Stories from Brussels · Belgium

The European Union is working to secure alternative fuel supplies from the United States.

The European Commission plans to introduce a minimum age of 13 for digital services across Europe by the end of the year. The spokesperson said that the EU Digital Services Act must be upheld. This follows a report from the European Farmers in November requesting stronger enforcement of age limits. Lawmakers stated that these measures are necessary to ensure compliance with EU digital laws and internal market rules. The demand aims to address the ongoing challenges regarding minor safety in the digital space. Simple verification of birth dates is considered insufficient for effective enforcement. New reports indicate EU legislation will require online platforms to provide specific tools to enforce age limits. An EU Commissioner stated the draft is available online for testing and feedback. Officials stated the app will be absolutely secure once online.

Activists sent an appeal to the European Parliament regarding the actions of the Caucasus Assembly president and secretary. The decision allows for the future use of more potentially harmful chemicals in cosmetics. This follows a change in the standards that cosmeticians must meet. The Parliament approved standards for substances that can be carcinogenic, mutagenic, or reprotoxic in larger quantities. However, the Parliament rejected a proposal to completely remove bans on substances that are harmful only when inhaled or swallowed. Under the new rules, cosmetics will no longer be required to meet the same standards as food products. The new regulations will affect how cosmeticians must meet safety standards. The decision aims to regulate chemicals that can cause health damage in large quantities.

European defense capabilities require increased speed and stronger leadership to address current challenges. The report cites the Draghi report, presented over 18 months ago, as an example of slow execution. A credible voice in foreign policy requires the ability to mobilize resources at scale. António Costa stated that European defense cannot continue to move slowly, framing the issue as a choice between being subjects of history or objects of others' choices. He noted that Portugal and Spain have chosen to be subjects.

The Alliance Immunisation group, sponsored by Yannick Neuder, is advocating for increased vaccination rates among healthcare professionals.

New EU labor law adjustments are expected to increase unemployment costs for neighboring countries. Luxembourg, which employs hundreds of thousands of workers from other EU nations, faces higher costs due to these changes.

EU member states reached an agreement to significantly improve employee rights following over 10 years of negotiations. The legislative adjustment could impact black unemployment insurance once it comes into force. The agreement addresses issues regarding cross-border workers, such as French citizens working in Germany, and how they are treated if they lose employment in their home country. The agreement aims to address discrimination in labor law areas such as illness, accidents, and job loss. Under the new rules, social security benefits will be handled differently, such as a worker in Luxembourg receiving unemployment benefits from Luxembourgish insurance rather than from their country of residence. Previously, the place of residence determined benefit eligibility, allowing countries like Luxembourg to shift unemployment costs to neighboring nations.

A couple has filed a lawsuit in the Brussels Court of First Instance against the Flemish childcare system. The situation led to the boy being excluded from school and required police intervention at home due to frequent, uncontrolled anger outbursts.

Prison overcrowding in Belgium has reached levels, according to reports. On Monday, 784 detainees were forced to sleep on mattresses directly on the floor within their cells. Officials noted that prison overpopulation has never been as high as it is currently.

The European Commission is planning a digital fairness law aimed at eliminating addictive design features for young users. This measure follows recent actions against Meta and seeks to address competition issues in the cloud sector.