On 30 November Minister-president Jambon and Minister Crevits travelled to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg for a series of meetings with the European Investment Bank and with Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel.
On Monday,Minister-president Jan Jambon and minister Hilde Crevits met the President of the European Investment Bank (EIB), Werner Hoyer. They discussed the economic situation in Flanders. The European Investment Bank has a number of financial instruments at its disposal to support Flemish support measures. Present and future cooperation between Flanders and the investment bank, such as the construction of the Oosterweel link, was also discussed.
Before the meeting with the EIB, the ministers met with Alain Godard, chairman of the European Investment Fund (EIF). As a result of the corona crisis, the EIF expanded a number of existing financial support instruments for SMEs, also beneficiary for Flemish businesses. Minister-President Jambon and minister Crevits signed a cooperation agreement with the EIF to this end.
Minister for Economy Hilde Crevits "Support for businesses in these corona times is very important. At my suggestion, the Government of Flanders already took various initiatives. For the financing of these initiatives, it is important that we examine whether European and international institutions can provide financing and/or guarantees. During this mission, we signed two agreements. This is how Europe supports our measures. By granting a guarantee to Participatiemaatschappij Vlaanderen (PMV), a lower interest rate and guarantee premium can be applied. In the future we will remain in contact with EIF and EIB via PMV in order to provide further support for our Flemish instruments".
On 1 December, meetings were scheduled with Luxembourg Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean Asselborn and Prime Minister Xavier Bettel. The mutual ambition was to further strengthen relations between Flanders and Luxembourg: diplomatically, economically and financially, scientifically, culturally and in terms of tourism. "The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and Flanders have a lot to offer each other. I want to deepen relations with Luxembourg in the coming years. Not only do we want to strengthen ties with the Luxembourg authorities, but also with the many Flemish people who live and work there. They are our levers to promote Flemish interests in the country," explains Minister-President Jambon.
The members of the Luxembourg government also showed their Flemish colleagues a great deal of understanding for the economic and other concerns that Flanders will have to deal with as a result of brexit. They understood the question of taking these into consideration at the forthcoming European summits.
At the end of the mission, Minister-President Jambon and Minister Crevits sat together with Koen Lenaerts, President of the European Court of Justice and the recently appointed Belgian Ambassador Thomas Lambert.