Stories from brussels · Belgium

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.

EU internet watchdogs are demanding that Meta platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, enforce the minimum age of 13 years as specified in their terms of use. Failure to comply could result in fines of up to 6% of the company's global annual turnover. Data indicates up to 12% of children in that age group use these applications. Existing age restrictions could be easily bypassed, potentially exposing children to inappropriate content. Current reporting procedures for child accounts are described as too cumbersome and ineffective for risk mitigation. The report was filed by Andreas Meier-Feest. Preliminary investigation results suggest current protections are inadequate. Mark Zuckerberg may face penalties for these failures. European regulators have demanded that US-based Meta take more action to protect children on its platforms.

Train circulation is at a standstill in both directions between Brussels-Midi and Bresembourg stations. The stoppage follows an accident involving a person at Linkbeek. Replacement buses are operating between Bresembourg and Brussels-Midi.

Brewery AB Inbev is working to reduce water consumption during production. The company aims to return more water to the basins from which it sources its supply than is required for beer production. This initiative is intended to protect biodiversity and manage resources against droughts and heatwaves, according to the Chief Sustainability Officer. Google has set a goal to replenish 120% of the water used in its data centers.

The Belgian opposition filed a series of amendments regarding the 2026 federal budget, leading to a postponement of the vote. The budget includes discussions on rising gas and electricity access costs and partial capping of wage indexation. The majority attempted to advance discussions, but the opposition refused to participate in the session. The federal Health Minister also intends to review access conditions for certain medical intervention beneficiaries. The opposition filed a new series of amendments to be sent to the Council of State, leading to the postponement. The opposition, including the PS, MR, and Flemish liberals, filed a series of amendments to the government's program law. The opposition intends to present its arguments once the Council of State has issued its opinion.