Last 17th and 18th of March took place in Granada the kick-off meeting of DG VET, Erasmus+ project coordinated by the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg.  The aim of the meeting was to initiate the activities of the project and to establish both the lines of work and the future actions for its proper implementation.

In addition, the meeting served to create synergies between the project partners and to identify the persons responsible for each organisation. The fact that the meeting was held in a face-to-face format also made it possible to create links and generate an atmosphere of trust that will allow the collaboration of the partners to be strengthened.

DG VET is a 24-month project which aims to develop innovative training material and methodology, together with an online learning platform to support the development of marketable digital and green skills of NEET youth from rural areas to empower their employability, especially women between 18 and 30 years old.

DG-VET project partners recognize the important contribution of the Digital and Green economy (DaGE) sectors to creating job opportunities for young people living in rural areas.

Furthermore, the project will aim to tackle:

• The digital divide phenomenon: the gap between those living in rural areas and those living in cities in access to ICT;
• The skills mismatch between job requirements and workers’ skills within DaGE sectors;
• The lack of policy engagement in the promotion and implementation of supportive youth-oriented VET programs.

We will keep you informed of the evolution of the project!

On Thursday 2 December 2021, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium in Luxembourg organised the webinar “Buying a second home on the Costa Blanca: the why and the how”, in collaboration with the Spanish company Provia.

During this webinar, the speakers Jesualdo Ros, Secretary General of Provia, and Caroline Clinton, Head of the Customer Service Department of Abaco Advisers, on behalf of Petra Bettens, legal advisor at Abaco Advisers, provided the attendees with information about the process of buying a second property in Spain and the benefits of this acquisition on the Costa Blanca.

Jesualdo Ros was the first to speak, sharing with the audience the statistics related to the purchase of flats and villas in the province of Alicante and giving advice on what are the first steps to take and what to consider when hiring someone to advise you on the purchase.

Price increases

Ros explained to the audience that currently Belgian nationals with property on the Costa Blanca are spending more time in this second home and are buying larger, more expensive and newly built properties. The secretary general of Provia added that because of this, prices have increased by an average of 4% but that the average age of the buyer has dropped to 52 years old.

Next, the floor was given to Caroline Clinton, from Abaco Advisers, who focused on the six steps in the process of buying a property on the Costa Blanca. Clinton explained that her company has provided legal advice to many Belgian nationals looking for a property and has helped them to establish contacts with notaries and local banks.

During the question and answer session, both speakers answered the doubts of the participants regarding the figure of the notary during the purchase process or the differences that exist between buying a flat or a house on the Costa Blanca.

From the Chamber, we would like to thank the speakers for their participation in this webinar and also for the interest of all the attendees.

On November 24th wednesday , from 13:00 to 14:00, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg organised together with the partner company MTSpain- Advisor of “Living in Spain” (legal, home, insurance, banks) a webinar on “Bikesperience, routes, live and work in Andalusia (Malaga and Almeria)”. Antonio Jesús Reina from Turismo Andaluz, Heather Cooper (Hike + Bike), Milagros Granizo Muñoz (MTSpain), Maryna Yatsenyuk (Caixabank), Max Van Gorkom (Claire Joster), Cindy Rowe (Tiberghien) and finally, Gilbert Van Fraeyenhoven (Baguet Bicycle Center).

Due to the current situation of COVID-19, more and more people are interested in making the most of the possibility of having a balance between work and the quality of life that Andalusia offers, especially for those who love cycling, sun and open spaces. Thanks to the facilities offered by digitalisation, many Europeans, including Belgians and Luxembourgers, have shown interest in opting for a second home in Andalusia.

During the webinar, the main cycling routes that exist in Malaga and Almeria were exposed and the possibilities they offer for MTB, leisure, e-bike or hiking among others. Then they mentioned the services and facilities offered both financial and non-financial for people who want to work from Spain, taking into account the existing cultural differences exposed from personal experiences.

Among the doubts clarified in the webinar, there were issues related to the purchase of second homes, the most difficult and interesting routes for cycling enthusiasts or issues that may affect cycling groups located in Flanders and the support they may have to move to Spain.

From the Chamber, we would like to thank the speakers for their interventions and all the attendees for their presence.

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On September 22^nd, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg organised the conference “Introduction to the new European funding program in digitalisation – Good Practices in Spain and in Belgium”, in collaboration with BECI (Chambre de Commerce et Union des Enterprises de Bruxelles) and EEN (Enterprise Europe Network). The event was attended by companies specialised in EU-funded digitisation projects as well as public bodies and regional delegations.

The face-to-face event, which took place at the Welkin & Meraki coworking space in Brussels, started with the welcome words from the Secretary General of the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg, Marta González, and the Internationalisation Director of BECI, Jean-Philippe Mergen.

The first speaker was Anne-Marie Sassen, Head of Unit at DG CONNECT. During her speech, she presented the objectives and structure of the Digital Europe Programme, highlighting the importance of all companies in the European Union adapting to technological transformation to cope with the current economic situation and to be globally competitive.

Subsequently, Susana Garayoa, Senior Consultant at Zabala Innovation Consulting, explained how this Spanish consultancy firm supports companies in their digitalisation process and in their participation in European funding projects. She took the opportunity to present the new smart platform Kaila, which allows users to search for information on European funding opportunities for digitisation projects, among other things.

Later, Marion Perrin and Benjamin Carnec – both from hub.brussels – took part as national contact points. They presented, on the one hand, the service they offer through their organisations to local participants of the Horizon Europe programme, one of the European Union’s main programmes for research and innovation. Additionally, they presented the Enterprise Europe Network, a global support network for small and medium-sized enterprises with international ambitions, thanks to the one they help these companies to introduce their innovations in new markets.

Then, María Aguilar de Tena, Solutions Project Leader at everis, presented the strategy of this technology consultancy firm within the framework of the programme and shared how they are supporting the European Commission in its development.

To conclude the event, Noelia Sánchez, Project Manager at the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg, presented to the attendees the MobiliseSME programme, co-financed by the European Commission and coordinated by the Chamber itself. This pilot mobility programme for the staff of European SMEs supports the internationalisation of Belgian and Spanish companies in the digital sector through the development of mutual beneficial transnational collaborations.

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On May 19th, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg organized a webinar on “Teleworking from Spain” in collaboration with its member companies BakerTilly, Pro-Pay and Racine, with the participation of Bert Dehandschutter, partner of the law firm Racine, An De Wever, legal advisor and Inge Janssens, legal and immigration director, both from Pro-Pay N.V. and Dany De Decker, Tax Partner of Bakertilly Belgium.

Due to COVID-19 health crisis that forces employees to telework from home, as well as the context of digitalization in which we find ourselves and which makes it possible to work from anywhere with a simple internet connection, many employees choose to move their office abroad either for a short or long period of time. Spain continues to be one of the preferred destinations in this regard.

During the webinar, the main administrative issues that may arise when employees who normally work in Belgium decide to go temporarily to Spain to work from there were addressed, focusing on issues related to social security, labor law and tax consequences.

Among the doubts clarified in the webinar, there are issues related to tax legislation in the case of teleworking from Spain with a Belgian labor contract or issues affecting self-employers working for companies present in a country other than their own.

From the Chamber, we would like to thank the speakers for their interventions and all the attendees for their presence.

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