Luncheon-debate with Florika Fink-Hoojier, Director General for Environment of the European Commission

On 10 June, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium Luxembourg held in Brussels a new luncheon-debate with the presence of Florika Fink-Hoojier, Director General for Environment of the European Commission. The event was entitled “Green transition: opportunities and challenges for European companies in an increasingly polarised world”.

A number of people attended the event, including company managers, delegates from the Autonomous Communities, representatives of Spanish and European organisations, consultants from different areas and various partners of the Chamber.

The conference was opened by the President of the Chamber, Pablo López-Álvarez, who took advantage of his speech to thank all those present for their attendance. He then highlighted the extensive career of the speaker Florika Fink-Hoojier, who has developed both in the private sector and in the European institutions, where she has held various positions of responsibility over the years.

López-Álvarez also took the opportunity to highlight how, in recent years, environmental policies have been becoming more important, to the point of becoming cross-cutting and key elements on which to build the EU’s future strategies.

Fink-Hoojier took the floor to begin his speech and to offer a brief review of the policies of her department in relation to the impulse that the institutions have given to the continent’s ecological transition. She pointed out that the packages of measures that have been used in recent months to respond to the Covid crisis are evidence of the commitment of the EU-27 to move towards the transformation of a new economic and social model that guarantees the sustainability of future generations.

Enviromental policies

The speaker highlighted how the recent crises have been a catalyst, so that, through the new financing mechanisms, more funds are allocated for the development of environmental policies that are now transversal to all the departments and measures promoted from Brussels.

Focusing on the role of industry and business in the continent’s green and digital transformation, which according to Fink-Hoojier must always go hand in hand, she highlighted how companies are increasingly aware of the great opportunity that the path towards climate neutrality and sustainability represents.

The ambitious plans of the Commission and the Member States, committed to a profound transformation in structural matters such as energy autonomy (REPowerEU) and the new European industrial policy, will involve the mobilisation of substantial funds. They are expected to be synonymous with the creation of thousands of jobs and a new green economy with a high degree of added value.

Fink-Hoojier also pointed out that her department, as well as the EU as a whole, sees the conservation of biodiversity as a key priority. Only in this way, we can prevent serious consequences that would have a major impact on our societies, such as future pandemics, as well as ensure key issues such as food security.

After the presentation, there was a round of questions where the participants could give their opinion and ask different questions about what was exposed, as well as creating an excellent environment for dialogue and debate.

From the Chamber we would like to show a special thanks to Bodegas “Encina Blanca de Albuquerque” whose wines “Blanco 12 Cepas” and “Tinto 9 Cepas” could be tasted by all the attendees, as well as to the participants, who made this event a very successful luncheon-debate.