Meeting of the Board of Directors

On 18 May, the Board of Directors of the Chamber held a hybrid meeting at the offices of the Economic and Commercial Counseling of the Embassy of Spain.

During the meeting, the draft of the new statutes of the Chamber was presented, a review of the actions developed by the Delegation of Luxembourg was made and a balance of the last activities carried out was made.

Likewise, the Board of Directors approved the annual accounts for the financial year 20201 for their presentation at the Ordinary General Assembly which will take place next 20th June.

The Chamber participates in a new edition of the EYE Network Meeting

The 28th edition of the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs (EYE) Network Meeting took place at the Thon Bristol Stephanie Hotel in Brussels on 11 and 12 May, which was once again held in person after years of pandemic.
This event brought together all the entities involved in the EYE Programme (Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs), funded by the EU and for which the Chamber is the Intermediary Organisation for Belgium and Luxembourg.
The various workshops, meetings and symposia served to strengthen the links between the different participating organisations, with the aim of increasing the quantity and quality of exchanges between entrepreneurs from different European countries.
This year’s event featured a session focused on the inspirational practices of the EYE programme to support Ukrainian entrepreneurs in the wake of the Russian invasion.
All those who manage a small or medium-sized business in Belgium can participate in the programme, as it is free of charge and involves the support of a young entrepreneurin the day-to-day running of the business, providing innovative ideas and expanding the network of contacts in other countries.
Both young entrepreneurs and potential host entrepreneurs can find more information on the following link.

Luncheon-debate with Sabine Weyand, Director General for Trade at the European Commission

Yesterday, Tuesday 17 May, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg held a new luncheon debate in Brussels with the presence of Sabine Weyand, Director General for Trade at the European Commission. The event was entitled “Global trade and global traders: old and new challenges for Europe and its industry”.

The event was attended by a diverse group of people, including company managers, delegates from the Autonomous Communities, representatives of Spanish and European organisations, consultants from different areas and various partners of the Chamber of Commerce. AA, representatives of Spanish and European organisations, consultants from different areas and different partners of the Chamber.

The conference was opened by the President of the Chamber, Pablo López-Álvarez, who took the opportunity to thank all those present for their attendance. He then highlighted the extensive career of the speaker Weyand, who holds a PhD in political science from the University of Tübingen and has a long career in the European institutions.

López-Álvarez also took the opportunity to highlight how challenging the current geopolitical context is in relation to world trade and European trade in particular, although he was optimistic, referring to the different trade agreements that already exist in the EU as well as those that are under review for future approval.

The President of the Chamber also introduced Santiago Alfonso, Vice President of Global Communication and Corporate Reputation of Cosentino, the company that sponsored the event. Cosentino Group is a global, Spanish, family-owned company that produces and distributes innovative, high-value surfaces for the world of architecture and design. Alfonso gave a brief review of the different milestones of his company and added the strategic importance that innovation has had over the years for the company, being today the driving force of its competitiveness and differentiation in a global market.

Global context

Weyand dedicated her speech to a brief review of the policies of the EC Directorate General for Trade and the current global and European market context deeply influenced by the Covid-19 crisis and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Given the complexity of the current situation, she argued that the EU’s trade strategy, as reflected in the concrete policies pursued by her department, has had to be reviewed to consider new variables and new objectives on issues that have become essential, such as the strategic autonomy of raw materials.

The Director General emphasised how economic sanctions against Russia serve to directly weaken its military power and noted that European companies are often the most affected by these sanctions, for which she thanked them for their commitment in their efforts to put an end to the conflict.

Weyand also stressed the importance of both the private sector and the European institutions coordinating effectively to define regulatory frameworks that favour the legitimate interests of European companies and ensure their competition in a global market.

In relation to the single market, Weyand reflected on the importance of ensuring that European companies can operate on an equal footing with foreign companies. He promoted adjustment tools such as the CBAM, which also serves as a catalyst for boosting the green transition beyond EU borders.

After the presentation, there was a round of questions where participants could make their opinion known and raise different questions about what was presented.

From the Chamber we would like to thank the speaker for accepting our invitation to participate in our #BusinessCircle platform and for her disposition to solve the doubts of the participants, thus encouraging the debate and the exchange of opinions.

Pablo López-Álvarez elected as Fedecom’s new Vice President for Europe

On May 5th, our president Pablo López-Álvarez was elected as the new Fedecom Vice President for Europe for the next 3 years.

López-Álvarez thanked the confidence placed by the rest of the European chambers and made himself available to all of them for the next assembly of the chambers abroad that will take place in Madrid at the beginning of July.

*Photo: Pablo López-Álvarez and Věra Jourová Vice-President of the European Commission 

 

Interview with SEBB

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Luncheon-debate with Věra Jourová, Vice-President for Values and Transparency, European Commission

On Tuesday 10 May, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg held in Brussels a new luncheon-debate with the presence of Věra Jourová, Vice-President for Values and Transparency of the European Commission. The event was entitled “Defending European values, transparency and the rule of law in a challenging geopolitical context: impact for business”.

A variety of people attended the event, including company managers, delegates from the Autonomous Communities, representatives of Spanish and European organisations, consultants from different areas and various partners of the Chamber.

The conference was opened by the President of the Chamber, Pablo López-Álvarez, who took the opportunity to thank all those present for their attendance. He then highlighted the extensive career of the speaker Věra Jourová in the European institutions, in which she has held various positions of responsibility over the years, as well as having been named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential personalities in the world in 2019.

European values

On the subject of the debate, López-Álvarez also took the opportunity to highlight the relevance of the current socio-political context and the consequences of the invasion in Ukraine in order to emphasise the importance of European values and spirit in the adoption of common measures.

Jourová took the floor to begin her speech and gave a brief review of her department’s policies in relation to the promotion of European values and transparency. She pointed out that EC policy is currently being directly influenced by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which she took a very critical approach to, showing that it directly undermines the values that make up the European Union.

The speaker pointed out how the recent crises have reinforced the spirit that was at the origin of the EU and how member states have shown themselves to be up to the task by demonstrating a common policy of sending humanitarian support and armaments to defend the national sovereignty of a state that has seen it undermined in the middle of the European continent.

Jourová therefore stressed that the EU is no longer limited to an area where different countries are part of a single market, but described it as a union of countries that share a number of common freedoms and democratic values that must be cherished and not taken for granted in the future.

Independence and freedom

For Jourová, the EU has achieved great milestones over the years, and for her it is everyone’s responsibility to defend them and demand that all countries, while retaining their autonomy from EU bodies, apply policies that guarantee the key pillars of democracy, such as the strictest freedom of expression and judicial independence.

Jourová outlined the creation of an annual dossier that provides a comprehensive overview of the rule of law in the different members of the Union, highlighting areas for improvement in order to make further progress and perfect our democratic systems.

The Vice-President also declared that the Commission considers various issues to be key to the development of the European project, including respect for the rule of law by all members of the Union, the creation of a regulation adapted to the new digital contexts that allows the sovereignty of all members to be discussed in key issues such as electoral processes, and the continent’s leadership in terms of ecological transition.
After the presentation, there was a round of questions where participants could make their opinions known and raise different issues about what was presented, as well as creating an unbeatable environment for dialogue and debate.

From the Chamber we would like to express our special thanks to Bodega Atavus Priorat, whose wines could be tasted by all the attendees, as well as to the participants, who made this event a very successful luncheon-debate.

Conference on «Financial Investment and High Net Worth Management»

On May 5, in collaboration with the Spanish firm B Law & Tax, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg organized a conference at the Meliá Hotel in Luxembourg, which was attended by numerous experts from the financial, tax and real estate sector in Luxembourg to listen to this lecture on “Financial investment and wealth management”.

Marta González, the secretary general of the Chamber, introduced the speakers, Inmaculada Pineda, partner, and Elsa Ochoa, tax advisor, both at B Law & Tax, and introduced the topic.

The speakers then took the floor and explained how to deal with the taxation of financial and real estate investment, as well as the savings opportunities provided by different investment vehicles under Spanish law.


Among other issues, the speakers addressed topics such as the taxation of financial income obtained by residents and non-residents in Spain, looking at the differences in both cases and how to avoid double taxation between Spain and Luxembourg. Other topics such as the taxation of real estate income and the taxation of “Trusts” in Spain, or “SICAVs”, among others, were also discussed.

Anyone who is interested in the conference and could not attend can contact the Chamber so that we can provide you with a copy of the presentation, as well as put you in contact with the speakers if you wish.

Luncheon-debate with Charlina Vitcheva, Director General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the European Commission

Yesterday, Wednesday 4th May, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg held in Brussels a new luncheon debate with the presence of Charlina Vitcheva, Director General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the European Commission (DG MARE). The theme of the event revolved around the Commission’s policies in relation to its directorate and the future of fisheries.

A variety of people attended the event, including business executives, delegates from the Autonomous Communities, representatives of Spanish and European organisations and various partners of the Chamber.

The conference was opened by the President of the Chamber, Pablo López-Álvarez, who took the opportunity to thank all those present for their attendance. He then dedicated some words of special recognition to the extensive career of the speaker Vitcheva both in the European institutions, in which she has held various positions of responsibility over the years, as well as her contribution to the Bulgarian national politics always from the support to the European construction. López-Álvarez also took the opportunity to highlight the vital importance that the policies related to the maritime industry have had in Spanish companies over the years and the relevant contributions of former Commissioners and Directors General.

The President of the Chamber also introduced Salvador Ramón Mateo, President of FRIME, the company that sponsored the event. FRIME – “The Sustainable Tuna Company” is a company with a family tradition, leader in the commercialisation of sustainable tuna with more than 40 years of history. Salvador Ramón highlighted different achievements of the company during his speech and told us about the future plans of the company and its continued commitment to R & D in the optimization of all its processes, after which he gave the floor to the speaker.

Fishing sector

Vitcheva dedicated her speech to explaining the current and future situation of the fishing sector, referring to the different policies and strategies promoted by her department. Vitcheva also took the opportunity to highlight the importance of the existence of companies such as FRIME, which through innovation are ultimately responsible for advancing in the construction of a more sustainable industry that ensures fishing in the future.

In this context, Vitcheva detailed the proposals made by the Commission in the area of maritime affairs and fisheries, the different aid packages that have been designed to support the most vulnerable sectors of the industry in this crisis situation caused by Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine. According to Vitcheva, the rise in fuel prices, which has had a major impact on maritime workers, once again demonstrated the urgent need for the fishing sector to move towards a decarbonised industry that is gaining energy autonomy to ensure its future activity.

Vitcheva was also optimistic about the challenges that her directorate must face and affirmed that DG Mare works from the concrete, being aware of the Union’s resources and opportunities in the global maritime context, especially characterised by its interconnection between nations, in order to design a concrete roadmap that will allow us to continue advancing in key pillars such as respect for the environment and marine ecosystems.

After the presentation, a question-and-answer session was opened, where participants were able to express their opinions and raise different questions about what had been presented, as well as creating an unbeatable environment for dialogue and debate.

The Chamber would like to give special thanks to Bodegas Altos de Torona and Bodegas Regina Viarum, whose wines were tasted by all the attendees, as well as to the participants, who made this event a very successful lunch-debate.

First face-to-face meeting of the MobiliseSME consortium takes place in Valencia

On 27-28 April, the European MobiliseSME consortium met for the first time in person after almost two years of working together virtually.

Project partners from Ireland, Serbia, Croatia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Belgium, France, Spain, Italy, Austria, Greece and Montenegro met in Valencia with the aim of sharing experiences and lessons learned, strengthening their collaboration and establishing future actions to further support European companies.

MobiliseSME is a programme funded by the European Commission and coordinated by the Chamber that aims to strengthen the competitiveness of European SMEs and develop the skills of their staff through the temporary mobility of their managers, owners and employees to establish partnerships with other companies abroad.

Through the MobiliseSME programme, shipping and hosting companies have the opportunity to access new markets or consolidate their business in Europe, develop new products or services, conduct joint research or projects and share their networks.

In addition, the mobility can acquire and transfer first-hand knowledge of a subject area or other organisational methods, while developing intercultural and linguistic skills in a business environment.

In parallel, the meeting served to achieve synergies between the project partners, create links and generate an atmosphere of trust that will strengthen the collaboration of the partners.

MobiliseSME partners, or local contact points, offer practical and financial support to companies in finding European partners to collaborate with through the secondment of their staff.

For further information, please contact:

Noelia Sanchez, project manager
mobilisesme@e-camara.com

Participate in the PICE Mobility Plan through the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg

This initiative of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce is part of the Qualification and Employment Program (PICE) and aims to improve the employability of young beneficiaries of the National Youth Guarantee System of Spain through internships in European companies.

As the local contact point in Belgium and Luxembourg, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg will help you find young and qualified talent.

What are the advantages of joining the PICE Program?

  • Incorporate qualified young people with the specific skills that your company needs.
  • Facilitate the contact with young people with the qualifications and competencies needed to join your company.
  • As a collaborating company, you will be able to obtain the Seal of Commitment to Youth Employment.

¿What are the requirements to participate?

  • To be a company or organization located in a country of the European Union.
  • To comply with the labor legislation of the country in which you want to incorporate the young person.
  • Identify the requirements for the vacancy offered and include a detailed job description.
  • Internships must have a minimum duration of 3 months and a maximum of 6 months.

To find out how to register your company in the PICE and publish an internship offer, contact us.

Contact:

Sara Sánchez
info@e-camara.com

You can find more information here.