Belgium

The court of first instance in Brussels has condemned the Flemish government for failing to adequately protect the wild hamster, reported environmental organisations Dryade and Vogelbescherming Vlaanderen (Bird Protection Flanders). The government must now take measures, including providing a required minimum area of suitable habitat and a sufficiently large hamster population.

Guess making jokes about being convicted for stalking and harassing women is profitable in Flanders.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/11547794

cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/11547677

Start der neuen Tram heute in Lüttich!

In an interview with Het Laatste Nieuws on April 14, 2025, Belgium’s Defense Minister, Theo Francken, formally proposed that future F-35 fighter jets ordered by Belgium be assembled in Italy rather than in the United States. The minister also revealed that he had already made the request to his Italian counterpart, Guido Crosetto.

The article also goes into more detail of what's already been delivered under the program, the underperforming economic returns for Belgium, the bookkeeping shenanigans to take on more debt, and more.

cross-posted from: https://sh.itjust.works/post/35691280

Brussels (Belgium) (AFP) – An unconventional Belgian prince will learn on Monday if he has the right to social security on top of his royal allowance after he sued for coverage -- the first time a royal has taken such action against the state in the country's nearly 200-year history.

The 61-year-old Prince Laurent, youngest of three children of the former king and queen, insists his work entitles his family to social security -- and that he is acting out of "principle" rather than for money.

Prince Laurent is no stranger to embarrassing the royal family. His long list of unwelcome antics includes likening his relatives to East Germany's Stasi secret police in 2015.

In 2018, his annual state allowance was cut by 15 percent because he met foreign dignitaries without the federal government's approval.

It was not his first faux pas, but the punishment was unprecedented.

Laurent -- who received 388,000 euros ($425,000) last year from state coffers and lives in his home rent-free -- insists he is not motivated by money.

"This is not about financial means but principle," he told Belgian broadcaster RTBF.

"When a migrant comes here, he registers, he has a right to it. I may be a migrant too, but one whose family established the state in place," he added.

Laurent has pointed to medical costs and his concerns over his family's financial wellbeing since the royal allowance will be cut when he dies.

The prince has had an animal welfare foundation offering free veterinary care in clinics for the past 10 years.

He says the foundation work, alongside dozens of visits representing Belgium and participation on several boards, means he has a busy schedule.

The prince believes he is entitled to social security coverage for independent entrepreneurs.

He took legal action after his application was refused. A first hearing was held in November 2024.

The prince did not take legal action on a "whim", said his lawyer Olivier Rijckaert, in an article in Le Soir newspaper.

Social security is "a right granted by Belgian law to every resident, from the poorest to the biggest billionaire", the lawyer added.

Laurent only receives a salary worth 25 percent of his allowance, since the rest covers professional expenses including travel and wages for a staff member.

This comes to a monthly net wage for the prince of 5,000 euros ($5,480), which is comparable to the "average salary of a senior executive in Belgium", but without the usual "full social security coverage", Rijckaert said.

Laurent and his British wife, Claire, have three children now in their twenties.

Without this coverage, Laurent cannot claim reimbursement for certain medical expenses, or sick pay if he is unable to work.

He is not the only royal to have been unhappy about money.

When King Albert II abdicated in favour of his son Philippe after 20 years of reign in 2013, the ex-monarch found his 923,000 euros ($1.25 million) a year insufficient.

Laurent has lambasted what he calls an attempt to "control" him.

"I never asked for an allowance! I always wanted to work, but I was prevented from doing so," he said in 2023, noting his desire, at the age of 60, to "finally" be able to pursue independent projects.

The judgment will not be delivered in public but sent to the parties in the case on Monday.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.it/post/16080182

A collective of pedestrians living in the Brussels is fighting illegal parking by putting humorous stickers on the rear windows of cars parked on the pavement – hindering people wanting to walk or cycle safely.

The sticker read: "Don't be a Putin. Don't annex the pavement."

cross-posted from: https://europe.pub/post/34045

Dr. Pepper is my guilty pleasure, but mostly due to the cost nowadays. I can't justify spending €5/l on soda when off-brand coke zero is less than a tenth of that. Any suggestions?

Follow-up from https://slrpnk.net/post/14315134

So this is a concept that was running on reddit for a long time, I've even taken part in some other fediverse instances.

Feel free to share what you are doing, going trough or thinking about.

I have been busy this past week trying to de-USA as much as I can, moving things to EU-based services, buying only EU made products.

Gotten tickets for pukkelpop 2025 which is going to be my first festival since Covid hit us.

Hope we can get this community a bit more active in talk, I mainly see reposted articles from newssite.

Unite my fellow belgians!

De crisis in de landbouw is het gevolg van een businessmodel waarin enkele multinationals boeren én natuur in een wurggreep houden, schrijven verschillende wetenschappers in een gezamenlijk opiniestuk. Ze roepen op tot een transparanter beleid dat níét gericht is op winst en speculatie.

Belgian homeware retailer CASA has filed for bankruptcy, putting 544 jobs at risk and leading to the closure of 63 stores, its headquarters, and its distribution centre in Olen.

The company, struggling with financial difficulties for years, cited mounting debt and an unfavourable retail market as key reasons for its collapse. Efforts to restructure and secure new investors failed to produce a viable solution.

CASA, which operates in eight European countries with over 2,200 employees, had been under judicial protection since October 2024. However, negotiations with creditors and potential buyers did not lead to a rescue plan. The protection period was set to end on 12 March.

Despite discussions with 12 potential investors, no agreement was reached for a takeover or financial injection. CASA had previously attempted to stabilise its business by closing loss-making stores and reorganising its headquarters, but continued market pressures made recovery impossible.

Closed stores

The case has now been submitted to the commercial court in Turnhout, which will determine the future of the company’s assets and employees. For now, all Belgian stores remain closed.

The fate of CASA’s international stores remains uncertain, as outcomes will depend on local laws and financial conditions in each country.

The cultural events in the article are:

• Bright Festival, Brussels, 13-15 February

• Opening night at M HKA celebrates their spring season stars on 13 February followed by The End is a New Beginning, the work of Hugo Roelandt on 14 February

• The renowned Polish Unsound Festival makes its Belgian debut at Bozar from 14-15 February

• ON/OFF: A new hands-on tech adventure at Technopolis

In its second year, the annual gathering is the only international art fair devoted entirely to the medium. The 2025 edition will feature works by more than 200 artists around the globe, with a particular focus on contemporary Norwegian makers.

The show runs from January 23 to 26.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/28945692

Belgium will ban the sale of disposable electronic cigarettes as of Jan. 1 on health and environmental grounds in a groundbreaking move for European Union nations.

Archived version: https://web.archive.org/web/20241229092244/https://www.npr.org/2024/12/29/g-s1-40289/belgium-will-ban-sales-of-disposable-e-cigarettes

SpinScore: https://spinscore.io/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.npr.org%2F2024%2F12%2F29%2Fg-s1-40289%2Fbelgium-will-ban-sales-of-disposable-e-cigarettes

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/49680051