About: Belgium
Merkel warns of ‘centrifugal forces’ in EU, calls for unity
German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned of dividing forces in the European Union and issued a plea for more unity across the continent, speaking at an award ceremony speech in Spain on Thursday (14 October).
COVID pass could call last orders in bars for Brussels students
Belgian students are queuing up in droves to get vaccinated, ahead of plans by the Brussels regional government to make the health pass mandatory for accessing restaurants and bars in an effort to encourage young people to get their shots.
Belgium, Netherlands major cocaine hubs: Europol
Belgium and the Netherlands have become major hubs for cocaine trafficking into Europe, overtaking Spain as the primary smuggling route, the EU's policing agency said Tuesday (7 September).
Portugal, Luxembourg, Belgium get first tranches of EU recovery funds
Portugal, Luxembourg and Belgium on Tuesday received their first tranches of money from the 800 billion euro ($950.8 billion) EU recovery fund aimed at helping them rebound from the pandemic and make their economies greener and more digitalised.
Experts: Deadly floods made worse by misguided farming practices
German environmental organisations are calling for flood protection measures to be improved and for a change to the way agricultural soils are used weeks after catastrophic flash floods deluged the country and left more than 200 dead across Western Europe. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Belgian town of Dinant hit by worst floods in decades
The southern Belgian town of Dinant was hit by the heaviest floods in decades on Saturday (24 July) after a two-hour thunderstorm turned streets into torrential streams that washed away cars and pavements but did not kill anyone.
COVID-19 travel certificate rolled out in Belgium
A COVID-19 travel certificate expected to greatly simplify travel within the EU has been made available in Belgium from Wednesday (16 June), the country’s authorities confirmed.
Belgium must halt police race violence and end racial profiling, says UN committee
Belgium must take action to tackle ‘police-related racial violence’ and racial profiling, according to new recommendations by a UN committee published on Monday (3 May).
Convicted Greek neo-Nazi MEP arrested in Brussels
A former leading member of Greece's neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party was arrested in Belgium on Tuesday (27 April), hours after the European Parliament lifted his immunity, Greek police said.
EU sues AstraZeneca over breach of COVID-19 vaccine supply contract
The European Commission said on Monday (26 April) it had launched legal action against AstraZeneca for not respecting its contract for the supply of COVID-19 vaccines and for not having a "reliable" plan to ensure timely deliveries.
Belgium looks towards ‘cautious’ relaxations, with hospitality sector to open on 8 May
Belgium's Consultation Committee on Wednesday (14 April) decided to 'cautiously' loosen certain COVID-19 restrictions, including lifting a travel ban, reopening outdoor terraces for the hospitality sector and extending social bubbles.
Rise of nationalist parties threatens to stall progress on race discrimination in Belgium
In 2021, Belgium will mark 40 years since the national Anti-Racism Act was passed. However, despite efforts to combat racism and ethnic discrimination, complaints of racism rose by almost 50% in 2020.
Belgium enters new four-week Easter lockdown
Belgium has announced it will close schools, limit access to non-food stores and hairdressers for four weeks from Saturday, in a strict renewed lockdown designed to contain a rising third wave of COVID-19 infections.
European police pounce after cracking encrypted phone network
Police said Wednesday (10 March) they had arrested at least 80 people and carried out hundreds of raids in two European countries after shutting down an encrypted phone network used by organised crime groups.
EU Parliament strips Puigdemont, two other Catalans of immunity
The European Parliament has voted to waive the immunity of Catalonia’s former regional head of government and two other separatist lawmakers, taking them a step closer to extradition to Spain, where they are charged with sedition.
Brussels to rename tram, bus stops after famous women
Brussels' public transport operator marked International Women's Day by renaming 10 metro stations after famous women for one day, and pledging to permanently rename 17 bus and tram stops over the next three years to "feminise" its network.
Foreign fighters: Belgium to repatriate children and some mothers held in Syria
Belgium will repatriate children detained in a Syrian refugee camp to meet a 2019 court order, along with some mothers on a case by case basis, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo said on Thursday (4 March).
Six EU countries warned over border restrictions
The European Commission said Tuesday (23 February) it has formally warned six EU countries that their virus-related border curbs could undermine free movement within the bloc.
Belgian Catholics contest 15 at-a-time COVID rule in one of world’s biggest churches
Brussels' cavernous basilica is one of the largest churches in the world but COVID-19 rules allow only 15 people at a time to attend mass there, the same limit applied to much smaller religious venues in Belgium.
EU urges five countries to codify anti-racism law
The European Commission on Thursday (18 February) told five EU countries -- Belgium, Bulgaria, Finland, Poland and Sweden -- to quickly put a 2008 EU law against racism into their statutes.
Pandemic showcases Belgium as Europe’s Vaccine Valley
A small country with an outsize reputation in research and pharmaceuticals, Belgium has emerged with a strategic role in the world's battle against the coronavirus.
MEPs threaten to sue over European Prosecutors’ appointments
The European Parliament is requesting all documentation concerning the nominations for the European Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) of the candidates from Belgium, Bulgaria and Portugal, where national ministers overruled the selection committee picks.
British COVID-19 variant may be dominant in Belgium by early March, scientists say
The new British variant of the novel coronavirus could replace almost all current strains of the virus in Belgium by the end of February, a group of scientists advising the government said in a report on Thursday (28 January).