Letter from the President to the members in Belgium

Dear members:

The weekly alternation of the editions of our two “newsletters”, intended for members in each of the states that make up the territorial area of the Chamber, has meant that, by chance, my congratulations for the New Year, dedicated to those of you in Belgium, are sent in second place.

I would like these lines to help turn the page on the dreadful year of the pandemic, in which we are still immersed, and to be a harbinger of a return to normality or, rather, the beginning of a new normality. A different kind of normality.

The end of the tunnel can be sensed thanks to the vaccination measures. But it is still not a reality. We cannot let down our guard.

I flee from pessimism, but I cannot escape the feeling of uncertainty. We will keep working with special dedication to win over the battle against the pandemic.

The consequences are devastating, both in society and in the economy worldwide. And we are endeavouring, with great concern, to guess at the future of society and the economy of Spain. And we want to do our best to help rebuild both.

In the current circumstances, there is no room for complacency, and I admit that I feel a sense of satisfaction: the 2020 financial year in our Chamber, which is as difficult as it is strange, has allowed us to collectively bargain with the “coronavirus”. My thanks go to the authors of this win.

First of all, I would like to highlight the intense collaboration with the Spanish Embassy, promoted by our Ambassador, Beatriz Larrotcha Palma, our Honorary President, promoter of numerous activities and close observer of the progress of the Chamber, who, with the support of a competent, generous and cordial diplomatic team, has made it possible to hold various events in collaboration with its Cultural and Scientific Council, under the leadership of its head, Sergi Farré i Salvà.

On a functional level, the Chamber has the reference of the Economic and Commercial Councillor, María Palanca Reh. With her presence on the Board of Directors, in her capacity as Honorary Vice-president, she has exercised the guardianship of the Chamber assuming an active and beneficial role, facilitating the necessary public-private understanding.

My recognition goes to our Secretary General, Marta González Benguria, who was ratified in her position in September. Marta surprises me with her initiatives, her capacity to work and her enthusiasm. She oversees a team that shows similar conditions.

Our Board of Directors is the pillar on which our organisation is based. Its solidity is notorious and the unity of criteria in the achievement of objectives assures the exit from the storm without deterioration. I would like to thank every one of my colleagues and partners. And especially, my feeling of solidarity, which is that of the whole Board, goes to our colleague Rafael Chamorro Marín, member of the Board of Directors in an institutional capacity, as Director for Belgium and Luxembourg of the Spanish Tourist Office, which is suffering particularly from the consequences of the crisis.

The Working Committees, which emanate from the Board of Directors, have been the main protagonists in 2020:

The Forums Committee has worked hard to organise nineteen events with an excellent response, which is measurable by the interest shown by the many participants. Our Vice-President, Pablo López Álvarez, who chairs this Committee, has skilfully moderated numerous debates.

The brand new Spanish Financial Forum has succeeded in placing itself at the forefront of discussion forums in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It is already an excellent tool at the service of the Spanish financial sector, in such an important position. Thanks to José Luis Rodríguez, our Vice-President and head of the forum in Luxembourg, and also thanks to María Catalán, our delegate in Luxembourg, who has worked so hard and so well and continues to do so for its success.

Our most recent Working Commission, “Competencia España”, chaired by Miguel Troncoso, is made up of a distinguished group of prestigious specialists in competition law, who find in this commission an effective vehicle for dialogue with the competition authorities. Miguel’s work is excellent and his collaboration with the Forums Commission is noteworthy.

I was saying that the Board of Directors is the pillar on which the organisation of the Chamber is based, right. But the pillar on which the institution of which we are all members is based is, precisely, its social mass, the set of members.

In order to increase our strength, we must continue to grow. In times of crisis we are part of the help to overcome it. And we are in solidarity. The testimony of that solidarity has been our direct support to some of the members, belonging to the sectors most affected by the crisis.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to each and every one of you. Thank you for your understanding.

And now I invite you, virtually, or not, to raise a glass of Spanish cava to toast together, for our families, our companies and for us.

I ask for blessings to make my best wishes come true, to all the members of this other family: the Chamber family.

Kind regards,

Juan Rodríguez-Villa Matons,

President of the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg

New Year’s Cocktail 2020 Luxembourg

The last 30th of January, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg celebrated the New Year’s Cocktail in Luxembourg. The event counted mainly with the presence of numerous members, representatives of European institutions and contacts of other bilateral Chambers in the Grand Duchy.

Juan Rodríguez-Villa, President of the Chamber, expressed his good wishes for this year, thanked the attendees for their participation and address a word of thanks to the team of the Chamber.

The event took place at the Meliá hotel and it was attended by more than 50 attendees.

31/01 New Year’s Cocktail in Luxembourg

On the 31st January, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg celebrated the New Year’s Cocktail in Luxembourg. The event counted mainly with the presence of numerous members, representatives of European institutions and contacts of other bilateral Chambers in the Grand Duchy.

José Luis Rodríguez Álvarez, Vicepresident of the Chamber, thanked the attendees for their participation and listed the upcoming events and activities scheduled for 2019. During his speech, he highlighted two new initiatives of the Chamber, the programs EmprendeBelux and Spain Means Innovation.

The event took place at the Meliá hotel and it was attended by more than 50 attendees.

The Chamber appreciates the collaboration of Bodega SalfersoWine in the organization of the event.

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New Year’s Cocktail in Brussels

On January 24th, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg celebrated the New Year’s cocktail in Brussels. The event was attended by the coach of the Belgian national football team, Roberto Martínez.

Until the KBC Sablon, place where the cocktail was held, more than 80 attendees participated in the cocktail which took place at the  KBC Sablon, among them members,  representatives of Spanish public bodies and civil servants from the European institutions.

The event started with the speech of the director of KBC Sablon, Pascal Bogaert, who welcomed the attendees. After him, the president of the Chamber, Juan Rodríguez-Villa Matons, expressed his good wishes for this year and address a word of thanks to the entire team of the Chamber. He also praised the good work of the guest of honor heading the Belgian team. Later he gave the floor to Roberto Martínez, who thanked all the attendees for their participation in the cocktail and wished them the best for 2019.

The event was held in a relaxed atmosphere where attendees had the opportunity to expand their network of contacts while enjoying a varied menu of Spanish snacks prepared by the Spanish catering company, Mediterranea.

The Chamber thanks the sponsorship of KBC Sablon, La Liga and Group S, as well as Bodegas Enate, Freixenet, Leonidas Chocolates and Moritz beers.

 

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With the sponsorship of:

                                                    

Food ans drink sponsors:

                                                                                            

 

New Year’s Cocktail 2018 Celebration in Luxembourg

Last January 24th, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg celebrated the New Year’s Cocktail in Luxembourg. Between the assistants, there were the Ambassador of Spain in Luxembourg and the President of Honor of the Chamber, Carlos María de Lojendio y Pardo Manuel de Villena. There were also many members of the Chamber, entrepreneurs, senior Spanish managers and representatives of European institutions and other local bodies.

Jose Luis Rodríguez Álvarez, Vice-president of the Chamber, thanked the participation to the assistants and remarked the evolution of the commercial relations between Spain and Luxembourg, promoted by the the Chamber of Commerce. Furthermore, the Ambassador of Spain in Luxembourg thanked the Chamber for its work, and expressed his best wishes on this duty in 2018.

During the cocktail, two flight tickets to Madrid or Barcelona were raffled, courtesy of the airline Luxair.

The event was celebrated in the Meliá Hotel and more than 60 people attended.

The Chamber wants to thank the sponsoring and colaboration of Bodegas Salferso Wine and Luxair in the organization.

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Gala Dinner & Awards Ceremony 2017

The Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg organized, last 27th November at the Hotel Le Plaza, their yearly Gala Dinner. The Embassy of Spain in Belgium, the Leading Brands of Spain Forum, Marca España and the Spanish Office for Patents and Brands (OEPM), collaborated specially on the event organization. During the dinner, the awards “Friends of Marca España” and “Friends of the Spanish Brands” were given. These awards aim to publicly acknowledge certain Belgian people, companies and institutions for their outstanding support and collaboration with Spain and/or Spanish brands within each of their respective professional spheres. This is the ninth edition of the awards and the first in Belgium, with previous ceremonies having taken place in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Moscow, London, Miami, Tokyo, Dubai, and Mexico.

After a welcome cocktail where the participants were delighted with cava offered by Freixenet, Institutional Wines D.O. Ca Rioja, Estrella Galicia beer, ibérico de bellota ham offered by the Regional Government of Extremadura and an appetizer elaborated by Marcos Morán, Gastronomic Director of the Restaurant Hispania Brussels, the Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony started.

First, Juan Rodríguez-Villa, President of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg took the stand. During his speech, he welcomed all the attendees to the Gala Dinner, went over all the activities that took place at the Chamber on 2017 and congratulated all the awardees of the night.

Afterwards, the masters of ceremonies, Sergi Ferré and Laura Martínez, Cultural and Political Counselors respectively, at the Spanish Embassy in Belgium, gave the word to José Luis Bonet, president of the Leading Brands of Spain Forum. During his speech, Bonet highlighted the important role of the Chambers of Commerce abroad, as well as the Friends of the Marca España and Friends of the Spanish Brands’, to make them stronger and more competitive internationally.

After the projection of a video-presentation about the Spanish Brands, the masters of ceremonies introduced the awards ceremony “Friends of the Spanish Brands in Belgium”. Several Spanish Brands, aim to recognize the hard work of Belgian citizens to internationalize and expand these brands in Belgium, through this award. The awardees were:

  • JEAN PIERRE PIRET as Friend of the Brand FERMAX in Belgium
  • LOUIS CULOT KEUKENWERKBLADEN as Friend of the Brand COSENTINO in Belgium.
  • ERIC LE PAIGE as Friend of the Brand ANDREU WORLD in Belgium.
  • JEAN-LUC MURI as Friend of the Brand LLADRÓ in Belgium.
  • KEEP IT QUIET as Friend of the Brand FREIXENET in Belgium.

After the awards ceremony, the attendees enjoyed a gourmet Spanish menu elaborated by Marcos Morán, who owns a Michelin Star and has been recognized with the National Gastronomy Award.

After the dinner, the Ambassador of Spain in Belgium, Cecilia Yuste Rojas, took the stand to congratulate the initiative of awarding the people who help to create closer ties between Spain and Belgium. Then, after the video presentation of Marca España, the masters of ceremonies presented the second awards ceremony “Friends of the Marca España” in Belgium. The awardees were:

  • Award to JAN DE CLERCK as Friend of the Marca España in Belgium, for being a pioneer of foreign tourism for the entire coast of Cádiz. He is currently Chairman of the hotel group Hoteles Andaluces Con Encanto (HACE) in the province of Cádiz.
  • Award to NICHETTE GHYOOT as Friend of the Marca España in Belgium. General Director of the tour operator Transeurope she collaborates with Spain’s Department of Tourism in the organization of activities with travel agencies, showcasing different destinations in Spain, such as Andalusia, Galicia, the Basque Country, and the Canary Islands.
  • Collective award to HISPANISTAS EN BÉLGICA as Friend of the Marca España in Belgium. The acknowledge of all Spanish language and literature professors from seven Belgian universities that have academic chairs dedicated to these subjects is recognized.
  • Award to ROLAND CRACCO as Friend of the Marca España in Belgium. CEO of the Belgian company INTERPARKING, one of the leading European groups with over 350,000 parking spaces. He loves Spain, its culture and its geography. Spain is one of the countries where INTERPARKING has invested the most, and the goal is to continue expanding throughout the country.
  • Award to CARMEN VAN DEN BOSSCHE as Friend of the Marca España in Belgium. She manages Caractère, a tour operator specializing in charming hotels and experiences that is looking to Spain for the launch of new products targeted at segments and destinations that play a part in achieving the objectives set by Spain’s tourism policy.
  • Award to OMMEGANG as Friend of the Marca España in Belgium.
  • Award to BERT DEHANDSCHUTTER as Friend of the Marca España in Belgium. He is a partner at Belgian law firm Racine. He is currently considered one of the most sought after lawyers for Spanish companies trading in Belgium.

After the awards ceremony, Bert Dehandschutter, in the name of all the awarded of the night, showed his appreciation for the awards given by Marca España and by the by the Spanish Brands for their relationship with Spain, both in the cultural and economic aspects.

Finally, Carlos Espinosa de los Monteros, High Commissioner for the Marca España closed the event by thanking  the Friends of the Marca España and Friends of the Spanish Brands their hard work for internationalize the Spanish Brands.

The Chamber thanks all the attendees their presence, and the Embassy of Spain in Belgium, the Leading Brands of Spain Forum, Marca España and the Spanish Office of Brands and Patents their collaboration in the organization of the event. Furthermore, we appreciate the collaboration of the sponsor companies and institutions: Freixenet, D.O.Ca Rioja, Estrella Galicia, Hispania Brussels, Quality Media Producciones, Junta de Extremadura, Indra and Santander Consumer Bank.   

   We invite you to watch the video of the event

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New Year’s Cocktail 2017 Celebration in Luxembourg

Last January 19th, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg celebrated the New Year’s Cocktail in Luxembourg. Between the assistants, there were the Ambassador of Spain in Luxembourg and the President of Honor of the Chamber, Carlos María de Lojendio y Pardo Manuel de Villena. There were also many members of the Chamber, entrepreneurs, senior Spanish managers and representatives of European institutions and other local bodies.

Juan Rodríguez-Villa, President of the Chamber, thanked the participation to the assistants and remarked the evolution of the activity of the Luxembourg delegation since its opening in 2013. Furthermore, the Ambassador of Spain in Luxembourg thanked the Chamber for its work in the development of commercial relations between Spain and the Great Duchy, and expressed his best wishes on this duty in 2017.

The event was celebrated in the Meliá Hotel and more than 60 people attended. The Chamber wants to thank the sponsoring and colaboration of Bodegas Salferso Wine and Luxair in the organization.

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Gala Dinner 2016 | December 1

The Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg hold on the 1st December its Annual Gala Dinner in the NH Collection Hotel Grand Sablon in Brussels, which the participation of the mayor of Brussels, Yvan Mayeur, as a guest of honor. Furthermore, it brought together senior executives from both Spanish and international firms, as well as members of the Spanish diplomatic corps and European institutions.

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The dinner, sponsored by AECOM company, started with the welcoming words of the president of the Chamber, Juan Rodríguez-Villa Matons, who thanked all the guests for joining the dinner and went through the bonds of union between Brussels, Belgium and Spain throughout history in his speech. Also, he highlighted the “excellent collaboration” that the Chamber and the public organizations from the city currently maintain.

After him, the Mayor of Brussels, Yvan Mayeur, underlined the trade links between Spain and Belgium and emphasized “the excellent economic and institutional relation” hold by both countries. “2.000.000 Belgian citizens visit Spain every year”, commented Mayeur as he recognized that this type of relations among EU member countries “make Europe stronger and more united in front of the separatist movements”.

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Mayeur also insisted on the existing international presence in Brussels: “this city is an example of the diversity in Europe”. For that reason, the Mayor stated that it is necessary, despite adversities, to “look positively to the future”.

For its part, and in the same direction, the business representative of the Spanish Embassy in Belgium, Jorge Notivoli, also spoke at the event encouraging the attendees to work together to collaborate in the development of the city, after the negative events in Brussels.

Regarding the Spanish situation, Notivoli commented that the country is economically recovering: “we will reach the levels prior to the beginning of the crisis soon”.

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After these speeches, the attendees enjoyed a Spanish haute cuisine dinner offered by the Gastronomic Director of the new restaurant Hispania Brussels, Marcos Morán, who holds a Michelin Star and three “Soles Repsol”, served with the Spanish wines of La Buena Vida. Afterwards, Moran and his team presented the Hispania Brussels project, the new Spanish gastronomic restaurant located in the emblematic Sablon neighborhood of Brussels.

The resident group in the Cervantes Institute of Brussels, The New Baroque Times, lived up the dinner with a musical performance. The event finished with a raffle of our associated companies’ products and services, for which we thank their collaboration.

We would like to thank all the attendees for joining us.

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New Year’s Cocktail

On 27 January 2016, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg celebrated its New Year’s Cocktail. The cocktail counted on the attendance of the Ambassador of Spain in Luxembourg, Carlos de Lojendio y Pardo Manuel de Villena and Eduardo Ruíz, Secretary General of the Court of Auditors. Furthermore, many members of the Chamber, corporate executives and representatives of European Institutions and other local Institutions, participated.

Juan Rodríguez-Villa, President of the Chamber, welcomed the guests and highlighted the activity of the Chamber in Luxembourg during 2015 and the effort made by the Board of Directors and the human team that is part of the Chamber. He also thanked the Spanish Ambassador in Luxembourg, Honorary Chairman of the Chamber, for his important collaboration with our institution.

Sergio de Miguel-Jessel, the Chamber’s Vice-President, expressed his satisfaction for the results obtained through the Employment Program developed by the Chamber since the beginning of 2014, which has allowed more than 300 young Spanish workers living in BeLux in their search for a job.

Finally, Carlos de Lojendio, Ambassador of Spain in Luxembourg, highlighted the increasing and usual activity of the Chamber in 2015 in the Grand Duchy, and showed his best wishes to maintain this increasing tendency in 2016.

The cocktail took place in the hotel Meliá, was attended by more than 60 guests and was sponsored by Vicente et Fils, member of the Chamber.

 

 

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New Year’s Cocktail 2015

Last 21st of January the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg celebrated in Luxembourg a New Year’s Cocktail where members, entrepeneurs and senior management and representatives of European Institutions and other local institutions were present. Furthermore, it counted with the presence of His Excellency Mr. Carlos de Lojendio and Pardo Manuel de Villena, Ambassador of Spain in Luxembourg.

Mr. Juan Rodriguez-Villa, President of the Chamber of Commerce, welcomed the assistants and highlighted the evolution of the delegation of the Chamber in the Grand Duchy since its opening in 2012 and its activity of last year. The President thanked the members of the Board of Directors of Luxembourg for their work and effort during this period.

After that, Sergio de Miguel-Jessel, Vice-President of the Chamber of Commerce, who showed the role of the Chamber last year in Luxembourg and invited the assistants to toast for 2015, predicted a positive growth of the activity and provision of services.

The event, that took place at the Meliá hotel of Luxembourg, counted with a relaxed atmosphere among the more than 60 assistants, who could enjoy an aperitif accompanied with Spanish wine. The cocktail ended with the draw of a flight to Madrid offered by the company Luxair.

 

 

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