We are proud to reveal that we have been selected by the President of the European Commission, Mr José Manuel Barroso, to be the host for his second informal meeting with his newly appointed team. The 27 commissioners arrived at the Kempinski Hotel Dukes' Palace on Thursday February 25th 2010.
History is written as this was the first time that the European Commission met in Bruges. President Barroso and his team discussed their strategy for the next 10 years to come.
The EU is the world's biggest trader and its currency, the euro, is the second one in the international financial markets. It has a web of bilateral and multilateral agreements covering most countries and regions of the globe and spends a billion Euro a month in assistance projects in all five continents. Its significant role on the global stage is indisputable.
To expand and deepen relations with other countries and regions, the EU holds regular summit meetings with its main partner as well as regional dialogues with countries in the Mediterranean, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America. Although these relationships focused mainly on trade issues at the beginning, over the years they have broadened to cover economic cooperation, energy, science and technology, investment and environmental issues, as well as human rights, the war on terror, international crime and drug trafficking.
"President Barroso is actually a regular VIP at Kempinski." says General Manager, Mr Philippe De Meyer. "Previously he visited the Kempinski Hotels in Moscow, Berlin and Dresden. It was our greatest pleasure to host President Barroso and his commissioners at the Kempinski Hotel Dukes' Palace and we are looking forward to welcome them again in the near future."