Extraordinary General Assembly 2023 held in Luxembourg

Ordinary General Assembly 2023

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.

 

 

 

 

General Assembly Meeting 2021

Last Thursday, June 24th, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg held its Ordinary General Assembly. Due to the current sanitary restrictions caused by the COVID-19, the Assembly was held for the first time in a hybrid format.+

After the agenda was read out, the President of the Chamber, Juan Rodríguez-Villa Matons, took the floor. He first thanked the members present for their attendance and then announced his decision to resign as President. After an emotional speech, recalling the milestones of his work at the Chamber for 16 years, the President thanked all the people who took part in the resounding success of the institution. He highlighted the work of the Vice-President Pablo López, since his appointment in 2010, whom he acknowledged to have served as President “de facto”, during the long period of crisis in which we are still in. He also celebrated the positioning the Chamber as a point of reference for Spanish companies abroad, especially in terms of European agenda and visibility before the European institutions. Until the election of a new President by the Board of Directors, Vice-Chairman Pablo López Alvarez will act as Acting President.

Then, the Secretary General, Marta González Benguria, reviewed the main activities and events organised by the Chamber in the past year 2020. The Secretary General highlighted the positive trend in the increase in the number of members in the last year, with a growth of more than 8% compared to the previous year. This trend is positive not only in quantitative terms, as the Chamber has 6 new sponsoring members, from 34 to 40, an increase of almost 18%.

She also underlined the organisation of online events as one of the tools to continue with the traditional activities of the Chamber in a context of pandemic. Thus, the Chamber organised 53 events throughout 2020, mainly online, in close cooperation with its members. Of particular note were the online events developed in the framework of the “Business Circle” Platform which was able to attract important figures from the European institutions. The novelty of this 2020 were the working committees: the launch of “Competencia España”, focused on competition law and policy, and the “Spanish Financial Forum”, whose objective is to share experiences and generate business opportunities for Spanish companies in the financial sector.

Then, the Secretary General highlighted the role of the Chamber in the management of several European projects, two of which, for the first time, the Chamber has a coordinator role. In addition, the commercial area also remained active despite the paralysing effects of the pandemic on the economy, with 255 commercial consultations, and 9 direct trade missions.

Finally, she detailed the main items corresponding to the Balance Sheet for the financial year 2020, which was subsequently approved by all those present and represented. For the first time, the balance sheet exceeded one million euros and the profit was 125,177 euros.

The President then proposed the candidate members for presentation to the General Assembly and the General Assembly elected, for the first time with a telematic voting system, the following 8 members as vocals, representing their respective companies for a period of 3 years:

– Antonio Corpas (OneLife)
– Bert Dehandschutter (Racine; Degor)
– Sergio De Miguel-Jessel (Partner in his personal capacity)
– Abelardo García González (BBVA)
– José Gracia Barba (Meteora)
– Sophie Leconte (everis)
– Asier Marquina Sánchez (ArcelorMittal)
– Manuel Menéndez Barrero (Santander Consumer Bank)

After the vote, Vice-President Pablo López Álvarez intervened as Acting President to pay tribute to the outgoing President, Juan Rodríguez-Villa, whom he described as “the best President the Chamber could have had”. After acknowledging his admirable career and the important legacy he leaves behind, he proposed his appointment as “Past President”, for the remaining year of his mandate as Board Member. This appointment was unanimously approved by the members present at the General Assembly, who gave the President a heartfelt round of applause. The Vice President undertook to convene a Board of Directors meeting shortly to elect a new President and announced his candidacy.

 

María Palanca Reh, Economic and Commercial Counsellor of the Spanish Embassy in Belgium and Luxembourg, then took the floor to recognise the excellent performance of the Chamber, especially in a pandemic situation. She thanked the Secretary General, her team and all the members involved in the Chamber’s activities. After reiterating the official nature of the Chamber from the Spanish public administration, she concluded by thanking the outgoing President for his dedication. Finally, tribute was paid to the former Secretary Generals, María Catalán and Miguel Ángel Arrimadas, who spoke briefly to convey their thanks to the Chamber and to the outgoing President. Additionally, the President of the Chamber thanked all the young trainees for their vitality and commitment to the Chamber.

 

On July 2nd, a telematic meeting of the Board of Directors will be held to vote and appoint the next President of the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg.

 

 

General Assembly Meeting 2020

On June 24th, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg hosted its General Assembly Meeting. Due to the spread of COVID-19 in Belgium and in order to follow the social distancing measures, the Assembly had to be celebrated in an online format.

 The Ambassador of Spain in Belgium, H.E. Ms. Beatriz Larrotcha Palma, and the Ambassador of Spain in Luxembourg, H.E. Mr. D. Bernardo de Sicart Escoda, both presidents of Honor of the Chamber, were present during the Assembly. The Economic and Commercial Counselor of the Embassy, Ms. María Palanca Reh, also attended the meeting as vicepresident of Honor of the Chamber.

 The President of the Chamber, D. Juan Rodríguez-Villa Matons, took the floor firstly to thank the present members its attendance and he apologized for any eventual technical problem because of the format that may have. He also wanted to wish to all the members and its families the best against this pandemic. The President also mentioned the main news regarding the staff with the appointment of Marta Gonzalez Benguria as Secretary General after María Catalan left the post and the enrollment of Javier Rincón Cruz as Business Development Manager. The President wanted to thank María Catalan for its outstanding dedication to the Chamber for many years. The recognition was also extended to Miguel Ángel Arrimadas that leaves the Treasurer post. After this he gave the floor to the Secretary General of the Chamber.  

Marta Gonzalez Benguria explained the agenda of the Assembly and afterwards summarized the main activities and events organized by the Chamber during 2019. She also made a brief resume of the current situation that the Chamber is facing due to the impact by the COVID-19 and the lockdown measures taken. The Secretary General highlighted the rising tendency in the number of members in the last years that has been consolidated in 2019. The diversification in the Chamber’s activities during the last year was also highlighted with a special mention to the new services available for members in Luxembourg. At the end of its speech the Secretary General presented the beginning of the management of PICE international mobility program from the Spanish Chamber and supported by the European Social Fund.

Based on the statutes and as a recognition for all the years of dedication, the Secretary General and the President proposed to the Assembly to validate María Catalan and Miguel Ángel Arrimadas as Honor members, being validated by the Assembly by acclamation.  

 Due to the absence of the Treasurer in the Assembly and as the documents were sent to the members the income and expense accounts, the income statement and the balance sheet for the 2019 financial year were set as presented and approved by acclamation.

After this the President proposed the candidates to the General Assembly. Given that the number of vacancies in the Board of Directors was equal to the number of candidates and as no one expressed against, the Assembly approved the following (4) candidates as members of the Board of Directors for a 3-year period:

  • Juan Alfonso Herrero (Mercadona)
  • Pablo López Álvarez (FTI Consulting, Hispania y Alvarez & Associates)
  • Carlos Rodríguez Cocina (Telefónica)
  • David Luengo (Indra)

 Additionally, the appointment of Abelardo García González (BBVA) was ratified by the Assembly.

The Ambassador of Spain in Luxembourg, H.E. Mr. D. Bernardo de Sicart Escoda took the floor for itself and in the name of H.E. Ms. Beatriz Larrotcha Palma, Ambassador of Spain in Belgium, to thank Miguel Ángel Arrimadas and María Catalán for its work over the last years.

The President of the Chamber thanked the Secretary General and its team for its work as well as to the young stagiaires for their vitality and commitment with the Chamber. Last but not least, he wished to best of luck to all the presents in this difficult time due to the current health crisis.

Juan Rodríguez-Villa Matons and Pablo López Álvarez, reelected respectively President and Vice President of the Chamber

The Board of Directors of the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg, in their meeting organized on September 26th in Brussels, reelected unanimously Juan Rodríguez-Villa Matons and Pablo López Álvarez as President and Vice President of the entity, respectively, for a period of three years.

The President thanked the trust of the Board and considered that the achievements of the Chamber are the result of the teamwork between this organization and the Secretary General. The renovation of the President and Vice President, he added, responds to the wish of continuating with the work carried out during the last years that has led to an important growth of the Chamber, both in terms of activities and services and member companies (currently 242).

The Vice President, during his intervention, reiterated his commitment to, together with the President and the Board of Directors, keep boosting the Chamber as a key platform in BeLux for Spanish companies and in the dialogue with European institutions.

During the meeting, it was also presented the report of activities of the Chamber during the last months and the program for upcoming events.

 

General Assembly Meeting 2019

Last 27th of June, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg celebrated its General Assembly Meeting for the year 2018. The meeting took place at the Hotel NH Collection Brussels Grand Sablon and was attended by more than forty representatives of associated companies.

The Ambassador of Spain in Belgium, Ms. Beatriz Larrotcha Palma, and the Ambassador of Spain in Luxembourg, Mr. D. Bernardo de Sicart Escoda, both presidents of Honor of the Chamber, presided over the Assembly. The Economic and Commercial Counselor of the Embassy, Ms. María Palanca Reh, also attended the meeting.

At the beginning of the Assembly, the President of the Chamber, Mr. Juan Rodríguez-Villa Matons, thanked the members for their assistance and highlighted the importance of the support that the Chamber receives from the Spanish public administrations, and in particular from the Embassies of Spain in Belgium and Luxembourg. After this introduction, the word was given to the Secretary General of the Chamber.

Ms. María Catalán set the agenda of the Assembly and afterwards summarized the main activities and events organized by the Chamber during 2018. She also presented the programs managed by the Chamber such as the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs, ReActivate, EmprendeBelux and EmpleoBelux.

Then she presented the figures corresponding to the income and expense accounts, the income statement and the balance sheet for the 2018 financial year. After the approval of the annual accounts for the year 2018 and the Board of Directors’ management, the last point on the agenda, corresponding to the vote to fill the vacancies in the Board of Directors.

After a brief presentation of the ten candidates, the participants proceed to the vote, and the following members of the Chamber were elected to the Board of Directors  for a period of three years:

  • Iberdrola, represented by Eva Chamizo, director of the Brussels office
  • Gómez-Acebo & Pombo, represented by Miguel Troncoso, lawyer / partner
  • Joseba Arriortua, Personal partner
  • LaLiga, represented by Andrea Oriol, delegate BENELUX
  • Conle Finance, represented by Juan Rodríguez-Villa, delegate administrator
  • Atrevia, represented by Ángel Rebollo, director of the Brussels office

The Ambassador of Spain in Belgium expressed her gratitude to all the Spanish companies for representing a solid and fundamental business network for the Spanish economy. She also stressed that the heads of mission should support companies to overcome difficulties and expressed interest in keeping permanent contact with companies and support them in their activities developed in BeLux.

Lastly, the President of the Chamber thanked the Secretary General and her team for the work they have been doing. To close the Assembly, the attendees could enjoy a cocktail.

The Ordinary General Assembly 2019 documentation will be available to members through the Intranet of the Chamber.

Meeting of the Board of Directors

On April 16, a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Chamber took place in Brussels.

During the meeting, the appointment of Sophie Leconte as member of the Board of Directors on behalf Everis Belgium was confirmed, replacing Óscar Abril.

Hereafter, the President informed about the recent meetings of the Official Spanish Chambers of Commerce Abroad held in Madrid, and the change on FEDECOM´s presidency.

To conclude, the Secretary General presented the upcoming activities of the Chamber program, highlighting the Spain Means Innovation program and the events organized in the framework of the “Business Circle” Tribune.