What is the role that embassies and consulates can (or should) play, as the public service overseas outposts of a country, to help the real actors of economic diplomacy, the home enterprises and businessmen. In particular, is there a special role that they might play when they represent developing countries, to the extent that this is different from the role played by the diplomatic and commercial missions of rich states?

Commercial Diplomacy is diplomacy with a commercial twist – diplomacy designed to influence foreign government policy and regulatory decisions that affect global trade and investment. In the past Commercial Diplomacy concerned itself largely with negotiations over tariffs and quotas on imports.

Brussels has an established reputation as the ‘Capital of Europe’, due to the presence of the main European institutions and other international organisations. Their proximity provides enormous added value; not only for Brussels but also for the rest of the country. The significance of this presence is insufficiently valued by policymakers in Belgium and it is often considered the equivalent of ‘a free lunch'.

The EU as fuel for the Brussels and Belgian economy

1. The EU presence in Brussels

The U.S. debt is nearly $16 trillion.  According to the U.S. Congressional Budget Office (CBO), U.S. debt as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) is now 73%, twice as much as it was at the end of 2007.

The European public is increasingly at a loss when it comes to understand decisions taken by the European Union. There is a need to rebalance forces in Brussels.  Brussels is not Europe, and the people who work here have no monopoly on European vision.

President Barroso urges MEPs to fast-track proposals on the banking union, financial regulation and completing the single market, as well as on the telecoms proposal adopted by the Commission. Ongoing negotiations on all the programmes implementing the 2014-20 budget, including agriculture and fisheries policy, must be concluded by the end of the year.

02 October 2013

Created in 2006 by HRH Prince Laurent of Belgium the Global Renewable Energy and Conservation Trust (GRECT) of which HRH Prince Laurent is Administrator and President of the Board of Directors is located at the European Renewable Energy House. The European Renewable Energy House is a showcase of the latest technology regarding energy efficiency. In April 2007 HRH Prince Laurent received  the « National Global Energy Award » for the creation and promotion of this private foundation.

In 2000, several European renewable energy associations decided to share a common office in order to encourage synergies, and thus the Renewable Energy House concept was born. The number of staff in the house grew rapidly, which led to the original premises rapidly becoming too small, a sustainable energy showcase was set up, Rue d'Arlon 63-65, in the heart of Europe's capital.

This overview is more a ‘guesstimate’meaning that it was made without using adequate or complete information. It is based on registered entities at EU level in the Transparency Register as well as information collected through Internet and experience of the Brussels scene. Nevertheless it provides some elements to measure the size of the European interest representation sector.

1. Transparency Register :