Benelux Business Roundtable
On September 16th, the Benelux Business Roundtable (BBR) was received by the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Benelux Union, Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Didier Reynders at the Egmont Palace in Brussels, to present the first two Papers produced by the BBR:
- Towards integrated energy markets in Europe: Streamlining Benelux priorities
- Cross border Labor Mobility within the Benelux
The Benelux Business Roundtable (“BBR”) was constituted on July 1st 2015 as a non-profit organization under Belgian law. It brings together a group of business leaders from the Benelux countries, representing companies with significant interests in terms of contribution to GDP, employment and assets.
Its objective is:
- to improve the competitiveness of companies within the Benelux Region through harmonization of rules and regulations and the use of economies of scale
- to act in favor of a strong political coordination of the three Benelux countries in these areas
- to promote the Benelux as a competitive economic region within the EU.
It will do so by identifying areas and actions where closer collaboration between the Benelux countries is required in areas such as: energy (supply), infrastructural projects, logistics, single market, labor mobility, R&D/innovation, education and training, environment, fiscal and financial reform and promote recommendations to political leaders at national and EU level.
The BBR is founded by 12 members from the three countries and the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce is the sole member from the Grand Duchy representing the interests of Luxembourg businesses. The board of the BBR is composed of Eric ter Hark (chairman), Wouter de Geest and Michel Wurth.
The BBR will seek regular meetings with the Committee of Ministers of the Benelux, the Secretary General of the Benelux Union and other stakeholders.