Flanders is receiving EUR 223 million from the European Brexit fund

Flanders is entitled to receive EUR 223 million from the European Brexit Adjustment Reserve in the coming years. Flanders is thus receiving 63% of the total envelope of EUR 353 million that was allocated to Belgium. Flemish MP Karl Vanlouwe requested the information: “The situation for Flemish entrepreneurs changed fundamentally after Brexit. It will not be possible to neutralise the impact completely, but the contributions from the fund will certainly mitigate the negative effects.”

Karl Vanlouwe hopes this will accelerate the recovery of the Flemish economy after Brexit, but also sees a difficult international geopolitical situation. “The results for both exports and imports were encouraging in 2021. But the war in Ukraine has brought renewed uncertainty and instability with rising prices for raw materials and logistical difficulties. That is detrimental to economic growth worldwide, and therefore also in Flanders,” he says.

Flemish offices in the United Kingdom
Karl Vanlouwe says that the Government of Flanders is doing a great deal to put its companies back on track internationally. “For example, there are Brexit subsidies to support Flemish companies, or support for young starting entrepreneurs in the export sector. In addition, Flanders will now open physical offices in Edinburgh, Belfast, London and a second English city to support Flemish companies. Trade with Great Britain has become much more difficult since February 2020. But that trade is far too important for Flanders not to support our companies there,” Karl Vanlouwe says.