Wallonia | Strategic location | At the heart of Europe

at the heart of european and global markets

Wallonia is in the immediate vicinity of Brussels and Western Europe’s major cities. The area is home to the main offi ces of the largest international institutions and the headquarters of many multinationals.

Brussels with the European Commission, European Parliament, NATO, Eurocontrol, The World Customs Organisation, the SHAPE, 1,500 international organisations, 220 representative offi ces of cities and regions, 160 embassies, and most European professional associations and federations.

Brussels also hosts the largest journalist centres in the world, over 60 foreign banks, 1,700 international corporations, more than 300 international law fi rms or consulting businesses, and 21 international schools.

With Paris, Strasbourg, London, Amsterdam, The Hague, Luxembourg, Cologne, Frankfurt, or even Munich and Geneva within a few hours, Wallonia is directly connected to all decision making centres in Europe.

WALLONIA, A REGION NATURALLY OPEN TO THE WORLD

The Wallonia region and the French Community are officially represented abroad by ten Wallonia-Brussels delegations based in various different countries.

To strengthen its presence in foreign markets, the Wallonia Region has progressively developed an extensive network of economic and commercial attachés. This network now covers almost one hundred countries and five international organisations.

The role of these attachés is to provide Wallonia's exporters with in-depth knowledge on their respective markets, and to play a liaison role in the development of new markets and the promotion of Wallonia products abroad.

The export division of the Wallonia Export and Investment Agency provides our companies with the information and advice they need to strengthen their market position and consolidate their export reflex.

The Agency's Foreign Investment division has an overall responsibility for the attraction of foreign investment in Wallonia. This includes providing information to potential foreign investors, offering a pro-active follow-up service to investors already established in Wallonia and identifying foreign investors for the acquisition of industrial sites under restructuring process.

As for the Maison de l’Entreprise Wallone auprès de l’Europe (MEWE), this business support body assists in building up contacts between the various economic players in Wallonia and the European Union.

Above all, Wallonia has played a fundamental role in the European Project.

It took advantage of the Belgian presidency to plead in favour of an integrated, efficient, unified, and citizen-focused Europe that accords the regions the institutional status they deserve.

Founding member of the Assembly of European Regions, Wallonia also strongly supported the setting up of the Regions Committee through the Maastricht Treaty.

Furthermore, Wallonia has participated in many cross-border partnerships, notably within the framework of the INTERREG European Programmes.