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Summary:

• Belgian Finance Minister Jan Jambon (N-VA) wants to make cross‑border shopping less attractive because high excise taxes make many goods cheaper in neighbouring countries, causing Belgians to shop across the border (e.g., at French Auchan).

• He plans to address this in upcoming budget talks and focus on reforms (two‑thirds of efforts per the coalition agreement).

• Jambon says Belgium is one of the highest‑taxed OECD countries, so scope for new taxes is limited; instead, lowering certain taxes (like some excises) could raise revenues by reducing cross‑border purchases.

• The government will also study which other excises could be reduced to deter cross‑border buying. Alcohol and sugary‑drink taxes are among the levies that affect cross‑border shopping the most, but cuts will depend on political support and other coalition goals.

Summary:

The Masonic lodge La Flandre in Bruges opened its building to the public for the first time in over a century during Open Monument Day. Founded in 1881 and later moved to a Beenhouwersstraat building remodeled into an Egyptian-style temple with columns, scarabs and Masonic symbols, the lodge usually kept strict discretion. After a vandalism incident earlier this year—a stone thrown through a window—the lodge decided to open to counter persistent rumors and misconceptions. Visitors, who quickly filled available slots, were told the lodge is a place for discussion and reflection rather than plots for world domination or bloody rituals. Members explained that the Egyptian motifs symbolize life, rebirth and growth, while traditional Masonic symbols like the compass, square, sun and moon represent self-improvement. Several attendees described the visit as surprising and pleasant, despite longstanding myths about the site.

Summary:

The article discusses the European Commission's efforts to accelerate the electrification of the vehicle fleet in Europe, led by President Ursula von der Leyen. She aims to support the production of small, affordable electric cars by the European industry, with a target price of under €20,000. A strategic dialogue has been initiated between the Commission and the automotive industry, highlighting the gap between aspirations and reality, as European automakers face challenges in transitioning to electric vehicles (EVs) and are heavily reliant on China for their supply chains.

Von der Leyen has previously delayed stricter emissions regulations to appease automakers and announced a €1.8 billion project to boost battery production. However, concerns remain about Europe's lag behind China in EV adoption. The article notes that the German automotive industry is pushing back against the EU's 2035 deadline for banning new combustion engine vehicles, seeking extensions and more flexible regulations, particularly for hybrid vehicles.

The article concludes that reversing established legislation would be politically risky for the Commission, and ongoing discussions are expected to address the challenges faced by the commercial vehicle sector, which currently has a low market share of electric vans at 8.5%.

Summary:

The article says Belgium is losing the war on drugs, shown by rising urban shootings, corruption and smuggling in prisons, overcrowding and violent incidents linked to organized crime. Justice Minister Annelies Verlinden is asking for an extra €1 billion (half for operations, half for buildings) while the government searches for €12 billion in the budget; proposed actions include tougher sentences for drug bosses, mandatory prison drug tests, making wealthy inmates help pay incarceration costs, and Defence Minister Bernard Quintin has suggested deploying soldiers on city streets. The piece argues that better management of justice is needed but is a long-term project, and that Belgium is in a state of emergency with "no-go" urban areas, investor flight and unprosecuted crime forcing hard budgetary trade-offs between stopping financial decline and addressing societal decay.

A feeling of impunity undermines citizens' trust in justice, politics and "the system". The cost of that is almost impossible to calculate.

Excerpts:

In 2023, and what seems like a lifetime ago, Austria launched their legal action against the European Commission for the inclusion of nuclear energy in the EU Sustainable Finance Taxonomy. At the time they were supported by a bulwark of EU countries and environmental NGOs that opposed nuclear energy.

But today, that whole landscape has changed.

The nuclear phase-outs or bans in the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, and Italy are now history.

It shows what’s possible when we stick to the science

The European Court of Justice has now fully dismissed Austria’s lawsuit.

These wins are not abstract. They open the door to real investment, real projects, and real emissions cuts.

A blocking minority has been found for the 4th time 🙂. See y'all in a couple of months when the EU commission makes the same proposal again! 🤝

Voters in:

• Austria.
• Belgium.
• Czech Republic.
• Finland.
• Germany.
• Luxemburg.
• Netherlands.
• Poland.

Your members of european parliament have made a good choice!

Voters in:

• Bulgaria
• Croatia
• Cyprus
• Denmark (!)
• France
• Hungary
• Ireland
• Italy
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Malta
• Portugal
• Slovakia
• Spain
• Sweden

In 2029 there's new EU parliament elections. You can list your representatives on https://fightchatcontrol.eu/#delegates and make sure not to vote for them ever (again) 👍

Summary:

A woman responded to a Secondhand listing seeking homes for three goats owned by Glenn D’Hondt of Erpe-Mere, claiming she was a volunteer at Huppeldepup care farm in Grimbergen and took the animals away. When Glenn phoned the care farm to check on the goats, manager Ellen Van Assche was surprised — the farm had not taken them in — and involved the police.

Authorities traced the woman to Chièvres and were told she had offered the goats to an animal shelter in Zemst, where her 73-year-old mother was found and cooperated. Police blocked the woman’s van and obtained the fraudster’s details; the goats Rosa, Suzy, and Marie were returned to Glenn, who plans to keep them.

Summary:

• Belgians are borrowing more than ever for new cars, with the average consumer loan reaching €23,750, an increase of €8,250 (over 53%) in the past decade, outpacing the average car price increase of 36% during the same period.

• Similar trends are observed in the used car market, where the average loan for a second-hand vehicle has risen to €17,550, reflecting a 61% increase over the last ten years.

• The rise in loan amounts suggests that car affordability is under pressure, as consumers may be forced to borrow more to cover the increasing costs of vehicles, which are influenced by rising raw material prices and stricter safety and environmental regulations.

• The shift towards more expensive electric vehicles and stricter EU regulations is contributing significantly to the rising costs of driving, making it increasingly expensive for consumers to purchase and maintain vehicles.

https://fightchatcontrol.eu/

https://www.euronews.com/next/2025/08/08/return-of-chat-control-something-is-rotten-in-the-state-of-denmark

Summary:

The Constitutional Court of Belgium has suspended a Brussels decision that postponed the implementation of stricter regulations for the low-emission zone (LEZ) from early 2025 to early 2027. The court found that this delay would unreasonably compromise the protection of health rights. The LEZ aims to improve air quality by prohibiting certain combustion engine vehicles from operating within the zone, which covers most of the Brussels region. A new phase was supposed to begin on January 1, 2025, banning diesel vehicles with Euro 5 engines and gasoline cars with Euro 2 engines.

In October 2024, the Brussels Parliament approved an ordinance to delay these regulations, which faced opposition from green parties. Following this, various associations and individuals, including a child with chronic asthma, petitioned the Constitutional Court for suspension. The court ruled that the delay could cause irreparable harm and significantly undermine health protections without reasonable justification, violating the constitutional obligation to maintain existing health standards.

With the ordinance temporarily suspended, the court must decide on its annulment within three months. Brussels Mobility Minister Elke Van den Brandt expressed satisfaction with the ruling, viewing it as a victory for public health, while Environment and Health Minister Alain Maron announced plans to convene a task force to address the decision. The future of the vehicle bans remains uncertain.

Summary:

Belgian students at universities and colleges are taking significantly longer to complete their degrees compared to their peers in other European countries, according to a new report from the OECD. Less than one-third of Flemish students and under a quarter of students in French-speaking Belgium graduate within the standard three-year timeframe. The report highlights that only 32.6% of students in Flanders and 23.1% in the French community finish their bachelor's degrees on time, with Belgium ranking poorly among 28 OECD countries.

The gap has widened over the past three years, as the average graduation rate in other countries has improved while Belgium's has stagnated. Factors contributing to this issue include a flexible credit system that allows students to carry over failed courses, leading to procrastination, and concerns about the declining quality of secondary education. The financial implications of these delays are significant, with each student costing the system between €12,000 and €15,000 annually, and late graduation affecting their entry into the job market and future pensions.

To address these challenges, the previous Flemish government introduced a "hard cut" policy, which prevents students from continuing their studies if they do not pass all first-year courses by the end of their second year. Current Education Minister Zuhal Demir is also advocating for mandatory preliminary assessments to improve student outcomes. These measures aim to enhance the overall efficiency and effectiveness of higher education in Belgium.