The Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg elects new president
After its annual general meeting, the new board of directors of the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg today unanimously elected Pablo López-Alvarez as president for the next three years. Pablo López-Alvarez, director of the consulting group FTI Consulting and currently vice president of the Chamber, succeeds Juan Rodriguez Villa (Aspro Parks Group), who held the presidency for the last 11 years.
After his election, the new President expressed his “gratitude and honor for the appointment” and his commitment “to, together with the renewed Board of Directors, ensure continuity of the great work carried out by the Chamber under the leadership of my predecessor.”
“My priority is to continue promoting the dual role of the Chamber, as a facilitator of investment and commercial flows on a bilateral level, and as a platform for dialogue between Spanish companies and European institutions. All these activities will be pursued in an environment that is constantly evolving as a result of the acceleration of digital transformation, decarbonisation and new hybrid work models,” said López-Alvarez.
“Belgium has traditionally been one of the main destinations for Spanish exports, but given its dynamism and openness, it is a market that offers room for growth and new opportunities for our companies, which we must take advantage of. The same can be said of Luxembourg, which, after Brexit, has seen its leadership as a financial hub strengthened”, highlighted the new President.
“On the other hand, we cannot ignore the fact that the Chamber is located in the capital of Europe and that far-reaching and transformative initiatives are currently being developed in Brussels such as the Green Deal, the revision of digital regulations, the redefinition of trade relations with the United States and China, and the development of environmental and social taxonomies or recovery plans. It is crucial that Spanish companies contribute actively. The Chamber is already channelling that contribution, but there is no doubt that we can do more. We must also serve as a transmission belt to help Spanish companies anticipate new trends and opportunities that may arise from political or regulatory decisions at the European level,” added López-Alvarez.
In his farewell Juan Rodriguez-Villa, who has served as president for 16 years, during two different stages, declared: “It has been a great honor to be president of this Chamber and to be able to defend and promote the interests of Spanish companies in Belgium and Luxembourg, as well as to project the Brand Spain (Marca España) in the capital of Europe. I leave with a feeling of duty accomplished. Thanks to the great work of our board of directors and our team, I think I can say, with all modesty but also with special pride, that I am leaving the Chamber at the best moment in its history and with great potential for development ahead”.
The Chamber’s management team counts with two new vicepresidents: Abelardo García (BBVA), representing Belgium and Joseba Arriortua, representing the Delegation in Luxembourg. The Board of Directors is completed by representatives of the following companies: ArcelorMittal, Aspro Parks Group, Atrevia, BBVA, everis (NTT Data), GA-P, Iberdrola, Indra, LaLiga, Mercadona, Meteora, One Life, Racine, Santander or Telefonica.
MobiliseSME programme, giving SME’s staff the opportunity to travel and develop cross-border partnerships in current times
Beata Vlnková and Rudi Verhoest are the owners of two companies who started collaborating through the MobiliseSME programme at the end of March 2021.
Beata has travelled from Slovakia to Belgium to partner up with Rudi during six months in the wine business sector.
They have joined forces to develop their projects, each bringing their own expertise to the table. Although it isn´t easy during the current situation, their collaboration is bringing out the best in both.
Beata is the President of the Association of Sommeliers of the Slovak Republic and CEO of Wine Wave Travel, a wine travel agency based in Slovakia that wants to expand its activities to Belgium.
Her aim is to promote and sell Slovakian and Austrian wines in the Belgian market and expand her network in the country, meanwhile acquiring new competences, such as the Dutch language.
On the other hand, Rudi has thirty years of expertise in the bank and insurance sector in Belgium. He is a wine enthusiast and a cuisine lover who has decided to make a career change: from finance to wine.
He wants to increase his knowledge on the wine sector, improve his tasting skills, learn all about wine sales and eventually, consider opening a future wine business.
Both are currently collaborating on a market research in the region of La Roche, in Ardennes. Together they scout for potential customers and contact the tourist office and gîtes in the region. 
Since April, they have organized several wine tastings adapted to the Covid measures. They started with only two attendees but were able to welcome fifteen people last week with the cooperation of the local agency Back-to-Nature.
They have also been presenting their project to the Ambassador of Slovak Republic to the Kingdom of Belgium and Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and talked about a future event at the Embassy to put in contact Slovakian wine producers and Belgian customers.
Through their alliance, both are exchanging their knowledge in their fields of expertise, sharing their practises and contact networks, while developing their abilities, even languages.
Both are developing a business plan and setting up future collaborations to prepare a scenario after Covid, with the organization of wine tasting events and wine trips between these countries.
Beata and Rudi have seen in MobiliseSME programme the opportunity to partner up and adapt to the current challenges. They are confident many more activities will come towards summer.
Click here to discover more about MobiliseSME programme.
Contact us to register in the programme by sending an email to mobilisesme@e-camara.com.
The Chamber has now released its Yearbook 2021
The Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg has now released its Yearbook 2021.
You can download the yearbook in its digital version through the Chamber’s Intranet by clicking here.
This publication includes information on the available services to our members, the report of the activities organized by the Chamber during 2020, a description of the programmes in which we are involved, as well as a directory of members by activity sector.
From the Chamber, we would like to thank all the associated companies for their support, which allows us to continue improving and to respond to the needs of our members.
The yearbook is available in both Spanish and English.
We would also like to thank the advertisers for their collaboration in the 2021 Yearbook, which allows us to finance the production of this publication:
The Concertation Committee bans non-essential travel and extends isolation period
Last Friday, January the 22nd, the federal government and the federated entities discussed the current coronavirus situation as a Concertation Committee. In an attempt to stop the spread of new strains of coronavirus, the Concertation Committee has decided to temporarily impose a ban on non-essential foreign travel to and from Belgium.
RESTRICTION OF INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL
I. Restriction of non-essential travel
Non-essential trips in and out of Belgium are prohibited from Wednesday, January 27th to Monday, March 1st, 2021. The travel ban will be monitored for road, air, sea, and rail traffic.
Anyone travelling to or from Belgium will be required to carry a sworn statement. A form will be made available by the Ministry of Interior. The sworn statement must be linked to the Passenger Locator Form and supported by the necessary documents.
Only essential travel is allowed during this period, i.e. travel for:
- Compelling family reasons
- Family reunification;
- Visits to a spouse or partner who does not live under the same roof, insofar as the stable and long-term character of the relationship can be proven;
- Journeys in the context of co-parenting, civil and religious marriages, funerals or cremations (of relatives or next of kin).
- Humanitarian reasons
- Travel for medical reasons and continuation of medical treatment;
- Assistance or care to an elderly person, minor, disabled or vulnerable person;
- Visiting relatives receiving palliative care.
- Study purposes
- Journeys by pupils, students and trainees as part of a student exchange program;
- Researchers with a hosting agreement.
- Residents of border areas
- Journeys as part of everyday activities that are also allowed in Belgium
- Professional reasons when performing work-related activities
- Miscellaneous
- Animal care, travel in the context of legal obligations (insofar as these cannot be done online), urgent repairs in the context of vehicle safety and a house move are also considered essential.
II. People travelling from the United Kingdom, South Africa, and South America.
As of Monday, January 25th, all people travelling to Belgium from the United Kingdom, South Africa or South America must quarantine for 10 days with a PCR test on day 1 and day
III. Additional test upon arrival
In addition to the mandatory negative test result prior to departure, the Concertation Committee would like every non-resident travelling to Belgium to be tested again upon arrival. This can be done with a PCR test or a rapid antigen test. The Concertation Committee has requested that the Interministerial Conference on Public Health, the Testing Task Force and the Covid-19 Commissariat make this mandatory.
Extended isolation period
People who test positive for Covid-19 will now have to isolate themselves for ten days.
After a high-risk contact or upon arrival in Belgium, the duration of quarantine remains ten days. This period may be reduced to a minimum of seven days on condition of a negative test result, where the test was taken, at the earliest, seven days after exposure.
Prospect for non-medical contact professions
At this stage of the pandemic, a reopening of non-medical close-contact professions is not yet appropriate.
This may become possible from February 13th at the earliest, provided that the epidemiological situation evolves favourably.
The Concertation Committee will review this situation on February 5th.
The opening of non-medical close-contact professions will only be possible if the existing protocols are strictly adhered to, supplemented by a series of additional measures such as the obligation to make an appointment, compulsory registration, customers waiting outside and windows and doors that must be open at all times.
Source: Info.Coronavirus
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