News

The 2017 Brussels budget lacks a sense of urgency

22 December 2016

“The Brussels government just continues on, while the ship is clearly taking on water and sinking,”Johan Van den Driessche, party leader in the Brussels Parliament, remarks on the 2017 Brussels-Capital Region budget. “A third of the measures will work, a third will not work and a third will be …

Government reforms labour market and social security

16 December 2016

The government has approved the Workable and Agile Work (Werkbaar en Wendbaar Werk) law and thoroughly reformed the 1996 law on wage norms, along with financing of social security. “In that way it demonstrates a commitment to a modern and competitive labour market,” the N-VA states. “At the same …

Spanish charge unworthy of an EU member state

16 December 2016

The Speaker of the Parliament of Catalonia, Carme Forcadell, has had to appear before a Spanish court to answer accusations of ‘administrative disobedience’. On 27 July, Forcadell allowed a debate to take place on a binding referendum on independence, based on the model of the Scottish referendum …

Espionage of Turkish mosques in Belgium

15 December 2016

The N-VA has petitioned Minister of Justice Koen Geens (CD&V) to urgently monitor the espionage activities of Turkish mosques in Belgium and take the appropriate measures. The move was motivated by a letter from Diyanet, the Turkish Presidency of Religious Affairs, to Turkish mosques, embassies and …

Europe forces the NMBS to provide better service

14 December 2016

The European Parliament has approved new legislation, intended to further liberalise European rail traffic. “According to this new legislation it appears that the NMBS can retain its monopoly, provided that it satisfies measurable and transparent performance criteria. This package is a great …

Federal government: redesign is becoming tangible

9 December 2016

At the suggestion of Steven Vandeput, Minister of the Civil Service, the government will establish a new federal umbrella organisation, consolidating the services of FPS Personnel and Organisation (P&O), FPS Budget and Management Control (B&B), FPS Information and Communication Technology (Fedict), …

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