WORLD WORLDWIDE EUROPE BELGIUM BRUSSELS - The Brussels Times - BELGIUM IN BRIEF - Thursday 6 September 2024

 

View this email in your browser BELGIUM IN BRIEF Today's edition is presented by the Eat Festival. If you’re keen to discover the latest culinary trends and meet the chefs who are putting Brussels on the map, the Eat Festival is back for its 13th edition from 26-29 September. The dust has yet to settle after the national elections in June and parties in Brussels are caught between building bridges with potential coalition partners for the regional government (still unformed) whilst simultaneously revving up for municipal elections in October.  It's a strange limbo that is holding up new policies that have long been in the pipeline. Most recently this has concerned the capital's Low Emissions Zone (LEZ), which was decided in 2017 and from 1 January 2025 will come into effect for Euro 5 standard diesel engines and Euro 2 petrol engines.  In a move described by the Flemish Greens as a "deep breach of trust", the French majority parties in Brussels are now keen to push the deadline back by two years – a move that will please the owners of around 30,000 such vehicles in the Capital Region. It follows similar prevaricating in Flanders and Wallonia.  Whilst environmentalists feel betrayed, motoring organisations have hailed the decision a victory, deeming the ban "unnecessary" given that older and more polluting engines have already been removed from the city's roads. Moreover, a delay with implementation will give breathing space to owners of the vehicles concerned: upgrading to a newer model is estimated to cost €15,000-€20,000, and that in a context of squeezed purchasing power. Besides, in a couple of years the market for electric vehicles will likely have grown, with more options at affordable prices.  However the quality of Brussels air is still poor, according to WHO standards. Despite improvements that have come with the gradual modernisation of Belgium's vehicle park and the Good Move traffic plan that has eased congestion in the city centre, one in five Brussels schools are still exposed to "dangerous" levels of air pollution.  The debate has opened up a class divide, in which more affluent residents with the means to buy an electric car – or who don't need one at all – are pitched against those who depend on a vehicle but can't afford newer models. But will voters in October reward the French parties for putting the brakes on the LEZ? Belgium in Brief  is a free daily roundup of the top stories to get you through your coffee break conversations. Want to sign up?  Click here . 1. ‘Brutal’ squat eviction sees 60 undocumented people on the streets again "Yet another eviction is the symptom of a lack of political will to respond to the duty of care."  Read More . 2. One in five Brussels primary schools exposed to ‘dangerous’ levels of air pollution "Maintaining the current LEZ timetable would allow us to respond quickly and sustainably to this health emergency."  Read More . 3. Tram collision in Woluwe-Saint-Pierre injures six The incident occurred on Thursdsay morning and several tram lines have been disrupted.  Read More .   4. Audi Brussels management refuses visit by delegation of MPs The directors had also been invited to the parliament in July but did not show up – as 3,000 jobs continue to be at risk at the Brussels factory.  Read More . 5. Bumper weekend of beer tasting festivities in Brussels Grand Place will see almost 50 breweries set out their stalls this weekend, while a separate festival in Saint Catherine will feature more international beers.  Read More . 6. The Brussels Times Cinema Guide: What to watch in September Not sure what to watch this month? Take a look at our handy guide.  Read More . 7. ‘Free Paul Watson’ protest held outside Danish Embassy in Brussels "Watson doesn't just stand around holding signs like they do at Greenpeace. He actually puts himself between the whale and the harpoon."  Read More .