In 1986, the year in which Treaty concerning the Accession of Spain and Portugal to the European Communities came into force, the Association for the Promotion of Industry (Sociedad para la Promoción y la Reconversión Industrial - SPRI), a public company dependent on the Basque Government Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism, already had an office in Brussels.
Two years later, by means of Decree 89/1988, which established the organic structure of the Basque Ministry for the Presidency, Justice and Autonomic Development, the Basque Government Office in Brussels is created, dependent on the Office for Affairs related with the European Communities.
This Decree was the subject of an appeal before the Constitutional Court lodged by the State Government, based -according to the State’s Official Legal Advisers (Abogacía del Estado)- on the lack of competence of the Basque Autonomous Community to open an Office in the Belgian capital. As a result of the lodging of this appeal, the Constitutional Court agreed the suspension of the article referring to the creation of the Office in Brussels.
The Basque Government, faced with this situation and verifying the need to count on logistic and strategic support for its actions and activities before the European institutions, created the public company "Interbask, S.A.", which was to have an office in Brussels.
During its existence, the functions carried out by Interbask, S.A. took the form of monitoring of and information on Community activity in Brussels and on intermediation between the Basque Administrations and economic and social players and European Community institutions. Moreover, through its office in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Interbask S.A. also carried out training activities and disseminated information on European matters.
By means of the Judgment of the Constitutional Court 165/1994 of 26/5/1994 [es], the claims stated in the appeal lodged by the State Government were rejected and, on the contrary, the Court recognises the competence of the Basque Country to be officially represented in Brussels, as it considers that issues which directly affect the competences and interests of the Basque Country are discussed at the European Community institutions.
After this Judgment, on 12 July 1995, the Basque Government approved the Decree for the formal creation of the Delegation of the Basque Country in Brussels as its official representation before the European institutions, placing at its disposal the material and human resources which at that time belonged to Interbask, S.A., which, having served its purpose, was dissolved a few months later.
The current offices of the Delegation were opened some time later. At the public event held for this purpose, the then Lehendakari (President of the Basque Government), José Antonio Ardanza, delivered the inaugural speech at the headquarters of the Delegation of the Basque Government in Brussels (6 February 1996) [es] (pdf, 45 KB).
At present, the Delegation of the Basque Country in Brussels (Delegación de Euskadi en Bruselas) is organically located in the General Secretariat for External Affairs (Secretaría General de Acción Exterior) [es] of the Presidency of the Basque Government.
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