Scottish Government events in Brussels: 2017

View Brussels events from other years.

Fisheries Reception – 11 December

On the evening of the first day of the December Agriculture and Fisheries Council, the Scottish Government and the Scottish Fishermen's Federation held their annual Fisheries Reception in Scotland House. The event was hosted by Fergus Ewing, Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity.

Schuman Christmas Market – 06 December

The annual Schuman Christmas Market located on the Rond Point Schuman, Brussels took place on Wednesday 06 December. A number of country and regional representations hosted stalls with food and drink specialties for visitors to taste. The Scotland House stall showcased an array of local Scottish produce highlighting Scotland's rich culinary heritage.

St Andrews Day Concert – 30 November

Scotland House hosted its annual St. Andrew's Day concert on Wednesday, 29 November. Guests enjoyed a fantastic performance by the four piece Scottish band Tide Lines and were treated to a reception featuring the best of Scottish traditional food and drink.

The Future of the EU and Future of the UK, Scotland and EU27 Relationship – 22 November

On 22 November, the Scottish Government EU Office hosted a high-level policy event organised by the Scottish Centre on European Relations and the European Policy Centre entitled "The Future of the EU and Future of the UK, Scotland and EU27 Relationship." The event began with keynote speeches by Michael Russell, Minister for UK Negotiations on Scotland's Place in Europe and Danuta Hubner, Chair of the European Parliament Constitutional Affairs Committee. This was followed by two panel discussions, the first on "The Future of the EU: New Strategic Direction or Challenges Still Unanswered" and the second on "Brexit, the UK, Scotland and the EU27: Where Next?". Panel chairs and speakers included Mike Neilson, Director Scotland House Brussels; Dr Kirsty Hughes, Director Scottish Centre on European Relations; Dr Fabian Zuleeg, Chief Executive, European Policy Centre; Reinhard Bütikofer, MEP and Member of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy; John Kerr, House of Lords and former UK Permanent Representative to the EU; Emer Deane, Counsellor, Permanent Representation of Ireland to the EU.

Estonian and Scottish Folk Music Concert – 20 October

On 20 October, the Scottish Government EU Office together with the Estonian Permanent Representation to the EU, hosted an Estonian-Scottish Folk Music Concert at Scotland House to mark the Estonian Presidency of the Council of the EU. The concert featured the Estonian Folk Trio, Torupilli Jussi Trio, and Scottish musicians Charlie Stewart, Eddie Seaman and Craig Irving.

Scottish Writers Series – 21 September

On Thursday 21 September, Scotland House hosted a Scottish Writers Series event welcoming author Malachy Tallack to present his books The Un-Discovered Islands and Sixty Degrees North. Malachy captivated the audience with excerpts from his books and a very intriguing presentation about some of the 'un-discovered' islands explored in his work.

Scotland House Summer Reception – 12 July

The Scottish Government EU Office and Scotland Europa, in partnership with Historic Environment Scotland, hosted their annual summer reception at Scotland House on Tuesday 11 July. As 2017 marks Scotland's Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology, the event celebrated Scotland's rich cultural heritage and fascinating archaeology by showcasing a digital technology developed by Historic Environment Scotland which gives a virtual 3D experience of Scotland's World Heritage sites.

Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) Event – 20 June

On 20 June, the Scottish Government and the SCVO co-hosted a panel discussion to discuss the impact of Brexit on the third sector and the importance of the voice of civil society. Michael Russell, Minister for UK Negotiations on Scotland's Place in Europe, gave the main address focussing on the importance of civil society bringing forward ideas; the importance of maintaining existing equality, human rights and social protections; the importance of due process and continued input from the third sector during the Article 50 negotiations; and the importance of discussion around the consequences of Brexit. The Minister was joined by Maggie Lennon, Director of the Bridges Programmes, and Petros Fassoulas, Secretary General of the European Movement International, for a panel discussion chaired by John Downie, SCVO. Discussion included the impact of Brexit on European funding; the economy and knock-on effect on employability support; the importance of engaging with the third sector given its experience with many of the key issues which will be considered in the Article 50 negotiations; and the importance of accessing and using wider networks and expertise across Europe.

SIMPATHY Event – 27 April

On 27 April, the Scottish Government hosted the final conference of the SIMPATHY Project (Stimulating Innovation Management of Polypharmacy and Adherence in The Elderly) on Active and Healthy Ageing - Addressing the Challenges of Multi-Medication in Europe's Elderly Population. The conference brought together ten organisations from across Europe to address topics in health service provision and sustainable management of medication among the elderly. The stakeholders explored opportunities for further European initiatives to improve the management of polypharmacy and support change across the EU. The event was hosted by Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport, Shona Robison. The Scottish Government is the lead partner in the project, reflecting Scotland's expertise and leadership in this field. The event was very well attended by representatives from a number of pharmacy and medical associations across Europe, academics, health care professionals, representatives from the EU Institutions and health experts from EU member states and regions. Ms Robison invited participants to sign a 'pledge wall' at the event to show their support for change and improvement in polypharmacy management to ensure comprehensive, integrated and patient-centred solutions are provided across health care services.

Young Scot Event - 13 March

On 13 March, the Scottish Government and Young Scot, Scotland's Youth information and citizenship charity, organised a roundtable event in Scotland House that brought together young people from Scotland and other European countries to exchange their views on the future of Europe, particularly in light of the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome. The event was hosted by Michael Russell, Minister for UK Negotiations on Scotland's Place in Europe. It provided a good opportunity for young people to engage with their peers and discuss ways of tackling key issues for Europe, such as promoting human rights, international security, protecting the environment and studying, working and travelling abroad, which had been identified as particularly important to young people in a survey undertaken by Young Scot. Participants proposed several ideas for managing these issues through collaboration at a European level.

Annual Burns Concert - 25 January

The Scottish Government EU Office hosted its annual Burns Concert at Scotland House on 25 January to mark the birthday of Scotland's national poet Robert Burns. The event featured talented students from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland who entertained guests with a concert and a performance of Address to a Haggis, one of Burns' most well known poems. This was followed by a reception of traditional Scottish specialties including Haggis, Neeps and Tatties. The event drew in a large audience of Brussels stakeholders and Scots living in Brussels.

Annual Burns Supper - 23 January

On 23 January, Mr Jamie Hepburn, Minister for Employability and Training, hosted the Scottish Government EU Office's Annual Burns Supper at the Residence of the UK Permanent Representative to the EU. The event showcased Scotland's traditions and heritage to European Partners as students from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland performed some of Burns' best-loved works. The Burns Supper also provided an opportunity to welcome the new Presidencies of the Council of the EU for 2017, Malta and Estonia.

Scotland's Place in Europe - 15 January

Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs, Ms Fiona Hyslop, hosted an event at Scotland House on 15 January to discuss the document Scotland's Place in Europe, a set of proposals designed to mitigate the risks for Scotland of being taken out of the EU. Scotland's Place in Europe was published by the First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, on 20 December 2016.