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Luncheon-debate with Juhan Lepassaar, Head of Cabinet of the Vice-president of the Commission, Andrus Ansip

16/09/2016

The Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg organized last Thursday 15th of September in Brussels a luncheon-debate with Juhan Lepassaar, Head of Cabinet of the Vice-president Andrus Ansip, about the “Digital Single Market”.

The event, which was attended by representatives of different European institutions, lobbyists, members of the Chamber and Spanish and international company heads, began with the intervention of the President of the Chamber, Juan Rodríguez-Villa Matons. He started his speech thanking the speaker for his attendance and he gave a short summing up of Lepassaar’s professional background. Rodríguez-Villa Matons highlighted his “great trajectory” in spite of his youth. Furthermore, he mentioned the last proposals announced by the Comission on the 14th of September related to the Digital Single Market. This project was undertaken by the Vice-president Andrus Ansip in May 2015 and it has become one of the most ambitious Commission fields.

Juhan Lepassaar during his speech.

After the introduction, Lepassaar started his presentation making a reference to the last reforms of the Commission: the modernisation of the copyright rules, the e-commerce regulation and a better choice and access to content online. The Head of Cabinet also reminded the topics in which his team is working, such as the elimination of the roaming fees or the free and public WiFi in the European Union. “Next week we will launch a new proposal to make sure that every European enjoys the roaming”, he announced.

At question time the attendees could raise some issues with him, such as the regulation of competence in e-commerce, the concerns of various sectors about the new digital divide rules, or the banks and other entities role in this era of increasing digitalisation. He was also asked about the coordination of the radio spectrum policy, another striking field of the Digital Single Market.

The presidential table of the luncheon-debate.

Lepassaar replied in detail to every question raised and highlighted the European Union willingness to boost economic growth through the Digital Single Market, taking into account all actors involved.

The Chamber concluded the act giving a gift to Juhan Lepassaar in recognition to his work as Head of Cabinet of the Vicepresident Andrus Ansip.

We would like to thank the winery Martínez Lacuesta for sponsoring the wine of the event.

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Breakfast-debate on “The reform of intellectual property in the European Union” with María Martín-Prat

30/05/2016

Last Wednesday, 25^th of May of 2016, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg organized a breakfast-debate with Maria Martin-Prat, Head of Unit – Copyright – DG CNECT, who made a presentation on “The reform of intellectual property in the European Union”.

The presentation began with the intervention of the Chamber’s Vice-president, Pablo López Álvarez, who thanked María Martín-Prat for participating at the breakfast-debate and made a review of her professional career. After that, Ángeles López Lobatón, Telefónica’s Director of Juridical Advising Movistar Plus, sponsoring company of the breakfast-debate, did also an introduction to the presentation, referring to their new acquisition Movistar + and their labor of production and provision of channels to third parties.

María Martín-Prat reviewed the current issues on intellectual property and copyright in the European Union, focusing on the audio-visual content although she also referred to other contents affected by copyright.

The speaker highlighted the matter of the territoriality and the challenge that supposes the existence of different domestic markets inside the European Union when homogenizing the policies relative to the intellectual property. She stressed the fact that the European Union is formed by 28 Member states and that each one has its own legal regimes faced to the wide and general community regulation of the directives. This means that every Member State applies them differently within the framework of the general regulation.

María Martín-Prat wanted also to make a distinction among the terms “regulation” and “directive” when regulating copyright, in reference to the proposal of copyright’s reform that will be presented after the summer. She also stressed the importance of a long-term jurisdiction.

The talk was followed by a round of questions, in which some of the attendees asked their doubts to the Head of Copyright’s Unit concerning the issues of roaming, the rights of competition and intellectual property or the need to act on the canon services.

The Chamber celebrates the success of the breakfast-debate and is grateful for the collaboration of all the participants to the event.

Luncheon debate with Román Escolano, Vice-President of the European Investment Bank

22/04/2016

Last Thursday, the 21st of April, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg organized a luncheon-debate at “The Hotel” with Román Escolano, Vice-President of the European Investment Bank, on “European Funds for Strategic Investments”.

The event counted, among others, on the presence of representatives of various European institutions, lobbyists, members of the Chamber and managers of various Spanish companies.

The event started with a presentation by Juan Rodríguez-Villa Matons, President of the Chamber of Commerce, who presented the speaker to the audience by going over his professional career until his incorporation at the European Investment Bank.

Hereafter, Román Escolano started his lecture by presenting the European Investment Bank. He explained the current role of the EIB in the economy as one of the oldest financial institutions of Europe. He emphasized its nature as a bank in terms of being an institution sensitive to the current economic issues. The EIB is a non-profit organization but is oriented towards obtaining some benefits and providing real value to the market.

The 28 Member States of the European Union are represented at the EIB. Román Escolano presented the breakdown of the capital account in which he emphasized the participation of Spain as one of the major clients in recent years.

During the second part of the presentation, Román Escolano talked about the European Fund for Strategic Investments. By means of this fund they aim to mobilize the private sector and to change the way in which public money is spent. The speaker emphasized at all times the fact that this instrument should not be considered a fund, but a guarantee to attract the private sector.

After the presentation, a question time took place. The attendees raised various doubts to the Vice-President concerning future projects, start-ups and structural funds, among other things. During the answers he emphasized the primary function of the EIB: supporting the real economy by means of bank lending, the combination of different resources and counseling.

The event ended with handing over a gift to Román Escolano on the part of the Chamber in recognition of his efforts at the European Investment Bank.

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Luncheon-debate with Xavier Prats Monné, Director General for Health and Food Safety of the European Commission

06/04/2016

On 5 April the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg organized a luncheon-debate in Brussels with Xavier Prats Monné, Director General for Health and Food Safety of the European Commission.

More than 70 persons attended the event, among them representatives of Spanish and European governmental institutions, managers of international companies and lobbyists of the sector.

The President of the Chamber, Juan Rodríguez-Villa, welcomed the attendees and presented the speaker, Xavier Prats Monné, and highlighted his great professional career and the European Institutions.

Hereafter, Xavier Prats Monné started his presentation regarding the prospects of the DG Health and Food Safety and the global Europe 2020 strategy. In his speech he highlighted the importance of Europe ensuring a greater degree of transparency and promoting the exchange of knowledge between the Commission and society.

During Question Time, reference was made to the European economic crisis. Xavier Prats Monné came to a positive conclusion of the current situation of the food industry and pointed out that “We managed to overcome the crisis and we remain an attractive sector for clients”.

Finally, Juan Rodríguez-Villa thanked Xavier Prats, Director General for Health and Food Safety of the European Commission, for his participation by handing over a gift in recognition of his effort for a healthier Europe.

The Chamber would like to thank Pernod Ricard for their collaboration, who were sponsors of the wine of the event.

Luncheon-Debate of ONCE and their Foundation with Marianne Thyssen, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility

12/11/2015

The training management and employment boost models hold by ONCE and its Foundation (on top of their social companies ILUNION) supported by the co-managed investment from the European Social Fund (ESF) have managed to boost over 60.000 job opportunities for people with disabilities in Spain during the past 15 years.

These data were presented today by the President of the ONCE and its Foundation, Miguel Carballeda, to the European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility, Marianne Thyssen, during the luncheon-debate organized by the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg for a hundred businessmen and European Community authorities.

Carballeda explained how the organization works to achieve “a more inclusive, accessible and competitive Europe”. He emphasized the need to keep building “partnerships for disabilities” from which over 80 million citizens within the EU benefit, four of them living in Spain. “We highlight in Brussels the value of disability and of people with disabilities to prevent them from being put at risk” he said.

The President of the ONCE and its Foundation explained how the social organization model works, based on the management of the responsible gaming by ONCE; the boost to the rights, the training, the employment and the accessibility for people with disabilities (among other aspects) and the consolidation of social companies within the Organization that, under the denomination of ILUNION, are an “example that the social and economic profitability can go hand in hand generating a real shared value and commitment with the citizenship.”

Commissioner Thyssen, who visited ILUNION in Madrid a few months ago, explained how the European Social Fund has become a “catalyst” to invest in inclusion and support those social groups that are disadvantaged. She valued the transnational initiatives that took place in Spain and she emphasized the work of ONCE and its Foundation and its capacity to bring together “relevant actors beyond their own boundaries”.

Thyssen shared the ONCE and its Foundation´s point of view, wishing to “end the charitable approach that exists towards disabilities” and assured that the work of the Organization and its social companies ILUNION are “a source of inspiration and an example to follow by the Community policies for people with disabilities”. “Together we will make a more social and fair place of the European Union” she concluded.

Strong partnership with Europe

Alberto Durán, Vice-president of the ONCE Foundation, highlighted the “solid” partnership they have with the European and Spanish authorities, as manager of the operational programs of the European Social Funds, particularly acting as intermediate body of the Spanish Operational Programme “Fight Against Discrimination”, which allows to boost “cooperation networks for employment and training with other public and private agents in Spain and Europe”, strengthening ESF´s work.

Durán noted before Thyssen how the partnership´s model “multiplies” the positive effects of the European funds for people with disabilities. In fact, over 230,000 people in Spain benefited the last 15 years of the different training programs, 60,000 of them obtained a job, “half of them being women with disabilities”.

Furthermore, the management of these funds of ONCE and its Foundation made Disability a relevant topic in the European agenda, within diversity management, inclusion and corporative responsibility, aspects to which he committed the efforts of the Organization “now and in the future”.

“We want to contribute to the fact that Spain will be a reference in this chapter, but above all, we offer our support and experience to all of our European colleagues, to demonstrate that the talent, the spirit of improvement and enthusiasm of the people with disabilities transcend borders and it is an essential contribution for building a smart, sustainable and inclusive Europe, ” he said.

Advertising campaign: “On the right path”

The ONCE and its Foundation took advantage of the event in Brussels to release the traditional advertising campaign of social awareness about people with disabilities in the European capital, which often coincides with Christmas time. On this occasion the topic precisely has the value of the 15 years of partnership with Europe and the jobs which it has allowed to boost, such as “life opportunities to those who will have more difficulties”, in the words of Miguel Carballeda.

In the campaign, the protagonists are people with different kinds of disabilities who have found an employment and show their daily life at work. This way, it can be seen how the laboral integration is but, above all and being the most important thing, how social inclusion is in the working groups, with colleagues, showing that they can contribute more together to the companies and society in general, with the slogan “On the right path”.

The whole day, the delegation of ONCE and its Foundation also celebrated a meeting with Juan de Arístegui, Permanent Representative Ambassador of Spain in the EU, who knew and appreciated all of them, among other meetings of interest with MEPs and representatives from the European Commission.

Luncheon-Debate with Carlo Thelen, Director General of the Chamber of Commerce of Luxembourg

27/10/2015

Last Wednesday, 21 October, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg organized a Luncheon-Debate in Luxembourg with Carlo Thelen, Director General of the Chamber of Commerce of Luxembourg. The event was attended by the Ambassador of Spain in Luxembourg, Carlos de Lojendio y Pardo Manuel de Villena, as well as representatives of European Institutions, members of the Chamber and corporate executives, among other participants.

The Luncheon started with the intervention of Juan Rodríguez-Villa Matons, President of the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce, who welcomed the participants and Mr. Thelen for his collaboration, highlighting his professional career and the important role of the Chamber of Commerce in Luxembourg in the Grand Duchy.

Carlo Thelen started his exposition introducing the current macroeconomic context, pointing out the oil falling, a historically low tax interest, an unconventional monetary policy and the depreciation of the euro. Then, the speaker focused in his speech on the bilateral economic relations between Spain and Luxembourg, as well as in the different trade promotion activities carried out by Luxembourg in Spain.

Afterwards, the President of the Chamber of Commerce of Luxembourg introduced the most relevant sectors and those with the highest investment potential in the Grand Duchy, such as finance, logistics, technological and communications sectors, and the Eco-technological sector.

Mr. Thelen finished his speech stating the challenges of the Luxembourgian economy. He provided public administration data about the growth and the politics the Government of Luxembourg is expecting to carry out in the upcoming years. Regarding this, he highlighted the strategy of the “Third Industrial Revolution” which is intended to be developed between the Chamber of Commerce of Luxembourg and the Government of Luxembourg.

After a round of questions among the attendees, the Economic and Commercial Counselor of the Embassy of Spain, David Martínez Hornillos, closed the event displaying economic bilateral data between Spain and Luxembourg, and pointing out the ability of the economy of Luxembourg to adapt to structural changes.

See Carlo Thelen’s presentation

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Luncheon-debate with Cecilia Malmström, European Commissioner for Trade

15/10/2015

Last Monday, 12 October, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg organized a luncheon-debate in NH Sablon Hotel (Brussels) with Cecilia Malmström, European Commissioner for Trade, about “The New EU Trade Policy”. The event was attended by European Institutions’ representatives, lobbyists, members of the Chamber of Commerce and corporate executives, among other participants.

The event started with the intervention of Juan Rodríguez-Villa Matons, the President of the Chamber of Commerce, who welcomed the attendees and presented the speaker to the audience, going over her trajectory and highlighting her relevant professional experience and her achievements within the Commission.

Malmström firstly presented the New EU Trade Policy, pointing out that it is a new approach of approximation to international trade relations that would go further in order to reflect the values of the EU and focus on the elimination of trade barriers and trade tariffs.

During the second part of her intervention, the speaker focused on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). She described it as “necessary and vital” for the relations between the United States and the European Union, as it would be the “ability to foster and promote the values that both sides of the Atlantic share”. She would also like to emphasize that the Agreement would ensure European citizens, their food security, their education and health system and the environmental protection at all times.

Finally, Malmström mentioned the numerous agreements the European Union maintained at the level of trade in order to also highlight those that should be refreshed or developed with key states in Southeast Asia or Latin America.

After the presentation there was question time. The attendees raised numerous doubts to the Commissioner, concerning on the protection, transfer of data and the development of potential and new commercial agreements between India and the EU, and China and the EU, which she responded to in detail.

The event, sponsored by “La Buena Vida”, ended with the delivery of a gift to Cecilia Malmström by the Chamber of Commerce in gratitude of her collaboration with the institution.

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Luncheon-debate with Ignacio García Bercero, Director at the DG for Trade of the European Commission

16/09/2015

Last Wednesday, 16 September, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg organized a luncheon-debate with Ignacio García Bercero, Director at the DG for Trade of the European Commission, about the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and its implications to Spain.

The event, sponsored by Repsol, was attended by representatives of European Institutions , lobbyists, members of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce and corporate executives, among other participants.

The President of the Chamber of Commerce, Juan Rodríguez-Villa Matons, welcomed the attendees and presented the speaker to the audience, going over his trajectory and highlighting his relevant professional experience.

García Bercero presented the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership pointing out that it is “the most ambitious” agreement within the European Union. It is, in fact, a “winning proposal for the EU and the US” that will establish the rules and principles that will regulate the commercial and investment relations between both sides of the Atlantic.

After two years of conversation, and supported by the majority of the European Parliament, the agreement is still in the “hard negotiation” phase, but will hopefully be concluded before the next presidential elections of the United States.

The TTIP broaches traditional subjects such as custom duties, service trade restrictions or public procurement, but goes further, dealing with delicate and sensitive subjects for both sides, such as investment and energy. Consequently, the final partnership has to be “balanced, competitive and ambitious above all”.

In the second part of his intervention, the speaker focused on the benefits that the agreement would bring to the Kingdom of Spain, explaining that big companies but also SMEs would profit from it.

Following the presentation, attendees had the opportunity to ask Ignacio García Bercero questions. They raised their doubts about Intellectual Property, dataflow and CETA to which the Director of the DG for Trade provided detailed replies.

The event ended with the delivery of a gift to García Bercero by the Chamber and by Repsol, as an expression of gratitude for his collaboration with the institution. The wine served during the event was sponsored by Pernod Ricard.

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Breakfast-debate with Cristina Lobillo, Head of Cabinet of the European Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy

15/09/2015

On 15 September 2015, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg organized a breakfast-debate with Cristina Lobillo Borrero, Head of Cabinet of the European Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy, who spoke about “COP 21 and the Energy Union”.

The event started with the intervention of Pablo López Álvarez, Vice-president of the Chamber of Commerce, who thanked the speaker for her participation and exposed her large background and experience in the fields of climate and energy.

Cristina Lobillo started her intervention by highlighting the importance of the speech pronounced a week ago by Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the Commission, where he explained the important value of the conference that will take place at the end of the year: COP 21.

The speaker supported the President´s message, and explained that COP 21 is only the beginning of a long way that pretends to put to an end, gradually but constantly, the emissions, not only in the EU but worldwide.

The conference, that would replace the Protocol of Kyoto, proofs the desire and international commitment to achieve an agreement in the energetic field. Leaded by the European Union, the mentioned agreement would fight for the reduction of the emissions from now to 2030. Mrs Lobillo explained that it was an ambitious plan with renewable, dynamic and long term objectives.

At the end of the event, there was an open debate where participants had the chance to discuss about COP 21 and the European migrant crisis, as a consequence of the climate change.

The Chamber praises the success of the luncheon-debate and would like to thank the attendees for their collaboration.

Luncheon-Debate with Román Escolano, Vice president of the European Investment Bank

02/06/2015

Last Tuesday, 2^nd of June, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg organized a luncheon-debate with Román Escolano, Vice president of the European Investment Bank. The event was attended by the Ambassador of Spain in Luxembourg, Carlos Lojendio y Pardo Manuel de Villena, as well as European Institutions’ representatives, members of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce and corporate executives, among other participants. The luncheon-debate was sponsored by the technology consultant INDRA.
The President of the Chamber of Commerce, Juan Rodríguez-Villa Matons, welcomed the attendees and the Vice president, Sergio de Miguel-Jessel, presented the speaker to the audience, going over his trajectory and highlighting his relevant professional experience.

The Vice president of the European Investment Bank started his intervention presenting the particularities of the EIB functioning and its principal figures. Román Escolano highlighted the financial strength of the EIB, based on a strong capitalization, liquidity, stable deposits (2,6 billion in the last year and benefits weren’t disrupted not even during the crisis) and improved leverage, followed by a capital increase. Then, he noted that Spain is the main loan beneficiary, particularly transports, as the principal sector. “The BEI is the first funder of Spain”, he indicated.

In the second part of his speech, the Vice President focused on the eligibility and the objectives that should be accomplished by the various projects presented every year by the EIB and, finally, the high standards applied by the courts of the EIB in the selection it.

Following the presentation, attendees had the opportunity to ask questions to the Vice President, who provided detailed replies to all of them.

The event ended with the delivery of a gift to Román Escolano by the Chamber and by INDRA, as an expression of gratitude for his collaboration with the institution. The Ambassador of Spain in Luxembourg, Carlos Pardo Manuel Lojendio y Villena, thanked the Chamber for organizing the event and highlighted the importance of Spaniards in many important positions of the European Institutions in Luxembourg, such as Román Escolano. The director of INDRA in Brussels, David Luengo also thanked the Vice President for the splendid intervention carried out.

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