Even in COVID-19 times, companies (and their directors) should not unnecessarily jeopardise the rights of their creditors and the continuity of their activities. Think about paying dividends, and making unnecessary costs, despite the financial probl...

In these uncertain times, there is a good chance that your company will be confronted with a contracting party that is in the process of judicial reorganization, or that you have initiated this procedure yourself. What are the consequences of this p...

Belgian company law is characterized by an internal and external liability of directors. Internal liability means that directors are liable to the company for any errors committed in the performance of their duties. External liability, on the other ...

The Walloon government has decided, as from March 18, 2020, to temporarily suspend for 30 days all deadlines and appeal filing periods laid down in Walloon legislation. With regard to Walloon environmental law and permitting procedures, this results...

The Flemish Government has issued a decree on March 27, 2020 which entered into force with immediate effect, to extend for 30 days: 1. the 90-day period (becoming 120 days) for OVAM (the Flemish Waste Agency) to decide on the conformity of a soil re...

Decisions of the management body The Belgian Companies and Associations Code (hereafter “CAC”) allows for the management body to take all decisions by way of unanimous written consent of all directors except when the articles of association exclude ...

Royal decree No 4 1 contains various provisions on co-ownership and companies and associations law in the context of the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. It was published in the Belgian State Gazette on 9 April 2020. The COVID-19 Decree is, amon...

Photo by DIRK WAEM/BELGA/AFP via Getty Images Dockworkers in Belgium are wearing bracelets to enforce social distancing. The bracelets were already used to detect if someone fell into the water, but now they will sound an alarm if workers get to close to each other. Manufacturers say there is no privacy issue and the bracelets don't track...

Antwerp is regaining its glitz as Belgium eases a two-month nationwide coronavirus lockdown that virtually halted business in the world's largest diamond trade centre.

As directed by the President’s Jan. 22, 2009 Executive Order, the interagency Guantanamo Review Task Force conducted a comprehensive review of each of these cases. As a result of that review, these detainees were approved for transfer from Guantanamo Bay.

Attorney General Eric Holder today joined Belgian Minister of Justice Stefaan De Clerck and Minister of Interior Annemie Turtelboom to sign an agreement on Preventing and Combating Serious Crime (PCSC), which will allow for the exchange of biometric and biographic data of suspected criminals between the United States and Belgium to bolster counterterrorism and law enforcement efforts while protecting individual privacy.

Lack of rain has reduced potato crop yields to a third of what they usually are.

The idyllic waterway meandering through the Flemish countryside has been called the most polluted stream in Europe.

Google's St. Ghislain, Belgium data center is its most efficient thanks in part to letting the server areas run at temperatures up to 95 degrees.

Belgium should look to broaden its tax base to fund labor tax reductions, the International Monetary Fund has said in its annual report for the country.

The Belgian tax agency has issued a reminder to value-added tax-registered persons of their obligations to file VAT returns and pay VAT during the holiday season.

On January 10, 2018, the Belgian Ministry of Finance reminded taxpayers letting and leasing certain real estate that they can opt in to the value-added tax regime.

On May 2, 2019, Belgium's finance ministry confirmed that the Tax-on-web portal has been opened for personal and corporate income tax returns for the 2019 fiscal year.

Belgium's tax authority has announced corporate tax return filing deadlines for the 2019 tax year, with a concession for those with a deadline prior to September 26, 2019.

Belgium's tax agency has announced that its MyMinfin portal is now open for multinational taxpayers seeking to correct errors in filed country-by-country reports.

On December 9, 2019, the Belgian Federal Public Finance Service reminded vendors that since December 1, 2019, they are required to round off cash payments to the nearest five cents.

On December 18, 2019, the Belgian Federal Public Finance Service announced that start-up companies can request accelerated refunds of value-added tax credits from January 1, 2020.

The UK Government on January 10, 2020, released the synthesized text of the 1987 Belgium-UK double tax agreement, as modified by the BEPS multilateral instrument.

Belgium should continue to pursue structural reforms to its tax, labor, and pension systems, a new report from the OECD recommends.

Belgium should look to broaden its tax base to fund labor tax reductions, the International Monetary Fund has said in its annual report for the country.

On March 18, 2020, the Belgian tax authorities announced the postponement of various value-added tax filing and payment deadlines to support companies during the coronavirus crisis.

On March 24, 2020, the Belgian tax authority announced value-added tax will not be levied on medical equipment donated to hospitals and healthcare facilities.

On March 29, 2020, the Belgian tax authority announced that value-added tax refunds will be accelerated for all declarations relating to the month of February 2020.

On April 3, 2020, the Belgian tax authority announced an increase in the credit available for timely advance tax payments to provide businesses and the self-employed a liquidity boost amid the COVID-19 crisis.

On April 29, 2020, the Belgian tax authority announced changes to the deadline for the submission of annual corporate tax declarations due to the COVID-19 crisis.

The UK Government on January 10, 2020, released the synthesized text of the 1987 Belgium-UK double tax agreement, as modified by the BEPS multilateral instrument.

On April 3, 2020, the Belgian tax authority announced an increase in the credit available for timely advance tax payments to provide businesses and the self-employed a liquidity boost amid the COVID-19 crisis.

South Africa, Jersey, and Belgium are among a handful of territories that have recently announced an extension to the due date for country-by-country reports under the new frameworks being introduced under Action 13 of the OECD's base erosion and profit shifting Action Plan.

On April 29, 2020, the Belgian tax authority announced changes to the deadline for the submission of annual corporate tax declarations due to the COVID-19 crisis.

In 2002, Belgium legalized the intentional ending of life by a physician at the patient's explicit request. The government introduced safeguards to protect

Weapons Sales in Belgium increased to 16 USD Million in 2018 from 12 USD Million in 2017. Weapons Sales in Belgium averaged 42.98 USD Million from 1954 until 2018, reaching an all time high of 243 USD Million in 2009 and a record low of 1 USD Million in 1964. Weapons Sales are presented as a Trend-Indicator Value based on the known unit production costs of a core set of weapons such as aircraft, air defence systems, anti-submarine warfare weapons, armoured vehicles, artillery, engines, missiles, sensors, satellites, ships and others. The indicator aims to represent the transfer value of military resources rather than the financial value of the transfer.

Belgium recorded a government budget deficit of 3402 EUR Million in 2018. Government Budget Value in Belgium averaged -7757.33 EUR Million from 1970 until 2018, reaching an all time high of 779 EUR Million in 2006 and a record low of -18817 EUR Million in 2009. The government budget balance is the difference between government revenues and expenses. The budget is balanced when outlays equal to receipts, the country reports budget surplus when revenues are higher than expenses and deficit when expenses exceed the revenues. This page provides - Belgium Government Budget Value - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Fighting foreign bribery is not a priority in Belgium. Together with the flagrant lack of resources for Belgian law enforcement authorities, this has resulted in very few foreign bribery investigations and prosecutions. In the 14 years since the entry into force of the foreign bribery offence in Belgium, only one case of bribery of foreign public officials has been concluded.

The OECD Working Group on Bribery has serious concerns regarding Belgium’s limited efforts to comply with the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention.

An overview of the long-term care situation in Belgium is available here.

Belgian companies, mutualities and employment services should be more proactive in helping people with mental health problems stay in the workplace or find a job, according to a new OECD report.

Belgium shows average health outcomes compared to other OECD countries. Life expectancy at birth is 80.7 years, just above the OECD average. Quality of care is fair, standing again near the OECD average. Health expenditure at 10.2% of GDP is higher than the OECD average of 1.3% points in 2013. Health policy in Belgium relies on shared responsibility of both the federal authorities and federated entities (regions and communities).

An overview of the long-term care situation in Belgium is available here.

This report provides, for the Flemish community of Belgium, an independent analysis of major issues facing the educational evaluation and assessment framework, current policy initiatives, and possible future approaches.

This note is taken from Chapter 2 of Economic Policy Reforms: Going for Growth 2012.

Gains in female education attainment have contributed to a worldwide increase in women’s participation in the labour force, but considerable gaps remain in working hours, conditions of employment and earnings.  More specific data for Beligum are available in this country note.

The global crisis led to a smaller increase in the unemployment rate than in most other OECD countries as employment has been sustained through intensive use of reduced working time schemes.

OECD Report on Mental Health and Work in Belgium to launch on 29 January 2013 in Brussels

Belgian companies, mutualities and employment services should be more proactive in helping people with mental health problems stay in the workplace or find a job, according to a new OECD report.