The arrest was made as part of a broader investigation of the Hells Angels led by the Portuguese Public Prosecutor’s Office, with the assistance of the Central Department of Investigation and Criminal Action (DCIAP) and the PJ. The case currently has 89 defendants, of whom 43 are now in custody.

The Belgian detainee was present at the Criminal Investigation Court of Lisbon for the first time on Tuesday, and the court, in concordance with the Public Prosecutor’s Office, applied the measure of pre-trial detention.

According to a judicial source, interrogations of the defendants have taken place in recent days and continue to be carried out. However, none of the defendants have yet answered any of the questions put to them by the Public Prosecutor’s Office.

In March of last year, about 20 Hells Angels bikers invaded a restaurant in Prior Velho, a municipality of Loures near Lisbon, to attack the rival Red & Gold group, created by the extreme-right radical Mário Machado. The two rival gangs clashed inside the restaurant, with knives, sticks, iron bars and other objects being used.

In January, the Criminal Investigation Court (TIC) of Lisbon declared that the “special complexity” of the case entailed that the Public Prosecutor’s Office was entitled to six additional months (until July 18) to file their indictments, thereby also extending the period of pre-trial detention of the gang members.

The Hells Angels group has existed in Portugal since 2002, and has always been closely monitored by police and the Portuguese authorities more generally.

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Literally translated, Pão de Ló means bread of Ló, but taste and texturewise it’s more a sponge cake than a bread. Its production dates to the beginnings of the 18^th century, when a certain Clara Maria started to produce the today famous Pão de Ló de Margaride. The little bread factory, that is more of a vintage bakery, still exists today and is located right in the heart of Felgueiras. We were quite lucky to visit it and watch the hard-working ladies and men during the whole process. It was an exciting experience to see how this traditional cake has been prepared for centuries and retained its charm over all this time.

Pão de Ló is made from eggs, sugar and flour. It’s just the egg yolks that are being used and Guilherme, the owner of Pão de Ló de Margaride, told us that 25 egg yolks go into a kilogram of batter. The yolks are first beaten with the sugar until a creamy batter has formed. Only then the flour is added, and everything is mixed to an even dough. The dough is then filled into clay cake forms that have a hole in the middle and are lined with a thick white paper. Once the dough has been evenly distributed, the cake is baked in the oven for 40-45 minutes. The final product is a beautiful, slightly browned cake with a little crust and a golden, fluffy inside that smells like eggs and perfection. It’s served in the paper it was baked in and it’s usually not cut but ripped off by hand, so the airy texture of the cake doesn’t get lost. You’ll find the cake in bakeries mostly before and during Easter, but also during the year it’s a popular dessert, best enjoyed with a glass of Port wine.

The factory visit wasn’t the only highlight of our visit. After a delicious lunch in the city, we headed to the actual festival of the Pão de Ló, which is taking place every year, a week before Easter. The festival showcases the biggest and best producers of Pão de Ló and this year was the first time that also international exhibitors took part in the event. Similar types of the spongecake exist in Japan for example, so you could find Japanese-inspired matcha sponge cake. We were introduced to all the Pão de Ló producers, who keep their family recipes a secret since generations and are all well known in the region. They won several awards both nationally and internationally: Fábrica de Pão de Ló de Margaride, Casa do Pão de Ló Agostinho de Sousa, Pão de Ló de Margaride de António Lopes, Pão de Ló de Margaride Mário Ribeiro (Fernando Jorge Cibrão Ribeiro), Casa Rosa Sousa, Alojamento e Produtos Regionais.

After the festival our blood was full of sugar and to set this off, we first attended a very interesting wine tasting at Quinta da Lixa. The lovely lady explained to us everything we needed to know about the famous wine of the region: Vinho Verde that is a big part of the local and regional economy. To finish the evening we enjoyed an amazing, local dinner with fresh and regional produce at the restaurant Brasão, headed by the known and talented chef Carvalho. If you visit the city, don’t miss out on his codfish soup or the incredibly tender steak with hand cut, fried chips.

Regardless why you’re visiting the region, there is plenty of things to do and see. Besides being known for its Pão de Ló, Felgueiras and the neighboring towns are famous for their wine and textile production. The area is also part of the Romanic route where you can visit different sights from the Romanic era, like the Mosteiro do Salvador de Travanca. One thing is for sure: you won’t be disappointed by a visit to the region.

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For a weekend in March, the magnificent Alfândega do Porto (old customs house) hosts the most important fashion event in the country: Portugal Fashion. Created by the Portuguese Textile Association (ATP) and the Association of Young Portuguese Entrepreneurs (ANJE), Portugal Fashion first came to life back in 1995, with the presence of top models like Claudia Schiffer, Elle McPherson and Carla Bruni among others.

“From the very beginning we understood that whe world needed to know Portugal was not only a textile-producer nation. We also have very good designers, we can create products of value,” said Manuel Serrão, CEO of Selective Moda. For six years he was VP of ANJE, and in this position he was the engine behind the success of Portugal Fashion.

Since 1999, Portugal Fashion has taken place twice a year, mostly in Porto, but also in other parts of the country in the past: Algarve, Madeira, Figueira da Foz and Lisbon. Besides the focus on fashion and design, Portugal Fashion offers a glimpse of local culture, business trends, advances in technology and sustainability. It is a reference for the bustling world of creativity and aesthetics of present-day Portugal.

Behind golden-rimmmed glasses, Manuel Serrão is a man who observes the world with the eye of a seasoned entrepreneur, someone who has changed the landscape of the textile and fashion industry in Portugal. “Every year I am involved in the set up of 85 fashion and culture events in 35 countries. All of this experience I’ve wanted to bring to Portugal Fashion. And anyone coming here today can see it, the kind of quality Portugal is able to deliver.” 

For the past 10 years the Portuguese textile industry has experienced a renaissance shown both in economic numbers and creativity output. “This is an industry responsible for more than 130,000 jobs and for 10% of national exports,” said Paulo Vaz, director of ATP. “In 2018 the total turnover reached almost 8,000 million Euros, and we are glad to see that the graph continues to point upwards.”

What makes the Portuguese textile industry unique is its cluster-like model: all segments of the value chain can be found in the country, mainly in the northern areas around Braga and Porto. These clusters give Portugal several competitive advantages including speed, flexibility, adaptability, and technical development.

“In Portugal we have the production in-house. We can test a new technology, get the results and go back to the lab immediately. Then we use the feedback of the results, and try again, and so on. It’s a circle of virtue,” said António Braz Costa, Director General of CITEVE (Technological Centre for Textile and Clothing Industries) and CeNTI (Centre of Nanotechnology and Smart Materials).

Besides the men’s and women’s clothing, Portugal has also been at the forefront of innovation in the “technical textile” segment, which includes: automobile industry, high competition sports, security, medical, and defense.

“We have been working on yet a new domain called cosmetic-clothing,” said Mr. Braz Costa. “How does it work? When the textile reaches 36.5 degrees and when a certain tension in the fibers is reached, tiny cup-like shapes are open and release the active element. After you wash the clothes, a spray is used to refill the tiny cups. What are the potential uses, you ask. To treat a skin condition, to get rid of cellulite, to name just a couple.”

One of the main challenges that any country faces is to develop a strong image on the stage of world’s brands. The way consumers shape their perceptions about a product or service is often mysterious, difficult to predict and explain. With the business concept of Private Label, Portugal has found a way to hone all its skills and pave the way to stand as a fashion-country second to none.

“Private Label allows us to have a lot of the design done here in Portugal, which develops the skills of our own designers,” said Paulo Vaz. “Plenty of international companies rely on Portugal to have successful collections. And that tells a lot of what we are able to deliver. We keep investing and developing ourselves.”

For four days the Alfandega do Porto was witness to more than 20 fashion shows, including those by well established Portuguese brands such as Concreto, Nuno Balthazar, Alves/Gonçalves, among many others.

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Following the introduction of the euro, the reduction of interest rate differential and the free flow of capital in the euro area boosted consumption but were not accompanied by a proportionate growth of productive investment in the trade sector. Such movements were translated into a growing current account deficit which further increased the chronic reliance of the European periphery on foreign capital, thus deepening the differences between the so-called Northern and Southern Europe.

EU being the largest economic zone in the world is still very weak in institutional terms. A new economic and governing model for the eurozone is needed. Here’s a ten-step agenda for reforming and pushing up the euro zone:

1. Political and governance reform

The creation of a European finance minister, with his own budget, are french proposals that bring velocity and transparency– however, more is needed. Europe needs to urgently decide the model for its Banking Union; to reinforce the assessing mechanism of national budgets and to enforce transparency at closed-door meetings like the Eurogroup sessions. In order to regain trust of citizens leaders must keep these doors open.

2. Reinforcement of the EU budget

The European budget is financed by up to 1,24% of the national GDP. A reduction in this national contribution is needed, while allowing for the creation of European taxes to be applied on digital businesses or on the large-scale use of artificial intelligence algorithms as a trade-off.  This new reinforcement of the European budget could be channeled to sectorial areas focused on creating a homogeneous economic region that evolves at a single pace.

3. Euro zone corporate tax harmonization

Corporate Tax harmonization in the EU is an essential element to provide mechanisms to combat corporate tax arbitrage and tax evasion. It is a matter of justice, equity and solidarity between member-states. For each member state a clear limit of the corporate tax policy should be assigned, as well as the limitation of the indiscriminate creation of special economic zones. 

4. Transposing the balanced budget rules into a current account treaty

The existence of member-states with trade surpluses of over 6% GDP provokes serious imbalances in other member states with chronic trade. With a view to mitigating the impact of countries with high intra community trade surplus, the Commission should apply sanctions to countries with surpluses. These amounts would then be integrated into the funds destined for productivity support in transactional sectors in countries with persistent trade deficits to increase their competitiveness.

5. Transposing rules of excess public indebtedness to the external total debt – rebalancing the external account

High external debt must be subject to specific rules of adjustment, as a Trade Treaty based on the model of the Stability and Growth Pact, and dedicated to external debt with intra-annual adjustment metrics. This would motivate a net external debt reduction supported by an increase in the trade balance. Additionally, those countries with persistent trade deficits must have a set of specific policies which aim to support its trade balance (e.g. increase in production quotas in the agricultural and fisheries sectors – it is incomprehensible that since countries such as Portugal joined the EU, they have seen their trade deficits in the primary sector grow by almost 50%).

6. Re-levelling the levels of productivity

Disparities in productivity within the EU can be very large and generate an asymmetrical competitiveness landscape among member-states. On top of monitoring macroeconomic imbalances, it is necessary to monitor and correct the major drivers of those imbalances such as productivity.

7. The need to enhance a savings incentive in member-states with large net external liabilities

Every mechanism that can encourage citizens to save a portion of their disposable income into a long-term investment account that can be taken until retirement should be incentivized using tax credits which should be awarded under the guarantee that this retirement investment account is not mobilized ahead of retirement. Bank savings accounts free of taxes are a solution.

8. Re-centring the EU Investment agenda into the tradable sector

Productive investment is a key factor for future growth. The recent crisis penalized the more vulnerable countries aggravating their competitiveness gap. The EU investment agenda should be focused on softening the gaps of competitiveness of different regions in the European block and in overcoming the macroeconomic unbalances within the EU – which can mostly be achieved enhancing the productivity of industries focused in the tradable sector.

9. Mutualisation of long-term public debt management

The asymmetries in the cost of financing within the euro zone turn the euro area into a sub optimum monetary union. It is thus necessary to harmonize the cost of financing of the different sovereign states which, in many cases, continues to represent a benchmark for the cost of financing the economies of the various member states. So, for member states who comply with the balanced budget rules and so as to guarantee the increase in the average maturity of public debt, the possibility should be given of issuing long term debt with the guarantee of a European Fund which would then be gradually capitalized (e.g. with funds from the European Central Bank).

10. Encouraging diversification of sources of corporate short and long-term financing

Europe should incentivize a good asset liability management of its corporate sector in order to avoid the vulnerabilities of its investment agenda to the volatility of market financing conditions. Ideally every stakeholder, investor or bank should be incentivized to assure the match between projects future cash flows and the maturity of the financing instruments.

To wrap it all up, one thing must be said: if the euro area is to exist, and survive the next downturn, major changes in the governance and political model of the monetary union must be made urgently. And they should be on the next European elections agenda. 

Miguel Pinto Luz is the Vice-Mayor of Cascais.

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TAP provides connecting flights to Lisbon. Until now, the Porto route was carried out in partnership (code-sharing) with Brussels Airlines, which meant the Portuguese company sold seats on board Belgian aircraft.

If, in July, TAP will ensure its own flights to the port city, this will not change the current situation. The code-sharing will continue, reported Brussels Airlines, adding that Porto is a destination that works very well.

The two daily flights are therefore maintained and the Belgian company will also offer seats aboard Portuguese aircraft between Porto and Brussels. Ryanair is also active on this air route, most of the time with one connection a day (sometimes two).

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In this framework, the national association for clothing and textile (ATP) together with the agency for investment and external commerce from Portugal (AICEP) organised a promotional evening in Brussels in order to brand the portuguese sustainable fashion and convince Belgian investors to invest in Portugal.

 » The aim of our visit is to reinforce the external communication of one of the most dynamic and exporting sectors of the Portuguese economy. Today, our companies are renowned for their know-how, creativity, flexibility, service and strong commitment to sustainability » explained Paulo Vaz, General Director of ATP.

Fashion from Portugal 4.0

Fashion from Portugal 4.0 is the brand new campaign for the upcoming years. And Belgium is invited to explore this opportunity. « In 2016 and 2017 we focused our attention in four main markets: Germany, Spain, the Nordic countries and the United States. The excellence of the previous project exceeded all expectations and was publicly acknowledged when it received the European Enterprise Promotion Award (EEPA). We want to reinforce our positions in those markets and invest in new ones. Namely in Belgium » continued Paulo Vaz.

Multiple companies, designers and investors from Belgium attended this evening. Portuguese Ambassador António Alves Machado underlined that 2018 is an important year for the relationship between Belgium and Portugal. « Last month King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium payed a state visit to Portugal. I’m very happy to see that in multiple fields our cooperation remains extremely alive ».

Maria Manuel Branco, AICEP Director in Brussels stressed: « We stand available to help any Portuguese company interested in getting to know the Belgium market. This evening was a perfect example of what we can do ».

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In this framework, a delegation from the North of Portugal came to Brussels in order to present to the capital of the European Union the tourism assets of the Douro Valley and Trás-os-Montes region.

« AETUR is a private association gathering over 200 businesses from the tourism sector. We aim to promote the North of Portugal as one of the main destinations of our country. «  explained Luis Marques, AETUR President at the opening of the conference Discover the North of Portugal, that took place at the Portuguese Permanent Representation to the European Union, with more than 100 participants. « In 2016, we had a 10,7% growth in overnight stays compared to 2015, reaching 6,8 million tourists! Which was in fact our goal for 2020. » he emphatised.

The cradle of Portugal

« Northern Portugal is the cradle of our country. Our history started here. Guimarães is the birthplace of our first King, Dom Afonso Henriques. The Castle of Guimarães – a magnificent fortress from XI century – is one of the greatest and most beautiful monuments of the country. » explained Alberto Tapada, Secretary General of AETUR.

Since 2001, Guimarães’ city center is listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site  thanks to its « exceptionally well-preserved and authentic example of the evolution of a medieval settlement into a modern town » in Europe.

In this region, history is seen as important asset for both tourism and identity, insisted Alberto Tapada.

The Douro Valley

« The Douro Valley could as easily be called the enchanted valley, such is the beauty and magic that its landscapes offer. «  explained Joana Duarte, winemaker from Bulas.  As Guimarães, Douro has been also since 2001 listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, thanks to its majestic wilderness, one of the oldest demarcated wine regions in the world.

The Douro Valley is mainly known for its wine. 1756 is an important date for the sector. This year was established the oldest demarcated region in the world: DOC – Douro Demarcated Region.

In the evening at the Portuguese Permanent Representation to the EU, multiple wines from the region were presented. Exclusively Port wines. One caught my attention: the Port Vintage 2016 from Bulas.

« The production of wine is made in small batches, seeking to capture the specificities of the different vineyards and varieties, using traditional techniques combined with the latest technological knowledge and innovations, in order to guarantee a continuous increase in quality and to future sustainability » stressed Joana Duarte, from Bulas. « By producing wines of exceptional quality, which capture the essence of the Douro in a sustainable way, the Bulas family keeps the tradition and preserves the culture and heritage of this extraordinary and unique wine region » she concluded.

Last but not least, the food. Portugal is also known for its delicious smoked pork ham. The Bisaro House, from Bragança, brought the missing flavour for a perfect evening : smoked pork ham with a glass of port wine.  Divine!

Nature, heritage, history, wine, and food are the ingredients from this region. One should definitely consider the North of Portugal as a 2019 destination.

The post North of Portugal conquered Brussels appeared first on Brussels Express.

Silvia Gonçalves Paradela

She is a candidate for Woluwe Saint-Lambert.

Joana Benzinho Santos

She is a candidate for Brussels.

2018 Communal Elections: Spotlight on Brussels

Inês de Matos Pinto

She is a candidate for Etterbeek.

2018 Communal Elections: Spotlight on Etterbeek

Yasmine Rodrigues Morais

She is a candidate for Ixelles.

Communal Elections 2018: Spotlight on Ixelles

Estela Costa

She is a candidate for Saint-Gilles.

2018 Communal Elections: Spotlight on Saint-Gilles

Isabel da Silva Shale

She is a candidate for Anderlecht.

2018 Communal Elections: Spotlight on Anderlecht

According to the Brussels Institut for Statistics and Analysis, 6,2% of the non-national population in Brussels are Portuguese. They are the 6th European community. A ranking led in 2017 by Romania with roughly 40 000 expatriates.

The post 6 Portuguese women are running for the Communal Elections 2018 appeared first on Brussels Express.

Some of the side effects of this plunge in demand are already being felt, with many European wind tower producers being forced to accept orders below cost. “We’ve had to fire some people,” said José María Ávila, EWTA Board Member from Spain. “And because we continue to see a negative trend, we might need to lay off more people. It’s a really difficult situation for us. And it’s not only the wind tower producers. Also our suppliers are starting to suffer.”

With a total installed capacity of 153.7 GigaWatts, wind-tower production now overtakes coal as the second form of power production. A new EU directive on Renewable Energy Directive aims to reach a target of 32% of energy produced by renewable methods by 2030. In the current environment, a large business potential could be lost to Asia if no action is taken.

“The last thing we are asking for is protectionism,” said Gonçalo Lobo Xavier, EWTA  Executive Director. “But when we look at the prices that some Asian companies are offering, it makes one wonder: Are they perhaps receiving some form of aid that creates unfair competition with companies in Europe? We don’t know but we think it’s fair to ask and investigate. That’s all what we are asking for, that the EU looks more closely into these points.”

Created in 2018, EWTA is a Brussels-based association aiming to promote and support the European steel towers manufactures and to assure the provision of information, services and guidance to its members in areas related to EU and International policy affairs.

Some of the most affected countries are: Spain, France, Denmark, Germany, Czech Republic and Portugal, among others. “We just want a leveled playing field,” said Lobo Xavier. “In Europe, we care about innovation, quality, sustainability, and the respect of social rights. We believe it’s only fair that all producers abide by the same rules. That’s part of what a free market is all about.”

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Patricia Marques aims to bridge that gap between Belgium and Portugal. Patricia is a Portuguese expat who has lived in Brussels since 1990. She began here by working for the Portuguese government in tourism and commercial promotion. This path lead her to learn the intricacies of wine in order to present the exports to Belgium and Luxembourg. So acquainted with the craft that when she left her government job in 2008, she decided nine years later that she wanted to continue her mission of bringing the wine to the country and so she started her own company in order to realise this goal.

What does your company do? 

It acts as the link between wine producers in Portugal and retailers in Belgium. I source wineries in Portugal who produce wine which I find to be good quality and then enter a partnership with them in which they add their products to our collection. I then go and find partnerships with companies in Belgium who would be interested in purchasing these wines in whatever capacity and continuity they choose. And we distribute ourselves these wines in some restaurants, wine shops and wine bars in Belgium.

Why did you want to export Portuguese wines?

When I was working for the Portuguese government here in Belgium, I got a great understanding of wine and learned to really enjoy the craft. In 2000, when I began to be involved in the promotion of wines and agros-alimentaire, I saw that Portugal has such unique flavours and quality. I wanted to help them to get the exposure they deserve, so I was sent on various courses to learn and learn I did.

At the time, the wine produced in the country was usually just for the domestic consumption but new opportunities appeared thanks to the EU. Namely in terms of exports. I wanted to take the chance and do a part of that job in Benelux.

How did you first start your business?

The first four years I was working with other two companies and running some events to gain exposure to both my company and to the potential wines we could offer.  After doing this for a while, we started gaining momentum and getting contracts. As of now, my company has now grown to be one of the most important in Belgium which offers Portuguese wine.

How has it been going so far?

It has been going well. I think that the new techniques and technology in the Portuguese industry has made for some fantastic wines and people are beginning to realise this. We have now connected distributors around Belgium with producers in Portugal, have an office and shop in Ixelles and have just started a partnership with Grand Chais de France for international distribution from a specific brand created in partnership with Joao Portugal Ramos Wines and Vinhos de Darei.  Since 2006, I have also helped the organization of the international contest « Concours Mondial de Bruxelles » which is the first one that features over 9000 wines from 48 countries. This year’s contest took place in Beijing. It was the first out of Europe, and the Portuguese wines won 324 medals out of 1062 wines!

What is your hopes for Portuguese wine in Belgium? 

I aim to bring the wine from the different regions in Portugal from various producers and have them widely available here in Belgium. Currently, more than 70% of wines consumed in Belgium are still French, with 80% of these wines bought from a supermarket. Although it seems like a cornered market, after success with the Horeca sector, we have now even managed to carve a space out for ourselves in retail. Now, the majority of Portuguese wines sold in supermarkets come from dealings with my agency.

What wines have been doing well?

Belgium was for a long time the biggest consumer per capita for port wine. They know the region of Douro from which it comes, and thus, they are quite interested in buying from that region due to experience.

As for the other variants, people have been a bit hesitant to try because they feature grapes that they’ve never heard of before. But they are now leaving their comfort zones to try these new wines from the country, but usually, they are preferred if they feature recognisable grapes blended with those native to Portugal. Wines from Lisbon and Alentejo are proving particularly prevalent in the supermarket, especially amongst younger consumers, who want a lighter and more fruity wine.

Good to know:

The Sol Ar
70, rue du Page – 1050 – Brussels
Phone: 02 537 78 47

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