Brussels: Europe and the Arabs

A new month, new rules. On April 1st, Belgian media reported on a number of measures and developments that the country would undergo starting that day. A new category of long-term unemployed individuals will lose their benefits. At the same time, the minimum wage is increasing, solar panels are becoming mandatory in buildings with annual electricity consumption exceeding 1 gigawatt-hour, and Belgian companies registered for VAT face penalties if they are not connected to the People program. According to the Het Laatste Nieuws website, citing the Belgian news agency, a third category of long-term unemployed individuals will lose their benefits starting April 1st. This includes job seekers whose unemployment period is less than eight years throughout their careers.

The federal government has reformed unemployment benefits, limiting the maximum benefit period to two years. For current beneficiaries, payments will be made in installments. At the beginning of this year, the first category of unemployed people lost their entitlement to benefits: those who had been unemployed for at least 20 years. In March, this was extended to those who had been unemployed for 28 to 8 years, and now it includes those who have been unemployed for up to eight years. Further payments will be made in the coming months. The National Employment Agency (RVA) expects that approximately 173,000 unemployed people will lose their benefits. For unemployed individuals who have applied for benefits, the maximum duration of these benefits has been capped at two years since the beginning of March.

Meanwhile, the minimum wage will increase by a gross of €35.70 starting April 1. This increase was agreed upon in mid-2021. As a result of this increase, the Guaranteed Minimum Average (GGMMI) will reach a gross of €2,189.81 per month. The minimum wage is the absolute minimum wage for employees aged 18 and over. It is mandatory and applies to all sectors. This means that no employee, in any sector or company, can be paid less. Sectors are allowed to agree on higher wages, which often happens. According to the Christian union ACV, around 100,000 employees in Belgium work for the minimum wage.

Since January 1, Belgian companies registered for VAT have been legally required to connect to the Peppol network for invoicing. After three months, on April 1, the grace period ends, and the Federal Tax Service (FPS) begins enforcing penalties.

The three-month grace period applies "provided that the company demonstrates that it has made the necessary preparations in a timely and reasonable manner to comply with the new obligation," according to the government website efactuur.belgium.be.

Companies that do not (as yet) have the necessary technical means to send or receive structured electronic invoices risk fines. The same risk applies to companies that do not issue structured electronic invoices. The government also indicates that any potential penalty will depend on the specific circumstances of each case, which will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. The newspaper Die Tid reported on Friday that coverage has risen to 83.6% of companies, representing 1.114 million out of approximately 1.2 million.

The Knowledge and Innovation Center for Young Children will begin operations on April 1st. Childcare providers can visit the center in Ghent to access educational materials, training, online courses, and more. Organized by the non-profit association "Vernewing in de Basisforzenningen für Jung Kindren" (VBJK), the center aims to strengthen existing support for childcare, which is currently fragmented.

The Knowledge Center will collaborate with Ghent University and the Catholic University of Leuven, among others. Other centers of expertise, the industry itself, and numerous European partners are also involved. A sum of €676,146 has been allocated to launch the center in 2026. From 2027 onwards, the annual subsidy will be €936,357.

As of April 1st, the installation of solar panels became mandatory in Flanders for buildings with an annual electricity consumption exceeding 1 GWh. This obligation applies to owners, tenants, and building rights holders. For government buildings, the maximum permitted consumption is 250 MWh per year. Owners, tenants, and building rights holders must determine whether their consumption exceeds this limit themselves. Given the annual variation in consumption, Flanders emphasizes the importance of annual assessments. In some cases, the building owner may invest in alternative solutions, such as new wind turbines, combined heat and power (CHP) plants powered by biomass or biogas, or heat pumps. Failure to comply with this obligation is subject to a financial penalty. Businesses in the Brussels-Brabant and North districts, including brothels on Arshoutstraat, must close between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. starting April 1.

"Given the growing security problems in the North district, we could not remain inactive," said Martin De Brabant (Reform Movement), mayor of Schaerbeek.

This measure, initially in place for three months, is part of a security plan for the neighborhoods surrounding Brussels North train station. "Given the growing security problems in the North district, we could not remain inactive. It was time to intervene to restore peace and quiet to residents' nights," Mayor De Brabant stated earlier.  

Many drugs, such as crack and heroin, are traded or used in these establishments. Some businesses are also reportedly used as money laundering centers for drug trafficking. Other measures include extending the ban on the sale and consumption of alcohol in public and increasing the police presence in the neighborhoods.

According to the Belgian sex workers' union (Otsubi), sex workers will lose a significant portion of their earnings as a result of the forced closure.

As of April 1, military personnel took over security at the National Institute for Radioactive Elements in Florous from the police. This is the final step in transferring responsibilities to free up officers for other duties.

In June of last year, Defense Minister Theo Francken and Interior Minister Bernard Quentin signed a protocol agreement to deploy military personnel to secure nuclear infrastructure. The Ministry of Defense provides the necessary personnel, equipment, and infrastructure, but the Federal Police remain in command of operations.

The transfer has been carried out gradually. Since July 1, military personnel have been responsible for the security of the Doel and Tihange nuclear power plants. Since December 1, this also applies to the nuclear infrastructure in Mole, Gill, and Decelle. As a final step, beginning April 1, military personnel will assume responsibility for the security of the National Institute of Radioactive Elements in Floros. At this laboratory, radioactive isotopes are processed for use in innovative applications in nuclear medicine.