Ordinary General Assembly 2025 held
On 26 June, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg held its Ordinary General Assembly at the Chamber’s headquarters (Avenue des Arts 1-2, 1210 Brussels). The event gathered a large number of members and was attended by the honorary vice-president of the Chamber, the Economic and Commercial Counsellor, María Ortiz.
The event began with a brief speech by the President, Pablo López-Álvarez, to welcome and thank all the members present and to explain the absence of an ambassador at the Assembly, given the transition period before the establishment of the new Ambassador Rodríguez-Coso. He then thanked the Chamber for all the work done throughout the year, highlighting its work during the recent office move, during which he affirms that there has been no detriment to the activity of the members.
Subsequently, and following the Agenda, the Secretary General reported on the activities carried out by the Chamber during the last financial year, which are included in the Chamber’s Annual Report for the year 2024. During the review, she highlighted the positive trend in the increase of members with four new benefactor members and seven sponsors.
Then, the report on the accounting situation of the Chamber as at 31 December 2024 was presented. The Vice-President for Belgium, Abelardo García, took the floor on behalf of the Treasurer and made a detailed analysis of the balance sheet and the profit and loss account for the financial year 2024. In general terms, he described the result of the financial year as ‘very satisfactory’, despite a 10% drop in the Chamber’s income, explained by the ‘complex’ election year 2024, which complicated the organisation of events. ‘The fact that we closed with a surplus of 200,000 euros is proof of a very resilient year, taking into account its complexity,’ explained the vice-president.
The General Assembly approved the annual accounts for the financial year 2024, by unanimous vote of those present and represented.
Renewal of Board Members
The Secretary General announced the names of the members who will complete their term of office, as well as the candidatures received, which, in accordance with the provisions of the statutes, are standing for re-election.
This year, due to the limited number of candidacies (7 candidacies for 7 seats), all candidates are elected to serve as members of the Chamber’s Board of Directors for the next 3 years by popular acclamation.
The new members of the Board of Directors, as well as those revalidating their seats, are:
- Joseba Arriortua, Partner in a personal capacity (Vice-President)
- Eva Chamizo, Iberdrola (Member)
- Susana Garayoa, Zabala Innovation (Member)
- Marie Manzah, Air Europa (Member)
- Ángel Rebollo, ARPA EU Affairs & Communication (Member)
- Javier Segura, Meliá Hotels International (Member)
- Laura Vilches, LaLiga (Member)
The President stressed, at the end of the Assembly, his thanks to the outgoing Ambassador Alberto Antón, as well as to Ambassador Rodríguez-Coso, outgoing in Luxembourg but incoming in Belgium. He also thanked the whole of the Chamber’s Board of Directors for their work, which ‘rows in the same direction’.
The Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg has approved its new proposal of statutes
The Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg has held this Tuesday, 13th December, an Extraordinary General Assembly.
The meeting had only one item on the agenda: the approval of the proposed new statutes, adapted to the new Spanish Royal Decree 1179/2020, which establishes the framework for the official recognition of the Spanish Chambers of Commerce abroad, as well as to the renewed Belgian Code of Companies and Associations.
After the introduction of the president of the Chamber, Pablo López, the secretary general, Marta González, summarised the general lines of the reform to adapt the statutes to the new legislation.
The members of the Chamber unanimously approved the proposal, although the decision is conditional upon the subsequent approval of the Secretary of State for Trade of the Spanish Government.
The Assembly was also attended by the Spanish Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium, Alberto Antón, who highlighted the work of the Chamber in strengthening trade relations between Spain, Belgium, and Luxembourg.
Prior to the event, a minute of silence was also held in honor of José Gracia Barba, “Pitu”, member of the Board of Directors of the Chamber who passed away recently.
At the end of the Assembly, the Chamber’s Christmas Cocktail took place, where the members could enjoy appetizers and drinks, as well as the opportunity for networking.
Ordinary General Assembly 2022
On 20 June, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg held its Ordinary General Assembly 2022 at the Cervantes Institute in Brussels. The day resumed the attendance lost during the last assemblies due to Covid-19 and gathered a large number of members and different personalities among which the Ambassador of Spain in Belgium, H.E. Ms. Beatriz Larrotcha Palma, stood out.
The event was opened by the President Pablo López-Álvarez who wanted to thank all the members present and, in particular, the Honorary President, the already appointed Ambassador of Spain in Belgium, for their attendance. López-Álvarez also wanted to show once again his gratitude to everyone for the trust they placed in him more than a year ago when they appointed him President of the Chamber.
Positive trend
Following the Agenda, the Secretary General of the Chamber, Marta González Benguria reviewed the main activities and events organised by the Chamber in the past financial year 2021. She highlighted the positive trend that the organisation has been following in recent years in relation to the increase in the number of members and, consequently, in the number of dues. He also highlighted the increasingly relevant presence of the Chamber as a platform for debate and dialogue with EU institutions, as well as the diversification of its activities and participation in various European projects.
In the absence of the Treasurer and having previously sent the necessary documentation to the members, the Secretary General made a brief review of the accounting situation of the Chamber, having obtained a profit of almost 60,000 euros in the financial year 2021 and a total asset of 1,281,476 euros. Both the Secretary General and the Vice-president, Abelardo García, affirmed the good financial health of the entity and highlighted the high diversification of the income derived from its different commercial activities. This diversification was exposed as a great value that ensures the economic viability of the entity, making it less dependent on the difficulties that may arise from situations such as Covid.
Annual Accounts
The annual accounts and the disclaimer of the Board of Directors were approved by the assembly, and the next item on the agenda was the revision of membership fees and the reform of the Articles of Association.
After explaining that the Chamber’s membership fees have been frozen since 2016, the President pointed out that the accumulated inflation of this period has amounted to 13%, so that after deliberation the Board of Directors, as the governing body, proposed a 20% increase in membership fees for all members, exempting members in the “entrepreneurs” category.
The increase in fees, which was unanimously approved, will come into effect on 1 July for both renewals and new registrations. Automatic indexation for subsequent years was also ruled out, so that future assessments will be based on the economic situation and the state of inflation.
Regarding the reform of the statutes, the members were informed that a draft of the statutes had been consolidated and that work is underway on an explanatory report on the statutes. Once these two documents have been completed, the Economic and Commercial Department will be responsible for submitting them to the State Attorney General’s Office, which will be responsible for their revision, after which the statutes will again be submitted to the Board of Directors and subsequently presented to the members at the Extraordinary General Assembly for final approval.
Elections
The Secretary General announced the names of the members who will complete their term of office, as well as the candidatures received, which, in accordance with the provisions of the statutes, are standing for re-election.
This year, due to the limited number of nominations (6 nominations for 6 seats), all candidates were elected to serve as members of the Chamber’s Board of Directors for the next 3 years by popular acclamation.
The new members of the Board of Directors, as well as those revalidating their posts, are:
– Joseba Arriortua, Individual Member (Member)
– Eva Chamizo, Iberdrola (Member)
– Susana Garayoa, Zabala Innovation (Member)
– Andrea Oriol, LaLiga (Member)
– Angel Rebollo, Arpa EU Affairs & Communications (Member)
– Miguel Troncoso, Gómez-Acebo & Pombo (Member)
Departure from the Board of Directors:
– Juan Rodriguez-Villa Matons, Aspro Parks Group (Past President and Member)
– Manuel Mostaza, Atrevia (Member)
The President took the opportunity to thank the members who are leaving the Board of Directors for their intense work and dedication during these years, highlighting the important value and legacy that Past President Juan Rodriguez-Villa Matons leaves in the Chamber and his always unbeatable disposition for advice and accompaniment.
Ambassador
Ms. Beatriz Larrotcha Palma, Ambassador of Spain in Belgium, took the floor and expressed her gratitude to all the Spanish companies for representing a solid and fundamental business fabric for the Spanish economy. She highlighted the good work of the Chamber and its position as the most active of the national chambers, as well as its recognised prestige as a centre for debate and dialogue with the European institutions. He urged the highest representatives of the organisation to continue in the current line of work and stressed the importance of finalising the new statutes that guarantee a solid legal framework with regard to the administrations and members.
At the end of the Assembly, the President thanked the Spanish Ambassador, who will soon be leaving her diplomatic mission in Belgium. Rafael Chamorro Martín, the representative of the Spanish Tourist Office, was also bid farewell, highlighting the good relations that had been enjoyed during the years of his mandate.
Finally, the President of the Chamber thanked the Secretary General and her team for the work they have been doing. He highlighted the work of the interns who have been part of the team during these months, wishing them good luck in their professional future and highlighting their good work, training and knowledge acquired in the entity.
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.
With the support and recognition of