Overview
Lobbying Costs
None declared
Financial year: Jan 2014 - Dec 2014
Lobbyists (Full time equivalent)
None declared
Lobbyists with EP accreditation
2
High-level Commission meetings
3
Lobbying Costs over the years
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Info
Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC)
EU Transparency Register
23256548246-36 First registered on 05 Mar 2012
Goals / Remit
AWDC is intended to stimulate, promote, represent the interests and support the diamond trade in Belgium and in the Antwerp region in particular, as well as the promotion of the international aura of Antwerp as a world centre for diamonds and precious stones.
The object of AWDC more specifically comprises:
a) acting as a body representing the interests to the Belgian, foreign and international governments (and non-governmental organizations) as regards the diamond trade and diamond industry situated in Belgium;
b) the promotion of trade and industry through the dissemination of publication material, promotional material, regardless of the media used, statistics, setting-up exhibitions and trade missions, presence at trade shows, all both in Belgium and, to a significant extent, internationally;
c) all administrative help and advice on a social, economic and financial field and in relation to the import and export of all kinds of diamonds and precious stones via “Diamond Office”, as well as the operational support of the “Diamond office”-activities in close cooperation with the Belgian government;
d) the encouragement of scientific and technological research into diamonds and precious stones, as well as coordinating and bring together scientific and technical documentation, both as regards decorative and industrial diamonds and precious stones;
e) the promotion of a healthy social policy as regards the acquisition and training of the workforce, according to the financial needs of the industry;
f) the promotion of sustainability and transparency within the diamond industry, in Antwerp as well as on a global level.Main EU files targeted
Address
Head Office
Hoveniersstraat, 22
Antwerpen 2018
BELGIUM -
People
Total lobbyists declared
None declared
Lobbyists with EP accreditation
All Lobbyists with EP accreditation over time
2 accreditations were / are live (in bold) for the selected state of 29 Jan 2015
Name Start date End Date Ari EPSTEIN 17 Sep 2016 16 Sep 2017 Mr Michaël Geelhand de Merxem 17 Sep 2016 16 Sep 2017 Karla BASSELIER 17 Sep 2016 16 Sep 2017 Filip Buntinx 17 Sep 2016 16 Sep 2017 Mr Nick De Vlaminck 17 Sep 2016 16 Sep 2017 Karla BASSELIER 02 Aug 2014 31 Jul 2015 Karla BASSELIER 02 Aug 2014 27 Jan 2015 Mr Michaël Geelhand de Merxem 31 Jul 2014 29 Jul 2015 Ari EPSTEIN 05 Mar 2012 02 Apr 2013 Mark VAN BOCKSTAEL 05 Mar 2012 02 Apr 2013 Karla BASSELIER 05 Mar 2012 02 Apr 2013 Dries HOLVOET 05 Mar 2012 02 Apr 2013 Complementary Information
None declared
Person in charge of EU relations
None declared
Person with legal responsibility
Ms Karla Basselier (Head Public Affairs)
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Categories
Category
II - In-house lobbyists and trade/business/professional associations
Subcategory
Trade and business associations
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Networking
Affiliation
None declared
Member organisations
None declared
-
Financial Data
Closed financial year
Jan 2014 - Dec 2014
Lobbying costs for closed financial year
None declared
Other financial info
As a private foundation, the AWDC has no members.
The diamond trade is subject to very strict regulations in Belgium. For instance, companies have to be registered with the Ministry (Federal Public Service) of Economy in order to be able to trade diamonds internationally.
The paperwork and certification of all imports and exports of all types of diamonds (rough, polished, powder ...) is done at one single point in Belgium: Diamond Office. This is a department of the AWDC, in which we collaborate with the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Finances (Customs). Customs clearance is done by the Ministry of Finances. All parcels are subsequently checked by 18 diamond experts, which operate under supervision of the Ministry of Economy. They check the weight, the classification (HS Code) and the value of every parcel (100%), and compare these with the data on the trade documents. The Kimberley Process Certificate, which is mandatory for all shipments of rough diamonds, is verified by the Ministry of Economy. The Ministry also issues the Kimberley Process Certificates for all shipments of rough diamonds that are to be exported to countries outside the EU.
For this service - which benefits the trading companies, increases transparency and to a certain extent prevents the abuse of diamond trade for illegitimate purposes such as money laundering - a handling fee (retribution), based on the value of the shipment, is charged to the diamond companies. This is the only source of revenue (core financing) for the AWDC.
The AWDC sometimes charges a fee for certain specific activities (i.e. participation in trade missions abroad), but these are merely used to cover the expenses of the activities, and are not used as core financing. -
EU Structures
Groups (European Commission)
None declared
Groups (European Parliament)
None declared
Communication activities
None declared
Other activities
None declared
Meetings
Meetings
3 meetings found. Download meetings
The list below only covers meetings held since November 2014 with commissioners, their cabinet members or directors-general at the European Commission; other lobby meetings with lower-level staff may have taken place, but the European Commission doesn't proactively publish information about these meetings. For more information about which commissioner is responsible for which portfolio, check out this link: https://commissioners.ec.europa.eu/index_en All information below comes from European Commission web pages.
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Date 01 Apr 2020 Location VTC Subject Exchange on Kimberly Process DG Foreign Policy Instruments Attending - Hilde Hardeman (Head of Service)
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Date 02 Jul 2019 Location Brussels Subject Follow up to June 2019 KP intersessional DG Foreign Policy Instruments Attending - Hilde Hardeman (Head of Service)
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Date 17 Jul 2017 Location Brussels, Belgium Subject Preparation of EU chairmanship of the Kimberley process DG Foreign Policy Instruments Attending - Hilde Hardeman (Head of Service)