Flemish and Netherlands PM's Unite On Mission to Texas - “a natural alliance” says Flanders Peeters

Dutch PM Rutte in Texas

Flanders and the Netherlands have a common interest in promoting themselves together as an economic cluster which is far more important than any competition between them, according to a joint statement issued by Flanders’ minister-president Kris Peeters and Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte. The two this week embarked on a three-day economic mission to Texas, accompanied by Flemish mobility minister Hilde Crevits and Dutch infrastructure minister Melanie Schultz van Haegen.

Peeters described the mission, in which the two are joined by more than 90 business representatives, as a “historic” moment. “This is the first time there has been a joint mission in the long history that Flanders and the Netherlands share,” he said. “Flanders and the Netherlands have a lot to offer. We have open economies propelled by our ports; we share the same language, culture and history. That natural alliance is what we will be using this joint mission to further develop.”

Rutte pointed to the size of the joint delegation. “It’s good to see so many people who are going to be making a lot of money in the next few days,” he joked. Flanders and the Netherlands together were small but powerful, he said. Texas on its own would be the 14th-largest economy in the world, he said – roughly the same as Flanders and the Netherlands combined.

Read more: Peeters and Rutte praise “natural alliance” | Flanders Today

Belgium - alternative energy: Germany's E.ON plans to build huge biomass power plant in Antwerp

A huge biomass power plant will be built in Antwerp, Belgium in 2018. The project will be a joint-venture between the German energy concern E.ON and the Port of Antwerp.

With an investment of EUR 400 to 700 million, the plant will become one of the Port’s major projects, supplying green energy for 340.000 to 800.000 households. The Flanders-based international chemical group Solvay is also a shareholder in the ‘Antwerp Biopower’ project. The power station will be built on what is known as the Solvay site.

The Port of Antwerp sees the biomass plant as a way to make its operations more economically sustainable and further expand its international exposure. The project is also expected to generate more traffic for the port, as most of the fuels for the biomass plant – wood pellets, wood chips and other biomass – will have to be shipped in from abroad.


The new E.ON plant will not be the only innovative power station in Flanders. Electrabel’s Max Green in the Port of Ghent – rated at 180 megawatts – is currently the country’s biggest biomass plant. E.ON also has plans to transform an obsolete coal mine near Genk into a power plant.

EU-Digest

Belgium: Aluminium Company Aleris praises Flanders’ business climate

Following the opening of a new production unit worth EUR 53 million at its existing site in Duffel (Flanders), US-based aluminium giant Aleris praised the ‘extremely business-friendly environment’ in the region. 

To meet the growing demand for aluminum in cars, Aleris has installed a brand-new cold rolling mill at its site in Duffel, Flanders. CEO Steve Demetriou, who was present for the inauguration, was enthusiastic about the business climate in the region: “It was a pretty easy choice. 

Not only is Flanders located in the heart of the European automotive industry, it is also a very entrepreneurial region that promotes inward investment and offers talented and highly-skilled employees.” Andy Ishmael, Managing Director of the site in Duffel, concurs: “We have an excellent relationship with the Government of Flanders, and immediate access to fantastic engineers and employees.”
 
And what about the labor costs? “They are rather high”, said Roeland Baan, CEO of Global Rolled and Extruded Products at Aleris. “But we can perfectly counter that by focusing on highly innovative technologies that are difficult to copy.”

EU-Digest

A European Union of More Nations? - by Steven Erlanger

Catalonia may be the catalyst for a renewed wave of separatism in the European Union, with Scotland and Flanders not far behind. The great paradox of the European Union, which is built on the concept of shared sovereignty, is that it lowers the stakes for regions to push for independence.

While a post-national European Union may be emerging out of the euro zone crisis, with a drive for more fiscal union and more centralized control over national budgets and banks, the crisis has accelerated calls for independence from member countries’ richer regions, angry at having to finance poorer neighbors. 

Artur Mas, the Catalan president, recently shook Spain and the markets with a call for early regional elections and promised a referendum on independence from Spain, although Madrid considers it illegal. Scotland is planning an independence referendum for the autumn of 2014. The Flemish in Flanders have achieved nearly total autonomy, both administrative and linguistic, but still resent what they consider to be the holdover hegemony of the French-speakers of Wallonia and the Brussels elite, emotions that will be on display in provincial and communal elections Oct. 14. 

There are countless things that hold unhappy countries, like marriages, together — shared history, shared wars, shared children, shared enemies. But the economic crisis in the European Union is also highlighting old grievances.

Read more: A European Union of More Nations? - NYTimes.com

Separatism is in the air as EU leaders prepare to meet in Brussels- by Stephanie Gruner Buckley

It should be an interesting meeting in Brussels this week. While EU leaders discuss how to keep their fragile union together at their annual summit on Thursday and Friday, calls to break free are growing from nationalist movements across Europe.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron is finalizing a deal with Scottish leader Alex Salmond to let the Scots vote in 2014 on whether they want to stay part of the UK. In Spain, separatist fever is heating up in Catalonia, where in September hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets to demand independence. Tens of thousands more chanted for independence at a football match between Madrid and Barcelona a week ago. The movement is expected to gain in fervor in November as Catalans go to the polls in regional parliamentary elections that could strengthen the ruling party’s nationalist position.

Independence is also in the air in Belgium, where EU leaders will meet. Flemish nationalists, who are calling for greater autonomy in the Flanders region, saw big gains in Belgian municipal elections this weekend, with leader of the Flemish Nationalist Party (FNP) Bart De Wever winning the mayoral election in Antwerp. The FNP now appears to be the biggest political party in Flanders.

Even the Venetians want a referendum on independence, which would result in a Republica Veneta of about 5 million people. Several thousand protested this month in gondolas.

Note EU-Digest:  concluding the above report Stephanie Gruner Buckley asks the question ; " given that their perception is that Europe’s prolonged economic crisis—and a lack of progress by European leaders—proves one thing: they would be better off managing finances themselves. Can you blame them?" - the answer to this question is : "yes absolutely !  If anyone of those separatist "nations" believe they have it difficult now, wait till they have to stand on their own against the likes of US, China, India, Brazil and what could be an even stronger EU, specially after they got rid of these pesky nationalistic, myopic, separatist "dropouts". 
Read more: Separatism is in the air as EU leaders prepare to meet in Brussels - Quartz

Flanders Investment and Trade: Belgium world’s most globalized country

For the complete report from the Flanders Investment & Trade publication click on this link

Belgium world’s most globalized country

According to the KOF Index 2009, Belgium is the world’s most globalized country. Belgium ended up with a score of 91.02 and shares its top place with Ireland, ahead of the Netherlands and Switzerland.

The KOF Index of Globalization is calculated by the Swiss federal technical institute EPFZ. The index measures the economic, social and political dimensions of globalization. It can be used to compare the changing extent of globalization across a large number of countries and over more than 30 years.

Wienerberger to invest EUR 55 million in Flanders

For the complete report from the Flanders Investment & Trade click on this link

Wienerberger to invest EUR 55 million in Flanders

The German global leader in building brick-making, Wienerberger, turned over EUR 300 million last year in Belgium, 12 pct of the group’s global turnover. It is now further expanding its production facility in the Flemish town of Rumst. With a staff of 1,500 spread over 18 production sites, Wienerberger already has a strong presence in Belgium. And the company continues to invest in Flanders. It is now plowing EUR 40 million in the refurbishing and expansion of its building brick production facility in the town of Rumst. An additional 15 million will be spent on environmental investments.

Worldwide, Wienerberger realized a net profit of EUR 296 million in 2007. It’s global turnover increased by 11 per cent to EUR 2.48 billion.

Flanders Investment and Trade: Toyota opens expanded European parts centre in Dienst, Belgium

For the complete report from the Flanders Investment and Trade click on this link

Toyota opens expanded European parts centre in Dienst, Belgium

Toyota has invested EUR 20 million in its European parts centre to expand the facility by ca. 30 000 square meters. It now covers 100 000 square meters, almost the same size as its Japan-based counterpart. A lot of effort has gone into turning the expanded facility into an eco-efficient operation. Toyota Motor Europe’s president and CEO Mr. Tadashi Arashima said at the opening: “The expansion of our European parts centre means that we can continue to satisfy the growing number of Europeans driving Toyota vehicles by ensuring on-time availability of service parts and accessories.” Up till now, Toyota has invested over EUR 400 million in Flanders.