Stories from Brussels · Belgium

The Flemish transport company De Lijn is planning a major overhaul of school transport services to meet budget requirements. The restructuring specifically targets special education transport.

More women are working in Belgium today than ten years ago. However, Belgium is losing ground compared to other European countries. A clear gap has emerged since 2015, particularly among women with children. The source noted that Belgian women previously met the European average in 2015. Belgium's labor participation rate is falling behind the European average. While women's participation helped maintain a level closer to the European mean in the past, both men and women in Belgium now show a lag compared to the rest of Europe. The report notes that the gap for men was already present before women's participation rates also declined. A report analyzed data for approximately 1.4 million women working in the private sector between 2016 and 2025. According to the findings, 3.7% of women leave their jobs in the first month after childbirth.

Belgium is the only country in Western Europe that has not yet begun rebuilding its gas reserves, according to a report. While winter is not imminent, the delay was noted in a recent announcement. Fluctis stated that the situation is not exceptional.

Premiums for European aluminium billets have doubled following supply disruptions caused by the war in Iran.

The European Parliament is calling for new common taxes to fund shared agricultural policies and cohesion funds. Parliament President Roberta Metsola said the need for a firm community stance to secure fresh funding to repay existing debts. One proposal involves implementing a digital tax on technology companies. Negotiations regarding the EU budget are expected to continue. The EU Parliament is calling for a minimum tax within the digital space to ensure compliance in the internal market. Parliamentary members are calling for the strict application of digital services regulations to protect minors from online abuse. The discussion focuses on addressing illegal content, including deepfakes and intimate images distributed without consent. Lawmakers are advocating for a standard where content deemed illegal offline is also treated as illegal online.

Germany and Morocco are discussing a migration partnership, though concrete effects have been limited so far. The meeting involves designated head of government Motjo in Brussels to discuss the release of frozen EU funds.

Samantha Burgess, Deputy Director of the EU Copernicus program, stated that parts of Europe extending into the Arctic are warming faster than the rest of the world. The report includes actionable findings intended to inform political decisions. Observations show a succession of droughts since 2017, a pattern previously expected in models only by 2040-2050. Heatwaves have also been increasingly noted across Europe since 2015. The succession of heatwaves has occurred earlier than the 2030-2040 projections previously anticipated. Researchers recommend reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting lifestyles to the warmer climate. Heatwaves are becoming more frequent and intense, with long-lasting heatwaves observed from the Mediterranean to the Arctic Circle in 2025. In 2025, at least 95% of the European continent experienced temperatures above the seasonal norm.

The Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization stated that the climate status report for Europe confirms warming trends since 1980. The report states that the consequences of climate change are already clearly perceptible. The report notes that droughts in Southern Europe have fueled wildfires. Approximately 95 percent of the European continent experienced heat levels not seen in over a hundred years. Scientists compiled the data to assess the current state of the global climate. The findings highlight the ongoing acceleration of temperature increases across the European region. In Iberia, rainfall increased significantly, including a period where wildfires burned 10,000 square kilometers. The European State of the Climate study found that global average temperatures have increased by approximately 0.27 degrees Celsius per day since the 1990s.

Samantha Burgess, director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, stated that Southern Europe and the Mediterranean region face increased exposure to drought conditions. The report notes that despite European efforts to reduce emissions, the atmosphere mixes on a global scale. Francisco Forreira discussed the conclusions of the Copernicus report regarding climate change. The warming effect is intensified by reduced moderating actions in the ocean. Karlob Wen-Tempo, director of the Copernicus Climate Service, reported that drought conditions are becoming more prevalent across Europe. The report noted specific drought conditions affecting Eastern Europe in 2025. Wen-Tempo stated that these conditions will worsen due to climate change unless current trajectories change. The report also highlighted unusual observations in the Arctic Circle.

Hungarian politician Peter Magyar met with Ursula von der Leyen to discuss unlocking frozen European Union recovery funds. Von der Leyen assured that the EU will release the funds to the country shortly. The funds are expected to flow to the country shortly, according to the source. The measures were noted to impact low-income individuals. Hungarian parliamentary faction leader Péter Magdiar announced on social media that an agreement to release frozen European Union funds to Budapest will be signed in Brussels on May 25. Magdiar aims to secure the release of the blocked funds by the end of May. The faction leader also claimed that Ukraine has suffered a military defeat. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán traveled to Brussels ahead of his scheduled inauguration on May 9.