On the 16th of April, ahead of the publication of the Letta Report on the Future of the Single Market, Comeos, in partnership with Forum Europe, will convene industry and policymakers to analyse a new major study looking at the Belgian business-specific Single Market experience.
This study, and discussions at the conference, will examine the blockers that Belgian companies encounter when trading across borders and the solutions that can alleviate them.
The Single Market, 31 years after its start, has the untapped potential to boost economic growth, innovation, and competitiveness across the EU, and understanding these obstacles through the lens of national experiences will be a key contribution to the ongoing Single Market discussions.
The full agenda will be released shortly, check back soon for updates.
This session will focus on the lived experience of navigating the Single Market and will offer real business cases, highlighting the practical challenges and barriers faced by companies in Belgium when trading across borders. An interactive discussion will explore these cases in-depth, offering a rare glimpse into the on-the-ground realities that shape business decisions and operations.
This session will focus on the policy implications of the Implement report and the experiences of Belgian businesses discussed during the first session. It will also discuss strategic approaches to reforming the Single Market’s regulatory environment and the interplay between policy frameworks and commercial market operations.
This session will focus on the lived experience of navigating the Single Market and will offer real business cases, highlighting the practical challenges and barriers faced by companies in Belgium when trading across borders. An interactive discussion will explore these cases in-depth, offering a rare glimpse into the on-the-ground realities that shape business decisions and operations.
This session will focus on the policy implications of the Implement report and the experiences of Belgian businesses discussed during the first session. It will also discuss strategic approaches to reforming the Single Market’s regulatory environment and the interplay between policy frameworks and commercial market operations.
Sophie was born in Ixelles on 15 January 1975. Sophie spent her childhood in Grez-Doiceau (Wallonia) and my adolescence and student days in Brussels, before settling down in Sint-Genesius-Rode.
Following her degree in Applied Communication – Advertising at the Institute for Higher Social Communication Studies (IHECS), she became a financial officer at the European Commission and obtained a further degree, this time in Financial Management, through night classes at the Institut Supérieur de Commerce Saint-Louis. Sophie then joined a law firm as a financial and economic advisor.
After being elected an alderwoman on Sint-Genesius-Rhode Municipal Council for the first time, Sophie decided to focus completely on my work for the municipality. Pursuing my political activities, she was subsequently elected to the Flemish Brabant Provincial Council and then to the Chamber of Representatives (the lower house of the Belgian Federal Parliament) and the chair of the French-speaking liberal Reformist Movement party (MR) in the municipalities surrounding Brussels.
Sophie joined the Federal Government on 21 September 2015, holding the role of Minister of the Budget and Civil Service, in charge of the National Lottery and Science Policy.
Sophie was the Prime Minister of Belgium from October 2019 to October 2020.
On 1 October 2020 Sophie was sworn in as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Foreign Trade, and Federal Cultural Institutions.
In July 2022 she became once again deputy mayor of Rhode-Saint-Genèse and in September she became a Member of Parliament.
Sophie’s political and career choices have always been inspired by a desire to work for the benefit of the community. Day in, day out, she dynamically, diligently and transparently endeavours to improve everyone’s day-to-day lives. Sophie’s political actions are guided by the liberal values that have always been upheld by MR.
Beyond her keen interest in financial and economic matters, Sophie continues to pay close attention to societal issues in the broadest sense: family life, the work-life balance, gender equality, education, sport, and assistance and support for those in ill health and older people.
Alongside her commitment to the unity of her country and to its various communities, she is a passionate advocate of a free society in which everyone’s rights are respected. As someone whose husband is Australian and whose children are being educated in Dutch, she very much cherishes linguistic and cultural diversity as one of Belgium’s great assets.
More generally, Sophie is committed to playing an active role in building a civic, responsible and sustainable society where everyone feels safe and can freely realise their full potential.
Achieving this goal is no quick fix. However, Sophie firmly believes that expanding the number of both public and private initiatives to this end will ultimately make the difference, ensuring that Belgium can hold its head high as a country with a robust economy and an ever improving quality of life for all.
Sophie Wilmès
Head of European list MR, Member of Federal Parliament and Former Prime Minister
A speaker biography will appear here soon.
Wouter Beke
Head of European list CD&V and Member of Federal Parliament
Pieter Timmermans trained as a Commercial Engineer (1986, KU Leuven), specialising in Finance. He obtained a Master of Public Administration at the Economics Hogeschool St.-Aloysius Ehsal (actually Odisee-Campus Brussels) in 1993. In 2011, he was the only Belgian to complete the Stanford Executive Program (SEP) run by the Graduate School of Business at the prestigious Stanford University in the United States.
He joined FEB as Director General in 1998 and was appointed Chief Executive Officer on 19 July 2012. In that role, he is responsible for giving substance and direction to the socio-economic dialogue on behalf of FEB, in dealings with the government, as part of the Group of 10 (top social-partner negotiators) and in contacts with academia and civil servants.
Pieter Timmermans is Regent at the National Bank of Belgium (NBB) and in July 2016 was appointed Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Economics and Business at KU Leuven. He also represents Belgian employers at a European level as a member of the Executive Committee of the European employers’ federation BusinessEurope.
In 2018, His Majesty King Philippe conferred on him the title of Baron.
In addition to various publications in scientific journals and presentations at colloquia, study days and conferences, he is also (co-)author of the following books:
Pieter Timmermans
CEO, Federation of Enterprises in Belgium
Eva is a partner in Implement Consulting Group. She is an expert in international economics with international trade, global value chains and cross-border investments as core areas of expertise. Eva helps firms optimise value chains and location choice in light of increasing protectionism and global uncertainty.
Eva Rytter Sunesen
Partner, Implement Consulting Group
Eva is Country Manager Amazon.com.be and Senior Manager. She joined Amazon in 2015 in the Amazon London office as the Retail Operations lead for Books. In 2017, Eva led the launch of delivery experience and Prime for amazon.com.tr and amazon.nl. Since 2020, she has focused on reducing barriers for crossborder shopping for Belgian and Luxembourg customers. Now Eva manages Amazon.com.be and Amazon.fr Consumer focusing on improving selection, pricing and convenience on behalf of customers in Belgium. Eva holds a Master’s Degree in Applied Economics, majoring in Taxation Law – from the University of Leuven (KUL, Brussels Campus). In her personal life, Eva enjoys
experiencing live concerts, food and wine around the world and spending time with her daughter, family and friends.
Eva Faict
Belgium Country Manager, Amazon
Johan Van Overtveldt (°1955) holds a Ph.D. in Applied Economics from the University of Antwerp as well as an MBA from the University of Leuven.
Johan Van Overtveldt started his career as a journalist for Trends, Belgium’s leading business magazine in 1978. In 1982 he went on to pursue a career in business and finance. In the ensuing ten years he worked in banking, the manufacturing sector and the clothing industry. In 1992 he returned to Trends to become Editor in Chief. Subsequently he became an advisor for a construction firm as well as the General Director of an employers’ organisation before finally returning to Trends for a second time in 2010. From September 2011 until October 2012 he became Editor in Chief for Knack, a weekly news magazine. As from 2012 he has been a part time macro-economics professor at the University of Hasselt.
In 2013 Johan made the switch to the political world as he started as an economic advisor for the N-VA. After the elections in 2014, he took on the mandate of Federal Finance Minister in the Belgian government. After the European Elections of 2019 he was elected as a Member of the European Parliament. Currently, he is also Chair of the Budget Committee, Coordinator for the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs in this Parliament and Co-Chair of the Recovery and Resilience Facility Woking Group.
In 2023 Johan was ranked as the 7th most influential member of Parliament according to the MEP Influence Index of Eumatrix.
Johan Van Overtveldt
Head of European list N-VA and MEP
Dominique Michel has been at the head of Comeos, the Belgian trade and services federation, since 2008. The trade sector is the largest private employer in the country and, with 500,000 employees, represents 11% of GDP. Dominique Michel is also Vice-President of EuroCommerce, the European Trade Association. Previously, he held various positions at the United Nations in New York and the International Labour Organization in Geneva, as well as in the energy and telecom sectors. He also carried out several missions to support employers’ organisations in developing countries on behalf of the EU.
Dominique Michel
CEO, Comeos
Yvan Verougstraete is a distinguished Belgian entrepreneur with a specialization in the retail sector. He is the founder of Medi-Market, a renowned chain of pharmacies and parapharmacies across Belgium and Luxembourg. Yvan led the company as its CEO from the time of its establishment in 2014 until 2021, at which point he transitioned into the political arena. Presently, he serves as the vice-president of the Les Engagés party and is at the forefront of their list for the European elections.
Yvan Verougstraete
Head of European List Les Engagés
Christophe De Smet is the founder Garzini, a brand of cleverly designed accessories such as wallets, key holders and card holders.
Christophe’s entrepreneurial journey began with the inception of Garzini in 2016, where he introduced cleverly designed wallets that combine timeless elegance with practical functionality. These wallets are known for their surprising storage solutions, seamless integrated RFID protection, and ease of access to cards, cash, and coins.
In September 2021, he co-founded Mercatus Brands, a smart funding partner for accelerating e- commerce businesses. Mercatus Brands stands out for its commitment to investing in innovative and high-growth companies, providing them with the financial support and strategic guidance necessary to thrive in competitive markets.
He also mentors new entrepreneurs at Netwerk Ondernemen, sharing his knowledge to help others succeed.
Christophe De Smet
CEO, Garzini
Andy Bounds is an EU correspondent covering Brexit, trade, health and European politics, including the European parliament for the Financial Times. He is also Netherlands correspondent and a frequent contributor to the agenda-setting Europe Express newsletter.
It is his second stint in Brussels after working as trade, environment, agriculture, transport and parliament correspondent from 2004-8.
Before that he covered the Brexit vote in the UK as North of England correspondent
Andy has worked for the Financial Times since 1997 and has featured on TV and radio in the UK, US and Ireland.
He began his journalism career at the Kentish Express in Ashford in 1995. He has a degree in International History and Politics from the University of Leeds.
He has spoken at conferences including the European Business Summit and the FT Live Health event series.
Andy Bounds
EU Correspondent, Financial Times
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