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Caught Short at the Border

With May seeing ABRA’s 10th anniversary it is important to not only look back at where we’ve come from but also at where we’re heading. I briefly considered lis�ng just a few of our achievements over the last few years in this ‘edito’, but I soon ran over 3 pages in bullet points.

From grounding the Commune Registra�on Workgroup on the fast track ini�a�ve for registering at communes to mee�ng with the Ministry of Finance for clarifica�on on VAT charges for reloca�on services, the list goes on. Suffice to say that from our very humble beginnings and a tenta�ve first get-together we have grown to a professional body of standing.

Over the four years that I’ve had the honour of ac�ng as President it has been my pleasure to work alongside a board of people for whom the terms ‘natural’, ‘professional’, ‘no fees a�ached’, ‘genuine interest’ and ‘utmost effort’ are the standard mindset.

For myself, I’ve done my best to place the industry of reloca�on on the map with governments as with corpora�ons. It has rarely been easy, but I think I can speak for all of us on the board when I say the joy and pleasure we’ve all experienced from calling ABRA our associa�on well outweighs the hard work that has gone into bringing us to where we are today.

ABRA is not the result of one person’s work or ini�a�ve, it is a team effort, and only a team can con�nue to fuel the associa�on’s growth and success. Welcome to our new board members and thank you to all of our board members for their input these last few years.

Thank you all for your vote of confidence and allowing me to be your President for another two years. I look forward to con�nuing our work!

Eddy Bonne,ABRA President

ABRA will be taking a break over the summer and our next meetings will be on Wednesday 21st September and Wednesday 7th December. Speakers and loca-tions will be confirmed nearer the time.

We would like to dedicate some space to welcoming the members that have joined us over the last year: Adagio Brussels Centre Monnaie, Aparthotel Citadines, Conrad,

Partenamut, domoXim, Belgian Homes, The Bridge, Royal Properties, Marriott Executive Apartments, Maasmechelen Village Outlet Shopping, Saviva, World International School, Medical Centre Etterbeek, vzw de Rand, Expatica

and Aspria Arts-Loi

cover image: Thom Clabots editorial: Fiona Klomp www.illus.be

With this month seeing the 10-year anniversary of ABRA we couldn’t resist speaking to our board members, past and present, and finding out a li�le more about the driving forces behind our Associa�on. Walter Vermeeren, Renate Stanton, Johanna Tent, Anita Meyer, Veronique Fauconnier, Chris�an Culot, Eric Klitsch, Dave Deruy�er and of course Eddy Bonne were there to tell us more.

Ten years ago the reloca�on profession in Belgium was an unknown industry, with 2 major players, PRS and Map, and a mul�tude of small companies with less than 5 people on board. The service consisted of housing, u�li�es and schooling.

Reloca�on in Belgium was mainly Des�na�on Service Provider work, either directly for corpora�ons or for the Reloca�on Management Companies. There was a lot of a�en�on to the ‘so�’ side of reloca�on, and not really to quality, profitability, long term thinking or new service development.

In 2001, the IT bubble shook up the internet companies, who reduced their Belgian investments considerably. Quite a few reloca�on agencies did not survive the shrinking expat market.

As a consequence of the changes in the expat market the need for local joint ac�vi�es was felt. A professional body was needed to gather reloca�on professionals and to share exper�se, using EuRA as a live example. Also the real estate associa�on in Belgium, BIV/IPI, threatened to close all reloca�on companies who did not have a BIV/IPI number, i.e. who were not qualified to operate as a real estate broker.

The reasoning of the court of jus�ce, who backed up the BIV/IPI point of view, was that if you do part of the job (showing houses), you have to be cer�fied as if you did a full realtor job.

RKS (Renate Stanton), PRS (Walter Vermeeren), Map (Johanna Tent) and am&pm (Anita Meyer) decided to join forces with the European Reloca�on Associa�on, to set up a Belgian reloca�on associa�on. The purpose was to form a body that would establish contact and nego�ate with the BIV/IPI. Thus the ABRA was born.

Although there were no major and unexpected hiccups, it took nearly 3 years to set up the ABRA. Compe�tors were scared to share informa�on, protec�ve of their customers base, unwilling to shake hands even. Our first mee�ng had less than 10 a�endees...

Also, let’s not forget that working on the ABRA board is a volunteer posi�on, it takes an awful lot of hard work and input and there is li�le apprecia�on on the short term. One lesson we learnt early on is to make sure finances are always perfectly in order.

Today ABRA is a mature associa�on, financially sound, and inescapable for whoever is working in the reloca�on arena, with an administrator to coordinate events, with an ever growing membership, with a proper newsle�er and a commi�ed board.

From a small bunch of harsh compe�tors, ABRA has grown into a big group of friends.

As an associa�on ABRA has fought hard for professional recogni�on, and s�ll does so today, but it has become much more well-known in Belgium over the last few years. The associa�on has grown in numbers mostly in the affiliate categories which proves that the reloca�on industry is seen as a very good way of reaching the increasing expat popula�on. The subsequent growth of the membership funding has allowed the board to move towards more ambi�ous projects than was possible 10 years ago.

>>> from p. 3

ABRA has become an important mee�ng point for everyone who is ac�ve in Interna�onal mobility in Belgium. More and more other well-known interna�onal and domes�c organisa�ons here and abroad want to team up with ABRA to con�nue improving the experience of Interna�onally Mobile People within Belgium.

The entrepreneurship, networking and hard work of ABRA and all its members has led to the associa�on receiving the (inter)na�onal recogni�on it so richly deserves. Under the wings of Eddy Bonne, ABRA has grown exponen�ally. Eddy introduced his extended network of business contacts to the associa�on, which brought respect and recogni�on of the trade, na�onwide.

The main goal for ABRA now remains to obtain an official recogni�on of the profession of reloca�on agent. It’s widely recognised and accepted by all with an interest in interna�onal mobility, but just awai�ng official recogni�on.

The future of ABRA remains very complicated, un�l the above recogni�on is obtained. Estate agents are allowed to offer similar services and are being paid as estate agents as well as reloca�on agents, which enables them to offer very compe��ve prices. ABRA s�ll suffers from the small size of the companies of its full members, which makes it difficult for the members to offer enough of their �me to the Associa�on.

ABRA’s future is a con�nual and joint effort, many external par�es will influence its direc�on: real estate agents, movers, customers, ... ABRA needs to be very open and to posi�on itself as the centre point for whoever is associated with interna�onal mobility in its broadest terms. Let’s not make it a closed associa�on as it should help us all to improve and broaden our business.

Although either with or without a local official recogni�on, ABRA and the reloca�on profession will con�nue to thrive thanks to the EARP Training Program and the Quality Seal. It remains very important for the profession to define and maintain its rela�onship with the Global Vendors and with the Real Estate Agents.

The decision to outsource reloca�on assistance used to be in the hands of the HR Managers; today the purchasing department picks a different global reloca�on provider every year, based on price only. The wind that came from the Far East, brought the message that reloca�on should be a free service to mul�na�onals, provided by professional consultants with a quality cer�fica�on, and financially commissioned by affiliate partners to the industry, such as removal companies and real estate brokers. ABRA will have to adapt to the new climate, and train its members to do the same.

An alterna�ve future for ABRA could be to become part of EuRA; it would allow us to get even more benefits, indirectly, out of synergies. This is not key yet but could become so as ABRA might reach a point of ‘not just enough cri�cal mass’ to remain strong on the Belgian market. And the profession of reloca�on? Let’s all wake up and be even more crea�ve: the old �mes will not come back, and the new �mes will be very very different !

The momentum we have must con�nue. A new board will bring new ideas, fresh energy. The quest for the recogni�on of the trade should not be abandoned and we are delighted with our new ‘line-up’.

Following the AGM on Tuesday 10th May we are delighted to announce the following changes in the

ABRA Board:

Eddy Bonne, Eric Klitsch, Sue Black, Marc Van Hoof, Kurt Mellaerts, Chris�an Culot and Dave Deruy�er. Posi�ons of the board will be decided at the June boardmee�ng.

Welcome to our new board members (le� to right):Sue Black, Marc Van Hoof and Kurt Mellaerts.

A very big thank you goes out to Anita Meyer who has stepped down as Vice-President but will be con�nuing her efforts to put reloca�on on the map as Representa�ve of the Benelux region as an EuRA council member from now on.

And of course an equally big ‘thank you’ to Veronique Fauconnier, who has stepped down as our Secretary General a�er four years of dedicated service on the ABRA Board.

Our Spring Edi�on was dedicated to the many posi�ve reports that were published on Belgium and its leading posi�on in the world marketplace. However, the con�nued stalemate in forming a government means economic policy making is at a stands�ll and the country’s recovery from the financial crisis and economic recession is le� open to vulnerabili�es. With Brussels as the capital of Europe, how does one of the world’s top financial minds see the long and short term future? An enlightening conversa�on with Rik Vanpeteghem, CEO of Deloi�e Belgium.

RL: Only last year Deloi�e entered into a 3-year commitment to the College of Europe in Bruges by funding a chair themed ‘European Economic Integra�on & Business’. Undoubtedly the a�rac�on of such a programme is huge for students, interna�onalisa�on of the world of business is a fact, but what was the main a�rac�on for Deloi�e to enter into such a partnership?

RvP: “Much of the programme is focused around the interac�ons between companies and the European Union and Commission. We decided to fund this academic chair as we see the European Commission as a fascina�ng and important partner; it is a mul�faceted organisa�on, from the Union to the Commission and even the sheer number of na�onali�es involved. Building up a strong rapport with the EU is important to Deloi�e as we aim to strengthen the bond with our client on many different levels. We always look ahead to the future.

The ‘European Economic Integra�on & Business’ programme also offers an excellent learning ground into not only how the EU func�ons, but also what it takes to become a leader

within Europe. As a kind of Masters degree that follows on a Masters degree it counts some of today’s strongest poli�cians and policy makers among its graduates, such as Angela Merkel and Gerhard Schröder.

Currently, there are 10 sponsored chairs, of which we fund one, financially and through lectures. Through discussing real-life cases students are able to learn from our exper�se and the cases support academics in their research. We also feel it’s an excellent way to ‘brand’ Deloi�e within the student community. Deloi�e is a big believer in a�rac�ng students to its graduate programme as we con�nue to invest in recrui�ng new talent.”

RL: The Deloi�e Survey for the fourth quarter of 2010 was published recently (February) and speaks of the renewed trust in the economy and a lust for growth within companies. How do you see the evolu�on and future of business in Belgium?

RvP: “There is a new reality since the crisis, governments have become major players; local, regional, semi-governmental and interna�onal. Belgium is very lucky that top 10 world ins�tu�ons such as the European Union and NATO have chosen Brussels as their headquarters.

The fact that they have chosen Brussels as their base makes it the capital of Europe and offers the city great power as well as influence. A lot of �me is spent discussing the future of Wallonia and Flanders but let’s not forget that Brussels is the main seat of Europe – a factor of massive importance to our economy.

>>> con�nued overleaf

>>> from p.6

As a client the EU is very important to Deloi�e and we expect this account to grow over the next few years, making it one of our largest accounts worldwide. Also NATO has a massive spending power and is centred right here in our capital.

Belgium’s small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are very interna�onally minded and are very aware of the many opportuni�es that are around. We certainly expect further revival from an already strong 2010. There is huge spending power coming into the market right now.

In addi�on, our SMEs are big suppliers especially to Germany which is a very strong market. Generally speaking we can already see a fairly immediate and direct impact of this renewed trust in the economy.”

RL: Although the IMF placed Belgium in the top 20 of world economies for 2010, this ranking was followed quite swi�ly (April) by a warning that the record breaking wait for a government carries fresh threat to its economic recovery. RvP: “The caretaker government is actually doing a very good job in managing our country and s�cking to the dra� budget and targets. Figures are very posi�ve for Belgium with our Debt-to-Gross Domes�c Product (GDP) ra�o having been reduced from 6.0% in 2009 to 4.6% in 2010 and the market is responding to this.

Belgium’s budget deficit is well below European standards and our trade balance enjoys a surplus. Unfortunately the financial market doesn’t always behave as ra�onally as the corporate market and can be quite fickle.

We do s�ll have a rela�vely large public debt which needs to be brought under control. Important issues such as pensions, unemployment, labour cost, educa�on and infrastructure are star�ng to become more and more urgent as �me goes on. The lack of government means no decisions on these issues can be made, but we can’t keep pu�ng this off.

Standard & Poor has reported that we need to sort this out within the next 6 months or it really will have an impact on Belgium’s credibility.”

RL: So what are our imminent needs? Much progress has been made over the last year a�er all with financial restructuring of banks and fiscal consolida�on in2010. What would help Belgium further strengthen its posi�on as the heart of Europe?

RvP: “Mainly on the short term we need a robust plan that can see us through the next few years and get the incoming government off to a flying start. Energy prices, employment costs and unemployment are significantly higher than in neighbouring countries. Other governments are addressing these issues right now and we risk falling behind. The very best we can wish for ourselves right now is that a strong, effec�ve and technically strong government is formed that will tackle all these issues fearlessly.”

Caught Short at the BorderEuRA Conference Palma 2011

Last Saturday night, I stood with about 1200 other travelers in the immigra�on line at Logan (Boston) airport. Storms on the US east coast had diverted to Boston many interna�onal flights that had been headed to Philadelphia and New York City. The staff that was prepared for about five flights that night was processing three �mes that number.

As we wove our way through the line ropes, I marveled at the United Na�ons gathered in that space – the woman with the fabulous headdress and long white dress and polar fleece jacket wheeling a bright red suitcase, three guys with dreadlocks and guitars, and that 7-year-old boy in a black suit and �e (where was he from and where was he headed??).

When, two hours a�er landing, my turn came to approach the border control officer, I handed her my passport and we had the following conversa�on:

Our Border’s Representa�ve: What was the purpose of your trip?Me: To a�end the European Reloca�on Associa�on conference in Spain.OBR: [Blank stare. Long silence. Skep�cal look.] What do they do??Me: They help people move from one country to another.OBR: [I’m not making this up.] What? Why would people need help doing that? Quick – what would you say if there were 600 people in line behind you and you’d been traveling for 22 hours and you didn’t want to get locked up by TSA and someone who should know be�er ques�oned your life’s work? This woman probably talks to more people passing from one country to another than 99.9% of the world’s popula�on. That’s what she does all day long. Yet she clearly had never considered what their lives were like a�er they turned the corner, collected their luggage, and le� the airport.

I fought the urge to comment on the importance of perspec�ve-taking ability or on cultural differences in immigra�on customs, and instead mumbled a few examples I thought she might understand – drivers’ licenses, home finding, school registra�on – and shuffled off.

Here’s what I wish I’d said:The moment one enters a new country, one is faced with a barrage of small and large challenges – prac�cal, social, legal, psychological and cultural. Those who learn to master the acts of daily living and adjust to the new social norms, who come to see the world from a new perspec�ve, who nego�ate new family roles and responsibili�es, who manage to preserve their core iden�ty in the face of inevitable misunderstanding, who, in short, bridge the considerable communica�on and values gap between where they’re from and where they’re going – those are our new neighbors who contribute richness and insight to our lives, and who keep our windows open to innova�on and new perspec�ve. They’re doing a lot by themselves. What I do is lend them a hand.

Oh well, the guy behind me in line is probably glad I zipped my lip.

Dr Anne Copeland Ph.D. is the Founder and Execu�ve Director of the Interchange Ins�tute. The Ins�tute conducts research on the process of intercultural transi�on, produces publica�ons to assist newcomers to the US, designs and delivers specialized cross-cultural training workshops, and trains and consults to professionals in the field.

Sign up to Anne’s regular e-note by sending an e-mail to: info@interchangeins�tute.org

Interna� onal Baccalaureate at BSBAs well as the previously announced bi-lingual French/English educa� on for children aged 4-8 years old, The Bri� sh School of Brussels will also be introducing the Dutch/English Interna� onal Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma for 16-18 year olds from September 2011 onwards. Dutch lessons for mother tongue speakers and beginners aged 7-11 are also being added to the lessons on off er.

For further details please contact kburgess@bri� shschool.be

IN-Lease asks: Swiss or Belgian? In order to answer the age-old ques � on of which chocolates are best IN-Lease organised a chocolate taste contest during the Palma Con-ference. With 70% of votes Belgian chocolates came out the clear favourite. Congratula� ons to compe� � on winner Simon Price of Interdean who receives 1kg of Belgian chocolates.

Another contest will be organised by IN-Lease at the ERC Sum-mit in Amsterdam (June 23-24), this � me the heat will be on Belgium and the Netherlands to see who makes the best bu� er cookies!

We hope to see you in Amsterdam and will keep you updated on the results of our taste test. www.in-lease.com

AIS becomes the very fi rst interna� onal ‘Apple’ School in Belgium

From January 2012 the High School will start using Mac-book Pros in the classroom and the use of iPads will be trialled in the Elementary School. “Informa� on Technology is now such a normal part of a student’s life and access to the internet so ubiquitous with wifi and 3G smart phones that it seemed an obvious next step to bring IT right into the class-room,” AIS IT Director Roger Pla� says.

“21st Century students should now be able to learn any� me and anywhere, they should also be able to collaborate with each other not only in their own classroom but with students in a diff erent street, city or even country. Recently we worked on a project with an interna� onal school in Vienna and two schools in Beijing.”

AIS believes it is impera� ve that students can ‘think digitally’ and know how to establish authen� city, cri� cally evaluate and synthesise informa� on and they are moving forward with Apple.

For further informa� on on this ini� a� ve please contact Roger Pla� by email via: itdirector@AIS-antwerp.be

Congratula� ons to Radisson Blu Astrid Antwerp! The hotel has been awarded the ‘Groene Sleutel’ (Green Key) by Tourism Flanders and the Bond for Be� er Living Environ-ments.

The interna� onal eco-label means that every eff ort is made to ensure a responsible stay that doesn’t take away from service or comfort; from careful waste and water management to energy effi ciency.

For more informa� on contact Geert de Keersmaekervia geert.dekeersmaeker@radissonblu.com

Living in Transla� onNew ABRA members vzw ‘de Rand’ off er newcomers to the Brussels area the opportunity to get to know local culture, the Dutch language and more through regular events.

O� en the same ques� ons are asked about the diff erent lan-guages and regula� ons by newcomers. To help answer these FAQ’s ‘De Rand’ has published a guide called ‘Living in Transla-� on’.

For the online version please visit www.livingintransla� on.be or to receive your hard copy please contact Marijke Verboven by email: marijke.verboven@derand.be

A new look for Thon Residence ParnasseThis summer the Thon Residence Parnasse is changing its look!One hundred apartments will be fully refurbished as from the beginning of September 2011. A brand new and trendy look, a homy feeling and of course the all-inclusive service… do not miss it!

For any visit please contact Hsuan Liu by email: hl@thonhotels.be

(A)WAY magazine is off ering ABRA members free copies of the Summer issue for welcome bags for their new-comers to Brussels over the summer.

“Summer is all about the great outdoors - exploring the countryside, fl owers, fi tness, food and drinks - we cover it all in our Summer Issue.”

Please make your free copies request by email:produc� on@awaymagazine.be

Concierge Services for Expats

Savviva is delighted to announce the opening of a brand new corporate concierge desk at Linklaters LLP in Brussels. The concierge desk serves over 250 staff , many of them expats from France, the UK and Germany.

As it can be diffi cult for expats to manage personal day-to-day ma� ers with the demands of work - especially in a new country - the on-site and 24/7 concierge service helps to organise anything employees do not have the � me to do themselves. From fi nding a last minute babysi� er to arrange the repair of a coff ee machine - nothing is impossible!

For more informa� on please call 02 669 07 29 or visit www.savviva.be

Since 2000, Expa� ca Communica� ons has been issuing free copies of the Survival Guide, the must-read English guide for Expats in Europe.

Survival Guide BE gives newcomers to Belgium the basic informa� on they need to se� le in, and directs them to the people, companies, organiza� ons and ins� tu� ons that can help. This handy A5 booklet opens with an introduc� on to Belgium includes chapters on reloca� on, housing, money, educa� on, jobs, transport and healthcare. The guide also contains advice on se� ng up house, residence permits and how to choose a school for the kids. The groups and clubs sec� on will help expats fi nd a way into the community on both a social and professional level.

Expa� ca helps you to give extra value to your services with the Survival Guide.

Contact us at stephanie.mazier@expa� ca.com to request your free copies and include them in your welcome package for your clients. www.expa� ca.com or tel: +31 23 512 89 40

Expat&Co introduces ‘€uropat Local Plus’

Ensuring con� nuity of coverage is not easy when transferring abroad. Expats may be mobile, but are insurance policies as well? From social security to health insurance or pension plans, moving abroad can mean important changes in coverage and service. Ge� ng the ‘credit’ you’ve built up in one country transferred to your new host country rarely goes off without a hitch.

As an employer, it goes without saying that you don’t want your employees to worry about pension, medical expenses and disablement. Globaliza� on has moved up a gear in recent years. This means it is � me to adapt secondary benefi ts effi ciently, primarily with regards to social guarantees. Expat&Co proudly introduces its new policy ‘€uropat Local Plus’ which is designed to mutate fl exibly with reloca� on.

ReLocate speaks to product developer Filip Declerq to fi nd out a li� le more about this new product. “Thanks to a series of European trea� es, coordina� on between social security systems is rela� vely seamless as long as the country of residence is within the European Economical Area or Switzerland. Outside of this region, social regimes are o� en virtually non-existent, although Belgium and France did issue a portable overseas social security system for this purpose. The private insurance market merely follows with expensive, overlapping policies.”

Social security is not the easiest chapter in the great expat book. Ini� ally the impact is somewhat vague. A well-fi � ng insurance system is not off -the-shelf but custom made. Especially when wan� ng to ensure con� nuity. This is the issue: expats are mobile, relocate frequently and travel a lot. Can one take along their insurance? Or does one have to do the homework over and over again, resul� ng in doubts about accep� ng new assignments? As is, one doesn’t get any younger and carries with them a medical past. And what about the partner and children? Even coordina� on within one large insurance company with interna� onal branches doesn’t off er a solu� on.

For manager Filip Declercq the expat problem has li� le secrets: “One person is being transferred, another posted and a third travels back and forth. With employees all over the globe and diverse social benefi ts, administra� ve simplicity seems far away.”

With all this in mind Filip started thinking about a package that would slot together, like a Rubik’s Cube with its endless combina� ons, that would off er a truly made-to-measure coverage. Imagine you are a Belgian, living in France, with a Swiss social security plan?

Good luck to you! A standard interna� onal health insurance will simply lead to double costs. €uropat Local Plus off ers instead a customized addi� onal insurance. This is why the cube is symbol to the package with the mo� o: mobile, all-in-one and adaptable in all direc� ons.

For more informa� on on €uropat Local Plus please contact Filip Declercq on info@expa� nsurance.eu or +32 (0)2 463 04 04

the sweet side of relocation:

the ladies of am&pm relocation

made the very most of their chocolate fountain at the EuRA Conference

With ac�ve mornings and sunny evenings just around the corner, what be�er way to get in shape and feel fabulous than with the freshest of summery drinks? ReLocate is delighted to share its favourite summer�me recipes with you right here!

Banana SplitYou will need: 1 banana, 6 strawberries, 6 raspberries, fresh carrot juice, 150ml sugarfree probio�c yoghurt, honey and a blender.How to make: place the banana in the blender together with the strawberries, raspberries, yoghurt and a squirt of honey. Top up the blender with carrot juice to about 450cl and blend �ll smooth.Tip: for a refreshingly cool version, why not add a few icecubes into the mix?Recipe courtesy of Zest Juice Bars - Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent, ...

MojitoYou will need: 3/4 lime cut in parts, a splash of liquid cane sugar, fresh mint, 50cl white rum and a dash of soda water.How to make: crush the lime and cane sugar into an almost paste in the glass, add the mint and crush only slightly, top up with crushed ice, pour the rum over the ice and add a splash of soda water. Tip: if you prefer your Mojito less sweet, why not try using half white and half dark rum?Recipe courtesy of Vibes Cocktail Bar - Antwerp