Brussels is the capital of the European Union. The European institutions are all here - the Council, the European Parliament, the Commission, the Committee of the Regions and the Social and Economic Committee. The European Union brings together hundreds of national, regional and local representations, a great deal of international media and thousands of lobbyists. Brussels is also the second biggest gathering of diplomatic representations in the world.
Economically, Brussels owes a large part of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to the European and international presence. It plays host to over 1,300 foreign companies, 120 governmental organisations and 1,400 NGOS. Almost 92,000 jobs are directly or indirectly linked to its international role.
The Brussels region also manages projects jointly-financed by the European Union as part of the FEDER 2007-2013 programme. This programme will, for example, enable the investment of over 100 million Euros in the canal area.
Thanks to the presence and mixture of so many nationalities, Brussels is a cosmopolitan, open and welcoming region. In 1991, the region founded the "Brussels-Europe Liaison Office" to promote Brussels as the capital of Europe. It offers administrative support for people moving to the region, and raises awareness among inhabitants as to the international aspect of their city by encouraging exchanges between Europeans and Brussels natives.