Founded 2002 | ||
History
The Belgian Foreign Trade Agency (BFTA) is a public institution, which is an incorporated body, founded under the Cooperation Agreement (only available in French and Dutch) of 24 May 2002 agreed between the Federal Authority and the Regions. In recent decades, the competence for ‘foreign trade’ has undergone some phases of regionalisation in Belgium. Until 1990, the Belgian Foreign Trade Office (Belgische Dienst voor Buitenlandse Handel - Office belge du Commerce extérieur) was the most important institution for export promotion. In 1990, a Walloon agency Wallonia Foreign Trade and Investment Agency, was founded, followed by a Flemish equivalent in 1991 Flanders Investment & Trade. That same year, Brussels Invest & Export was also founded.
Contents
Structure
The Board of Directors, of which His Majesty the King is Honorary President and Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck President, consists of sixteen members appointed by the Regional governments and the Federal government, providing an equal representation of public and private sectors. Each Region appoints a Government Commissioner. The Agency’s day-to-day management is carried out by a Director General assisted by a Deputy Director General, both appointed by the Board of Directors and belonging to a different linguistic group. Marc Bogaerts is Director General and Fabienne L’Hoost is Deputy Director General.
Financing
The Agency is funded by an indexed Federal grant and by contributions from the Regions based on the distribution scale with regard to taxes on natural persons.
Activities
The Belgian Foreign Trade Agency is as a public institution, at the disposal of three Regional authorities that promote exports, and also collaborates with the Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs. The Agency acts as a vast platform in which the Federal competence of international relations and the Regional competence of foreign trade meet.
The Agency is responsible for:
Presidency
The Belgian Foreign Trade Agency organises joint trade missions in collaboration with Wallonia Foreign Trade and Investment Agency (AWEX), Brussels Invest & Export and Flanders Investment & Trade (FIT). The FPS Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation handles the political aspects and protocol for the programme. The missions focus mainly on countries and markets with a growing economy. Participants belong to various sectors.
Until his accession to the throne, H.R.H. Prince Philippe has always found it utmost important to strengthen the competitive position of Belgian companies. During the economic missions, he opens doors even at the highest level. To date, he has visited 41 countries during 70 economic missions. His presence creates unique opportunities for success for the participating companies as they can establish high-level contacts with leading foreign industrial players, organisations and public bodies during these missions. Hereafter follows an overview of the 10 last missions under his Presidency:
H.R.H. Princess Astrid has been presiding over the economic missions since October 2013 as the Representative of His Majesty the King.
Mission results
Information centre
The Agency on behalf of the Regions is at the disposal of all Belgian enterprises for their information researches in the field of foreign trade. Whether it concerns business proposals, foreign trade statistics, legal assistance, economic or sectoral studies, the Agency provides regularly detailed and personalized information to Belgian and international enterprises, private persons and public bodies.