COVID-19: The Concertation Committee gives green light to the opening of non-essential shops and specifies the coronavirus control measures for the Christmas season

On November 27th, the Concertation Committee discussed the epidemiological situation in Belgium. Despite the slight improvement in the health situation, the country remains at Covid alert level 4. The Concertation Committee took the following decisions:

Reopening of shops under strict conditions:

Non-essential shops can reopen from 1 December 2020. However, strict hygiene conditions will apply:

  • Strict observance of basic rules, such as washing hands, keeping distance, wearing a mask;
  • Preventive measures must be visibly announced to all visitors, including staff and suppliers;
  • Hydroalcoholic hand gel must be available at the entrance; everyone entering the shop must disinfect their hands;
  • Staff must be properly trained;
  • Purchases are made individually with an adult for each shopping session. The company of children up to and including the age of 18 is limited as far as possible;
  • The visit to the shop should be as short as possible and last a maximum of 30 minutes.
  • The shop is also responsible for managing the queue outside the shop. Supervision of customers waiting outside the shop should be organised in such a way that the rules of physical distance are respected. The organisation outside the shop is done according to the guidelines of the local authorities.

The conditions also affect the maximum number of customers per square meter of accessible surface:

  • For shops, the rule of 1 customer per 10 square metres of accessible area applies
  • Shops of less than 20 m² can receive a maximum of 2 customers at a time, provided that the distance rules are respected;
  • Large shops of more than 400 m² must compulsorily provide access control;
  • Access to shopping centres, shopping streets and car parks must be organised by the competent municipal authorities, in accordance with the instructions of the Minister of the Interior, in such a way as to respect distance rules, in particular the maintenance of a distance of 1.5 metres between each person.

Museums and swimming pools may be opened in accordance with the protocol for their sector.

The Christmas period:

Also, during the Christmas period, the rules on social contacts remain applicable. In the interests of psychosocial well-being, single people can invite two close contacts at the same time, either on 24th or 25th December.

For meetings abroad, the rule of four still applies.

The curfew between 00h00 and 05h00 remains in force, as does the general ban on meetings. A general ban on the sale and release of fireworks also applies.

Reinforced travel controls:

For persons who have been abroad for more than 48 hours and will remain in Belgium for more than 48 hours, the police will carry out reinforced controls:

  • The obligation to fill in a passenger locator form;
  • Compliance with the compulsory quarantine.

All the above measures will be in force until 15th January 2021. An assessment based on medical indicators will be carried out at the beginning of January to determine whether a transition to the management phase is possible (see below) and for which sectors.

Downhill phase and management phase:

The Concertation Committee also decided to work in two phases on health management:

  • A downstream phase during which it is necessary to reduce the figures linked to pollution as quickly as possible by means of strict measures;
  • A management phase during which sector-specific protocols are in force. The sectoral protocols, which exist in various versions depending on the level of alert, are therefore reduced to a single protocol per sector, which is applied during the management phase and defines how to behave in a company that offers a sufficient level of protection against coronavirus.

To move from the downstream phase to the management phase, the incidence rate will have to be low for a sufficiently long period of time. In addition, not all sectors will be in the same phase at the same time. This will depend largely on the epidemiological risk posed by the sector.

Source: info-coronavirus

Webinar: Insurtech report: Discovering Future of Insurance

On November 26th, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg organized a webinar on ‘Insurtech report: discovering the future of insurance’ in collaboration with its member company everis. The event took place within the framework of the Spanish Financial Forum, a committee of the Chamber focused on the financial services industry.

Marta Gonzalez Benguria, Secretary General of the Chamber, introduced the webinar thanking the collaboration of everis and the participation of the panelists.

She then passed the floor to Richard Calvo, Insurtech Project Leader at everis, who began by presenting the fourth edition of the ‘InsurTech Outlook’ report, recently published by everis and NTT Data.

This report began to be prepared in 2016, when the investment in Insurtech produced the first impacts on the market. The growing trend of the sector has not stopped since then, reaching 6,300 million dollars in investments in 2019. Richard Calvo highlighted that among the different models of Insurtech, on-demand models and insurance for use, based on technologies such as IoT, Artificial Intelligence or Cloud&Mobile Applications, are those that have acquired the greatest importance, becoming the recipients of 90% of the investment. He also spoke of the main actors involved in the world of Insurtech, including investors, insurers and technological giants.

The report presented by Calvo also analyses the patterns that are repeated in successful startups, for which he uses the concept of ‘EXIT’, which refers to the purchase of a startup by another company and is an indicator of success.

Finally, the speaker indicated the main changes that have taken place in the Insurtechs sector as a result of the COVID19 crisis, among which he pointed out: the slowdown in investments, the variation in the Burn Rate KPI, and the creation of new investment opportunities such as in the Telemedicine and genome sector.

During the question time, attendees were able to present their doubts and comments on issues of interest, which were answered jointly by the everis experts: Dirk Croenen, Head of everis BeNeLux Insurance sector, Marc Durante, Director Insurance everis Luxembourg, Carlos Ordoñez Sanchez, Global Head of Digital Insurance and Richard Calvo. Thus, questions such as the possible change of paradigm in primary health care due to the combined effect of Covid-19 and digitalisation or where Europe is in the race to be at the head of the Insurtech sector with respect to the main players: China, the United States and India were dealt with.

Webinar: “Tax changes in Spain – Opportunities and Challenges in wealth planning for high net worth clients”

On Thursday November 19th, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg, in collaboration with its member company The OneLife Company, organised a webinar on  “Tax changes in Spain – Opportunities and Challenges in wealth planning for high net worth clients”, which was attended by more than a hundred of professionals focused on wealth management.

Jose Luis Rodríguez Álvarez, Vice-president of the Chamber, introduced the webinar by thanking the collaboration of OneLife and the participation of the keynote speakers.

Then, Antonio Corpas, CEO of OneLife, highlighted the company’s commitment to the Spanish market in the life insurance sector, highlighting the unit-linked solutions. He also took the opportunity to introduce the team that leads the Spanish market, headed by José Manuel Tara, Luis de la Infiesta and Gonzalo García Pérez. This was followed by a virtual round table discussion with three recognised experts in wealth management in Spain, led and moderated by Gonzalo García.

Enrique López de Ceballos, Partner of the Tax Department of Eversheds Sutherland, began the debate by presenting the latest news and tax changes coming up in Spain, analysing their possible impact on high net worth individuals. Among others, he analysed the possible increase in wealth tax or the change in the tax treatment of SOCIMIS and SICAVS.

Afterwards, Carlos Ferrer, Cuatrecasas’ Partner, continued sharing his thoughts on the tax changes mentioned by López de Ceballos. He highlighted the insecurity that these produce in investors and how one of the main qualities sought by international investors is stability and legal security, so that frequent changes can ultimately lead to a relocation of capital.

Javier Seijo, Head of Corporate Tax at EY Law, added the possibility of a great increase in bureaucracy as a result of the new regulations and referred to Luxembourg as an example in terms of channelling investments due to its great stability and creativity in providing solutions for large investors.

The speakers mentioned beneficial products and solutions for wealth planning, such as life insurance or unit-linked solutions.

During the Q&A session, the attendees were able to express their doubts and comments on many issues of interest. Questions such as the special tax deferral transfer regime or whether the new rules will have a transitional regime after their adoption were discussed. 

The webinar was organised within the framework of the Spanish Financial Forum, a committee of the Chamber focused on the financial services industry.

In collaboration with:

 

Virtual breakfast-debate with MEPs José Ramón Bauzá Díaz and Isabel García Muñoz: Priorities of the Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN)

On Wednesday November 25th, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg organised a new conference as part of the “Breakfasts with the European Parliament“, a meeting platform between Spanish companies and the European Parliament, on “The priorities of the Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) for the new legislature”. The event was attended by MEPs José Ramón Bauzá Díaz (Renew Europe) and Isabel García Muñoz (S&D).

Pablo López Álvarez, Vice-President of the Chamber and moderator of the event, welcomed and thanked the speakers for their participation and made a brief presentation.

José Ramón Bauzá began his speech by highlighting the radical change in the priorities and perspectives of all the European institutions following the Covid-19, including the Committee on Transport and Tourism. If in an early stage of the legislature the main priority was the Green Deal and the commitment to climate neutrality by 2050, in the wake of the pandemic, the absolute priority has become the urgent recovery of the two sectors most affected: transport and tourism. The MEP also stressed the need to achieve a safe and clean transport sector by providing sufficient funding for innovative decarbonisation technologies such as liquid gas, electric motors and hydrogen. With regard to tourism, Mr. Bauzá highlighted the enormous importance of the tourism sector for Spain, as it means around 15% of the GDP as well as millions of jobs, and the close relationship between the tourism and transport sectors. Despite this importance, there is no budget allocation at European Union level for investment in tourism, although the Parliament is working to achieve this.

During her speech, Isabel García Muñoz explained the strategic importance of the transport sector as a mechanism for territorial cohesion, external competitiveness and promoting economic growth. In the current framework of transition towards climate neutrality, a fair transition is necessary, which will involve sustainable, intelligent and inclusive mobility for everyone. Therefore, the European Commission is working on a new “white book” on transport and will promote certains means of transport such as inland navigation or railways through the single European railway area. The MEP also highlighted the need to achieve a full recovery of the tourism and transport sector through a commitment to digitalisation, retraining of workers and the interoperability and intermodality of transport.

During the question time, the participants were able to ask several questions on various topics. Thus, topics such as the Horizon Europe programmes or the single european airspace, the viability and transformation of airlines, investment funds in infrastructure or accessibility for people with disabilities in the air or rail sectors were discussed.

From the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg we would like to thank José Ramón Bauzá and Isabel García Muñoz and all those present for their participation.

The Chamber brings young talent together through the PICE mobility program

The European projects consultant and member company of the Chamber, CONEXX-EU, decided to participate in the PICE mobility plan as a host company at the beginning of October. This program offers young Spanish graduates or residents in Spain the opportunity to carry out professional stays in companies in the European Union.

The company discovered this exchange program thanks to an info-day organized by the Chamber and immediately decided to participate because they found it a fantastic opportunity not only for the professional development abroad of the person they were hosting but also for the company itself, allowing them to expand their team and meet new talent. Furthermore, the process of incorporating the candidate and the different steps they had to take had easy and simple results. Therefore, they recommend the program and will undoubtedly welcome new trainees within the framework of the PICE program.

They decided to select Laura Rodríguez for her many qualities and all the value she could bring to their organization. Once the administrative procedures were ready, they drew up a specific work plan for her and organized some introductory sessions both to the organization and to the work carried out by them in order to familiarize her with the new concepts she would encounter during her stay at CONEXX-EU. For the company, Laura’s vision was very enriching, as they consider her to be a very decisive person who has provided new solutions to problems that have arisen in the implementation of the projects in progress at CONEXX-EU. Andrea Escobar, project manager of CONEXX-EU, says that “many times when we are within a project or the same work dynamic for so long, we do things automatically almost by inertia, a new vision helps us to look from another perspective, and thus we update and improve”.

Laura began to work on a face-to-face basis, but at the end of October, due to the increase in cases and the measures put in place by the health authorities, she had to move on to do her work experience remotely. Despite this, she adapted perfectly due to CONEXX-EU’s previous experience with teleworking. Despite having arrived in Belgium in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic with the consequent challenges, Laura was able to integrate easily thanks to the attention and communication with her colleagues and the accompaniment from the Chamber. For her, this was an experience of learning and personal growth, having to move to Brussels in such a particular situation made her develop new skills, giving her at the same time the opportunity to live in another country, meeting new people and living different experiences. For them, I would encourage all interested young people to participate in the program and enjoy the opportunity.

The PICE mobility program continues to offer new vacancies in Belgium on a regular basis and at the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg we continue to work at the disposal of companies and interested parties.

Find out more about the PICE program by clicking here.

 

Restaurants and cafes will close since Thursday November 26th in Luxembourg

Prime Minister Xavier Bettel and Minister of Health Paulette Lenert confirmed on Monday new measures to fight the Covid-19 pandemic. As of Thursday, cafes and restaurants will have to close their doors.

Restaurants and cafes will have to close for three weeks as from Thursday, announced Prime Minister Xavier Bettel (DP) and Minister of Health Paulette Lenert (LSAP), in a press conference on Monday. “In the view of the evolution of the figures over the past few days, we have asked the congress to vote on the text presented last week. The vote will take place in Wednesday’s plenary and should enter into force the next day,” said the Prime Minister, adding that the curfew also remains applicable and will be extended until December 15.

In addition to the horeca sector, the number of visitors to private homes drops from 4 to 2, also until December 15, when the situation will be reassessed. “Just because restaurants are closed doesn’t mean you have to organize dinners at home,” Bettel said.

Theaters, cinemas, indoor play areas will be closed and the holding of fairs and other events will be suspended. Stores, for their part, will remain open, although the government nonetheless calls for avoiding non-essential activities.

Schools open, gyms closed

The schools will remain open – as well as their canteens – but the educational outings will be canceled. However, sport will be maintained there. The same goes for professional athletes who, because of their profession, will be able to continue training. Amateurs will again be deprived of sports, fitness and team sports halls.

“Sport is important, but we cannot afford to leave open places where we do not wear a mask”, underlines the Prime Minister, who recalls that it is always possible “to walk with four other people or to jog “, while respecting safety distance.

“We have a still stable situation, which is not catastrophic, but we want to have margins for what will come. Our measures allow, according to the opinions we have received, to anticipate. The level of contamination remains too high and we are taking these measures to avoid finding ourselves in a situation, in a few weeks, where we could not avoid total containment “, justified the Prime Minister.

Source: Paperjam.lu

Interview to Diego de Biasio, TECHNOPORT SA

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Online training on “Public advice strategies and dialogue with European institutions

On November 17th and 18th, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg organised the second edition of the “Public advice strategies and dialogue with European institutions” course, aimed exclusively at Spanish companies and associations. Due to the health measures in force in Belgium following Covid-19, the training was held in virtual format.

About twenty representatives of Spanish companies and sector associations participated in the training, interested in learning first-hand about the tools that will allow them to establish an effective dialogue with the various institutions of the European Union, anticipate regulatory risks and opportunities and effectively influence the various phases of the legislative process.

The training was held by prestigious professionals from multinationals, business organisations, Spanish reference bodies, as well as members of the different European institutions.

The first session began with an introduction by Pablo López Álvarez, Vice-President of the Chamber and Senior Managing Director of FTI Consulting, who presented the training programme and gave an overview of the dialogue with the European institutions. Afterwards, the European affairs consultant, Ignasi Guardans, gave a general overview about the institutional structure of the EU, its adjacent ecosystem, and the reality behind the legislative process.

After that, the European public affairs consultant Ángel Rebollo from Must & Partners intervened and presented the role of the consultancy firms around the European institutions, the impact that Covid-19 has had and the perspectives after it.

The session continued with the Permanent Delegate of the CEOE in Brussels, Patricia Cirez, who provided the perspectives of national business associations to the EU and the basic tools for monitoring and, where appropriate, contributing to the legislative process. Her presentation was followed by Carlos Rodriguez Cocina, Director of European Regulation and of the Brussels Office of Telefónica, who presented the functions linked to public affairs directors and the relationship with other actors in companies in highly regulated sectors. Besides it, Bert Dehandschutter, lawyer at Racine Advocaten, briefly presented some advice on the legal process to be followed for the opening of a representative office in Brussels.

The day was completed with speeches by Diego Canga, head advisor, and Félix Fernandez-Shaw, Director of International Cooperation and Development Policy, who outlined the reality of the European Commission’s work in its field of competence and its relationship with the various stakeholders.

The second session began with Raúl Fuentes Milani, Deputy Permanent Ambassador Representative of Spain to the EU, who explained the structure and work of the Council of the European Union and the European Council in the regulatory process, as well as gave some insights of the process of negotiations both between Member States and between institutions.

Afterwards, Ignacio Sánchez-Recarte, Secretary General of the European Wine Companies Committee (CEEV), presented the role of the sectorial business associations and the strategies used to approach the European institutions in the legislative process. Then, Ruth Estrada, Partner of Schuman Associates, and Marie Latour, Director of the Zabala Innovation Consulting Brussels office, presented the various funding opportunities for companies through European projects such as Horizon Europe or the future recovery and resilience funds.

Susana Solis, MEP for Renew Europe, presented the activity of the European Parliament and the day-to-day work of MEPs in regulatory activity. In this legislative activity, Solís highlighted the great value for parliamentarians of knowing first-hand the impressions and realities of companies and sectors in order to calibrate possible regulatory impacts.

The conference ended with presentations by Giuseppina Curreli, Director of International Affairs at Vinces Consulting, who highlighted the vital importance of the EU transparency register for companies and institutions; Luis Simón, Director of the Brussels office of the Real Instituto Elcano and lead researcher, who presented the role of think tanks and the current status of Spanish influence in the EU; and Xavier Quer Pietx, Manager of everis, who detailed the key points for accessing European public contracts.

The training was closed by Marta González Benguria, General Secretary of the Chamber, who thanked all the speakers and attendees for their participation in this second edition of the course and highlighted the role played by the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg as a support entity for Spanish companies interested in defending their interests in Europe.

 

 

Webinar: Transfer Pricing in Spain and Luxembourg: Trends and Opportunities

On November 20th, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg organised a webinar on ‘Transfer Pricing in Spain and Luxembourg: trends and opportunities’, in collaboration with its member companies ATOZ Tax Advisers Luxembourg and Bové Montero y Asociados.

The webinar was attended by Beltrán Sánchez, Transfer Pricing Director of Bové Montero y Asociados Spain, Oliver R. Hoor, Partner of Atoz Tax Advisers Luxembourg and Andreu Bové who moderated the event. The webinar was organised within the framework of the Spanish Financial Forum, a committee of the Chamber focused on the financial services industry.

Marta González Benguria, Secretary General of the Chamber, welcomed and thanked the speakers and attendees for their participation.

Oliver R. Hoor and Beltrán Sánchez presented their views on key transfer pricing issues such as controlled operations in the context of an investment fund, the impact of the COVID-19 situation on the analysis of transfer pricing, current trends in tax audits and different issues that cause controversy in the field, such as the position of tax authorities, and finally, they analysed the concept of substance and its different facets.

During the Q&A session, the attendees were able to present their doubts and comments on many issues of interest.

From the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg we would like to thank ATOZ Tax Advisers Luxembourg and Bové Montero y Asociados, as well as the speakers, for their collaboration in organising the webinar.

    

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