Belgo-British Conference

The Belgo-British Conference is an annual conference each October or November organised by the British Council and the Belgian EGMONT - Royal Institute for International Relations (EGMONT), the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Belgian Federal Public Service of Foreign Affairs. The Conference is currently chaired by Sir Stephen Wall (former EU adviser to Tony Blair) and Ambassador (Hon) Lode Willems (Director External and Government Affairs, BNP Parisbas-Fortis), who preside over an independent Board which decides the themes of the conference. Previous chairs include Andre Villeneuve, Count George Jacobs, Baron Paul Buysse and Lord Simon of Highbury. The patrons of the Conference are HRH The Prince of Wales and HRH Prince Philippe of Belgium. Attendance at the conference is by invitation only and draws around 60 British and Belgian participants from politics, journalism, media, academia, arts, science and business for two days of informal discussion.

The Belgo-British Conference was first held in 2000, and it takes place under the Chatham House Rule, having been an idea discussed by Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, when they met for the first time in Downing Street in November 1999.

The location of the conference alternates annually between Great Britain and Belgium, with a different theme and range of subjects discussed on each occasion.

• 2000 -

held in Bruges

• 2001 -

held in London

• 2002 -

held at Château de Val Duchesse, Brussels

• 2003 - "Changing Europe in a Changing World"

held at the Royal Society of Edinburgh

• The Regions and Europe: Partners or Rivals?
• The EU Economic Future: Competitiveness or Complacency?
• European Security in Flux: Is Partnership Possible?
• Ethnic and Religious Diversity in Europe

• 2004 - "Ensuring Europe's Prosperity - Building Bridges”

held in Namur, Belgium

• Future Prosperity: investing in science, research and higher education
• Enabling Prosperity: how Europe can help secure a better future for Africa
• Sharing prosperity: working with Asia
• Maintaining Prosperity: can we sustain the European social model?

• 2005 - "2020 – A new horizon for Europe"

held in London

• The shape of Europe in 2020
• Environment and climate change 2020: what really is our future?
• Will we still need a manufacturing industry in 2020?
• What role for Europe in the world in 2020?

• 2006 - "Globalisation and the Citizen"

held at Château de Val Duchesse, Brussels

• Future energy supplies and the citizen
• Global Healthcare and the citizen
• Integration and Diversity – How can the public and private sectors respond to public concerns?
• Citizens’ access to information in a globalised world.

• 2007 - "Bridges Across The Channel"

held at Lancaster House, in London

• Economy: can the EU hold its own as global competition intensifies?
• Politics: a voice for Europe on the international scene?
• Education – a driver for growth?
• Culture & Identity

• 2008 - "Natural Resources: Challenges and Opportunities"

Held in Brussels

2009 - "Innovating our Way out of the Crisis " held at the British Council offices in London

2010 - "Player or Spectator? Europe in Tomorrow's World " held at the Palais d'Egmont in Brussels