The European Affairs and Internationalisation Committees of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce are discussing in Brussels the challenges facing European external action in the face of the new global economic order

Brussels, 13 May 2026. – The Spanish Chamber of Commerce held a joint meeting of its European Affairs Committee and its Internationalisation Committee in Brussels on 12 and 13 May. The meeting brought together European institutional representatives and members of both committees with the aim of analysing the main changes that are redefining the EU’s external economic action and their implications for Spanish businesses.

The programme kicked off on 12 May with a reception attended by Ignacio Garrido Antonio, Mertens Counsellor at the Permanent Representation of Spain to the European Union. The following day, the working sessions took place at the headquarters of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce’s Delegation to the EU and were structured around the main themes of the European foreign policy agenda: relations with Africa, the Americas and Asia; security and strategic autonomy; and trade policy as an instrument of economic security.

The first speaker was Belén Martínez Carbonell, Secretary-General of the European External Action Service (EEAS), who provided an overview of the EU’s strategic interests within the new international economic order. Patricia Llombart, Director-General for Africa at the EEAS, then addressed the dimensions of cooperation, investment and sustainable development that currently characterise the relationship between the EU and the African continent, beyond its strictly commercial aspects.

Meanwhile, the round-table discussion on the Americas, moderated by Eva Piera, Chair of the Committee on Internationalisation, brought together Juan Ignacio Zoido (EPP Group) and Lina Gálvez (S&D Group), Members of the European Parliament, to discuss the EU’s strategic partnerships with the United States and Latin America.

Lorena Boix, Deputy Director-General for Space at the European Commission, then outlined the growing role of space and defence as pillars of the EU’s security and strategic autonomy. This presentation was followed by a round-table discussion on Asia, moderated by John Rutherford, Chair of the Committee on European Affairs, featuring MEPs Cristina Maestre (S&D Group) and Susana Solís (EPP Group), who analysed relations with India and China respectively in terms of global competition and strategic resilience.

To round off the set of sessions, Sofía Muñoz, from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Trade and Economic Security, focused her remarks on how trade policy has become one of the EU’s main instruments for ensuring economic security.

Finally, the closing act was presided over by Fernando Sampedro Marcos, Secretary of State for the European Union, whose presence highlighted both the political significance of the event and the Spanish Government’s commitment to strengthening Spain’s position in the European debate on competitiveness and internationalisation.

At the Delegation to the EU of the Spain Chamber of Commerce, we will continue to work to ensure that Spanish companies play a key role in the debate on the EU’s external economic policy, making sure that their interests and needs are taken into account in the design of a European strategy that is open, competitive and resilient in the face of new geo-economic challenges.