offer of Spain. Representatives from Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, Tenerife, La Rioja, Galicia, Ibiza, Extremadura and Andalucía showed the Luxembourgish audience their cultural and tourist offer, by providing detailed information of their different travel options. PortAventura, the Spanish leisure complex located in the province of Tarragona and the most visited in Spain, was also represented at the event.

SPORTS

Spanish sports, one of the best ambassadors of our country, were represented by the stands of LaLiga, the Davis Cup and Baqueira Beret.

On the one side, LaLiga gave the opportunity to the attendees to take pictures next to the cup and the players of their favorite football team through their photosharing. On the other side, the Davis Cup also took to Luxembourg the cup of the tournament so that the participants of the Journée de l’Espagne would be able to take pictures with it. Baqueira Beret, provided information about the ski resort of the Arán Valley.

GASTRONOMY

The Spanish gastronomy was the great protagonist of the Journée de l’Espagne. The attendees were able to enjoy a day in which the Spanish culinary richness that the participating companies took to Luxembourg was felt, tasted and explored through several traditional dishes, for instance, patatas bravas, churros with hot chocolate, Iberian ham, sangría, Spanish omelette, Padrón peppers… Churros Valyser, Bodega Salferso, The Cortador Academy and Bistro Podenco were the suppliers for the exquisite food and drinks of the day.

STUDYING IN SPAIN

There was also a corner for those interested in studying and learning Spanish in Spain. EF and Fundación de la Lengua Española informed attendees about the possibilities to travel to Spain to learn Spanish, one of the most spoken languages in the world. Moreover, IE University showed the wide range of degrees and masters that they have available in Spain.

REAL ESTATE

Zapinvest and Second Residence, in the real estate corner, presented their offer of apartments for sale in the main Spanish coasts, such as Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol, Costa Cálida, Mallorca or Tenerife.

ACTIVITIES

The day was completed with an ongoing cultural schedule.

The artist Carolina Tafalla made reflect on the perception of friendship through the situational happening “Amigo”. Along with several volunteers, she went across the city center of Luxembourg to establish a friendship with pedestrians.

At the same time, the reknowed urban artist Miguel Ángel Belinchón, Belin, hypnotized with his postneocubist live painting that he finished at the end of the day. This time, he painted the Spanish actress Inma Cuesta.

The six-times Flat BMX world champion, brand ambassador and influencer Viki Gómez carried out two exhibitions and a BMX workshop for kids.

During the day, several shows and concerts took place at the Place d’Armes. Vicky Villalba and her flamenco team started the day off with a sevillanas exhibition. Next, La Negra Albina impressed the audience with their Cumbia Psychotropic-Funk style. In the afternoon, Baïkonour, pleased spectators with their trip-hop, rock and electro concert.

The day ended with the shows of the DJs Alex Torres and James Go. Both created a more relaxed environment and cheered up the audience at the illuminated Place d’Armes.

WORKSHOP AND NETWORKING DINNER

On Friday 18th, within the Journée de l’Espagne framework, the Tourist Office of Spain in Belgium and Luxembourg organized a workshop at the Meliá Hotel in Luxembourg in which the participating Autonomous Communities and companies of the tourist sector met with Luxembourgish tour operators with the objective of presenting the Spanish tourist offer. Afterwards, the Chamber organized a networking dinner.

The Chamber and the Spanish Tourist Office thank the Embassy of Spain in Luxembourg, the Ville de Luxembourg and all the participating companies their collaboration for the great end result of this event.

 

 

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Participating companies:

Fifteen Spanish enterprises and sectorial associations take part in the first workshop on public advisory strategies and dialogue with the European institutions organized in Brussels

On October 2nd and 3rd, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg organized in Brussels the first edition of the workshop on “Public advisory strategies and dialogue with the European institutions”, aimed exclusively at Spanish companies and associations.

Fifteen Spanish enterprises and sectorial associations participated in this course, looking forward to learning about the tools that will allow them to establish an effective dialogue with the European institutions and help them anticipate both the risks and opportunities for their companies that can be originated from the political and legislative action in Brussels.

The workshop was held by prestigious professionals from multinationals, business organizations and Spanish institutions as well as by European officials.

The first day began with an introduction by Pablo López Álvarez, Vice-President of the Chamber and Senior Managing Director at FTI Consulting, who offered a global view on lobbying and the European action. Following this, Ignasi Guardans, a European affairs consultant, spoke about the institutional structure of the EU and its adjacent ecosystem.

Afterwards, several sessions followed, held by the officials of the European Commission Mikel Landabaso, Communication Director, and Félix Fernandez Shaw, International Cooperation and Development Director.

Patricia Cirez, Permanent Representative at CEOE in Brussels presented the ways to tracking European policies/legislation and how to contribute to their definition and contents.

The day closed with Carlos Rodríguez Cocina, Europeans affairs Director at Telefónica, who spoke about the role of the Publics affairs Director and Bert Dehandschutter, lawyer at Racine Advocaten, who explained the legal process to follow in order to open a representative office in Brussels.

In the evening, the assistants attended a networking dinner with the Spanish professionals and European officials.

The second day started with a visit to the Permanent Representation of Spain to the EU, where Juan Aristegui, adjacent Ambassador, welcomed the enterprises and associations and spoke about the role of the Council and the Permanent Representation in Brussels.

Later on, Ignacio Sánchez-Recarte, secretary-general of the European Committee of Wine Companies (CEEV), spoke about the role of the sectorial and regional associations, as well as their purpose in the European legal process.

Attendees then visited the European Parliament and had a lunch organized by the MEP Pablo Arias. Other MEPs participated, such as Juan Ignacio Zoido, José Manuel García Margallo and Isabel Benjumea. Throughout this meeting, the MEPs explained the tasks of the European Parliament and how important it is that the interests of the companies reach Brussels.

Following this, the Elcano Royal Institute office Director, Luis Simón, spoke about the projects that this institution develops from Brussels and the role of the Think Tanks.

To finish, Ruth Estrada, Partner of Schuman Associates, explained the funding opportunities that the EU offers to enterprises and Xavier Quer Pietx, Manager at Everis, talked about the keys to the public contracts in the EU.

The workshop was closed by María Catalán, Secretary general of the Chamber, who explained the services of the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg as a support entity for the Spanish companies interested in defending their interest in Europe.

MERCADONA receives the Company of the Year Award from FEDECOM

The Federation of Official Spanish Chambers of Commerce in Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania (FEDECOM), presented last October 7 in Lisbon its Company of the Year Award to MERCADONA. FEDECOM distinguishes every year with this recognition a Spanish company that stands out for its commercial and economic activity in one of the member countries of the Federation.

The award ceremony took place in the Sala do Arquivo da Câmara Municipal de Lisboa and was attended by the presidents of the main business associations of Portugal as well as the Economic and Commercial Counselor of the Embassy of Spain in Portugal, Pedro Moriyon. The award was given by Mr. Eurico Brilhante Dias, Secretary of State for Internationalization of Portugal and, was received by Elena Aldana Prize, Director of External Relations in Portugal and European Affairs of MERCADONA.

MERCADONA closed the year of 2018 with 1,636 stores, 85,800 employees in Spain, a turnover of 24,305 million euros and an investment of 1,504 million euros. It also has an economic impact on the Spanish economy equivalent to 1.9% of GDP and is responsible for 630,000 direct and indirect jobs.

In July 2019, the company opened its first supermarkets in Portugal, this opening of the supermarket chain abroad, entailed its first internationalization project. The company already employs 1,100 Portuguese workers. Today, the company has already opened 5 stores of the 10 planned for 2019. The opening of the stores, the offices in Porto and Lisbon, the Logistics Block in Póvoa de Varzim and the Coinnovation Center in Matosinhos, represent an approximate global investment of 260 million euros, since its announced entry into the Portuguese country in 2016.

Eduardo Barrachina, president of FEDECOM, said: “In a world marked by political, economic and social uncertainties, the international expansion of MERCADONA becomes a good reference that reflects the adaptability of our companies.”

For her part, Elena Aldana, Director of External Relations of Portugal and European Affairs, commented: “We thank to FEDECOM for the recognition given to Mercadona in this important year for us, in which the company has developed its first internationalization project. This award is a result from the effort of all of us who form Mercadona. Only in this way it is possible to create a great company with a great Model, just as Mercadona is.”

Juan Rodriguez-Villa Matons and Maria Catalán, President and Secretary General, respectively, of the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg, attended the event.

General Assembly of FEDECOM

The Federation of Official Spanish Chambers of Commerce in Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania (FEDECOM) held its General Assembly on October 8 in Lisbon.

The meeting took place in the facilities of the Portuguese-Spanish Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCILE) and counted with the presence of the Presidents of the Chambers in Portugal, United Kingdom, Belgium and Luxembourg, Germany and France, as well as the Secretary-General of the Chamber of Casablanca. The representatives of the rest of associated Chambers attended the meeting through video call.

Throughout the meeting, the beginning of the process of liquidation of the federation in Belgium and the opening of a new association with headquarters in Spain were decided.

The President of FEDECOM, Eduardo Barrachina, presented the medium-term strategic plan for the federation and proposed the production of the “FEDECOM Report”. During the session, among other subjects, the participants debated about the FEDECOM Award 2020 and the proposed candidates.

The Embassy of Spain in Belgium celebrates the National Holiday

On October 9th, the Embassy of Spain in Belgium organized a reception at the Palais des Académies of Brussels on the occasion of the celebration of the National Holiday.

The reception was attended by local authorities, diplomats, businessmen, European officials and representatives of Spanish public institutions, among other personalities.

H.E. Ambassador of Spain in Belgium Beatriz Larrotcha Palma thanked the attendees for their participation in the National Holiday and highlighted bilateral relations in tourism, business and institutional between Belgium and Spain. The Permanent Representative to NATO, H.E. Ambassador Miguel Ángel Fernández Palacios, also presided the reception.

Both thanked the companies and sponsoring institutions for their collaboration in organizing the event, which was held in collaboration with the Official Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg, was sponsored by our associated enterprises Everis, Iberdrola, Indra, Interparking, LaLiga, GAP, BBVA, Santander Consumer Bank, Hispania Brussels and Quality Media.

The offices of the Autonomous Communities in Brussels also contributed to the success of the reception thanks to the contribution of products and typical wines of each region.

The Embassy of Spain in Luxembourg celebrates the National Holiday

On October 10th, the Embassy of Spain in Luxembourg celebrated the National Holiday. The reception, which took place in the Cercle Cité of Luxembourg, was held in collaboration with the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg and was sponsored by Adepa, Bankinter Luxembourg, Banca March, Renta4 Luxembourg, Onelife, PwC, Luxair Tours y Seat.

The event counted, among others, with the presence of members of the international diplomatic corps, officials of the European institutions, Spanish residents of the Grand Duchy and representatives of the Luxembourg Government such as the Minister of Finance, Pierra Gramegna.

H.E. Ambassador of Spain in Luxembourg Bernardo de Sicart Escoda thanked the attendees for their participation in the National Holiday, and the Chamber and the sponsoring companies for their collaboration in organizing the event.

Juan Rodriguez-Villa Matons, President of the Chamber, attended the reception with other members of the Board of Directors.

Hispania Brussels delighted the attendees with a Spanish haute cuisine catering.

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The Embassy of Spain in Luxembourg and the Chamber are grateful for the collaboration of the sponsoring companies:

Juan Rodríguez-Villa Matons and Pablo López Álvarez, reelected respectively President and Vice President of the Chamber

The Board of Directors of the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg, in their meeting organized on September 26th in Brussels, reelected unanimously Juan Rodríguez-Villa Matons and Pablo López Álvarez as President and Vice President of the entity, respectively, for a period of three years.

The President thanked the trust of the Board and considered that the achievements of the Chamber are the result of the teamwork between this organization and the Secretary General. The renovation of the President and Vice President, he added, responds to the wish of continuating with the work carried out during the last years that has led to an important growth of the Chamber, both in terms of activities and services and member companies (currently 242).

The Vice President, during his intervention, reiterated his commitment to, together with the President and the Board of Directors, keep boosting the Chamber as a key platform in BeLux for Spanish companies and in the dialogue with European institutions.

During the meeting, it was also presented the report of activities of the Chamber during the last months and the program for upcoming events.