The External Relations Department

The External Relations Department is led by director Geoffroy Clerckx and consists of three units:

• The European and Multilateral Affairs Unit;
• The Bilateral Relations and Development Cooperation Unit;
• The Communication, Protocol and Travel Unit.

Direction

Geoffroy Clerckx

Acting Director

Public Relations - State Visits
Brussels Days
Universal and International Expositions

+32 2 800 37 46

 

Secretariat

Filoreta Rugova

Secretary

+32 2 800 37 52

 

The European and Multilateral Affairs Unit

Brussels International also maintains relations with the international networks the Brussels-Capital Region is a member of:

• The Assembly of European Regions;
• EUROCITIES
• Metropolis
• The Global Fund for Cities Development (FMDV);
• The Capital Cities & Regions Network.

Brussels International coordinates the relations with international organizations in which the Brussels-Capital Region is represented as a federated entity, e.g. the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Benelux, the Council of Europe (CoE) and several United Nations agencies. It participates in the interfederal consultation mechanisms for all multilateral policy matters.

Brussels International is also in charge of the signing and ratification procedures for European and international treaties which relate to regional competences.

Moreover, the Region is regularly called upon to contribute to reports relating to its competences.

The unit contributes to European policy making and ensures the policies’ follow-up. It does so in close cooperation with the Delegation of the Brussels-Capital Region to the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the European Union.

The European section of this unit fulfils three key tasks:

• la coordination de l’application du droit européen en droit régional (transpositions, infractions…),
• la coordination administrative des dossiers européens transversaux (Semestre européen, Cadre financier pluriannuel…),
• le suivi des programmes et réseaux européens afin de favoriser la participation de la RBC à ces derniers.

Coordination

Geert De Roep

Deputy director
Head of unit

Eurocities - The Capital Cities
& Regions Network

+32 2 800 37 50

 

Valentin Graas

Attaché - European Affairs

European territorial cooperation
(Interreg NWE - Interreg Europe - Urbact)
European programmes
Financial programmes

 

 

Yasmin Troch

Attaché - European Affairs

Economic governance
European semester -
recovery and resilience plan

+32 800 30 02

 

Céline Manac'h

Attaché - European Affairs

European programmes and projects - European Territorial Cooperation - European semester - Recovery and resilience plan

 

 

Nicole Lambert

Attaché - European Affairs

+32 2 204 21 71

 

Lonne Poissonnier

Attaché - European Affairs

 

 

Guillaume Deleuze

Attaché - European Affairs

RRF (Recovery and Resilience Facility)

+32 490 67 26 17

 

Rym Jemni

Attaché - European Affairs

BAR (Brexit Adjustment Reserve)

+ 32 490 67 25 56

 

Bilateral Relations and Development Cooperation Unit

Brussels International manages the relations between the Brussels-Capital Region and the cities, regions and countries with which it has concluded a cooperation agreement. The unit ensures the follow-up of these agreements.

Some thirty cities, regions or countries have a bilateral agreement with the Brussels-Capital Region, i.e. the Aichi Prefecture, the Algiers wilaya, Ankara, Berlin, the Bratislava region, Budapest, Chennai, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Île-de-France, Istanbul, Kiev, the City-Province of Kinshasa, Havana, the Métropole européenne de Lille, Ljubljana, the Masovian Voivodeship, Moscow, the Paramaribo district, Beijing, Prague, Québec, Quito, the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region, Seoul, the Sichuan province, Sofia, Tokyo, Vienna, Vilnius, Washington DC and Xi'an.

Some of these cities or regions are situated in developing countries and a part of the initiatives that are developed in the frame of cooperation agreements fall into the category of development cooperation. The Brussels development cooperation is essentially aimed at an inclusive and sustainable development and respect for human rights, in order to improve living conditions for the populations in developing countries and to contribute to a more just and united international community.

Coordination

Sophie Willaumez

Acting Deputy director
Head of unit

+32 2 800 37 40

 

Florence Vandernoot

Bilateral relations

+32 2 800 30 28

 

Roxane Liénart

Development Cooperation

+32 2 800 34 26

 

Leen Hardy

Bilateral relations

+32 2 800 30 04

 

The Communication, Protocol and Travel Unit

This unit takes care of the internal and external communication of the External Relations Department. It manages the website of the General Department Brussels International, as well as the free BI digital newsletter, The Brussels Globe.
This unit is also in charge of public relations and protocol (welcoming delegations). Furthermore, it organizes all professional journeys of regional civil servants abroad.

Coordination

Jean-Michel Verdin

Communication officer
Head of unit

+32 2 800 37 49

 

Willy Van Waeyenberge

Protocol

 

 

Sylvie Debry

Travels

+32 2 800 37 56

 

Filoreta Rugova

Travels

+32 2 800 37 52