Stories from Brussels · Belgium

Siemens has been selected to lead an initiative by the European Union to establish rules for industrial artificial intelligence. The initiative aims to create a framework for the responsible development and deployment of AI in manufacturing and other industrial sectors.

A new school calendar is being implemented. Delfide d'Hydriche, the director of Autopia Park, stated that this period is when they receive school groups with pedagogical expectations.

European governments are reportedly planning a conference in autumn to address the issue of Europe's independent access to space. The discussion will also cover potential disruptions if navigation satellites were unavailable.

The Brussels Jazz Weekend is scheduled to take place from May 22 to 24 in the capital.

Protocol 507 has been put in place today for the CGSP, a Belgian public services union.

Ursula von der Leyen stated that phasing out nuclear power was a strategic mistake. She made this comment while discussing the shift towards solar energy. Nuclear power is reportedly gaining momentum in some EU countries.

A new agreement within the European Union will ban AI applications that produce sexual, forbidden, or child exploitation material. The discussion room for this agreement reportedly only included AI companies.

The Belgian federal government plans to gradually eliminate the divorced spouse pension and the self-employed pension, while also reforming the survivor's pension. The government views these mechanisms as an 'employment trap' that discourages beneficiaries from seeking work.

The European Commission has initiated a measure to extend the period during which a specific pesticide can remain on the market and be sold. This extension is occurring despite the pesticide's acknowledged harmfulness.

An ad-hoc mission by the European Union or an EU partner took place last week. This mission focused on the ongoing conflict involving Iran, Iraq, Israel, and the USA.