Changes to laws and regulations on September 1

Consumer organisations can now organise class action suits against a company in cases where many people have suffered the same damages. The new lawsuits cover only breaches of Belgian or European law, or breach of contract. Other civil complaints are not admitted.

Under the new law, if a judge finds the case admissible, the first step is an attempt at arbitration. Only if that fails can legal proceedings then begin. Only individuals can form part of the group taking legal action, and only the Brussels courts can rule in such cases.

Anyone selling a cat or giving one away is responsible from September 1 for ensuring the animal is sterilised, identified and registered. The measure is intended to tackle the growing numbers of feral cats, as well as those that end up in shelters after being abandoned.

Shelters have been obliged to sterilise all incoming cats since 2012 before putting them up for adoption. The only exceptions are cats intended for a recognised breeding facility and those going to an overseas home, although they will still have to be identified and registered.

Mistakes made by judges and prosecutors will from now on be handled by special disciplinary tribunals set up for the purpose. The names of the magistrates and other specialists who will staff the tribunals have been published. The Dutch-speaking tribunal will be based in Ghent.

A number of insurers will lower the interest rate on the popular TAK21 savings policy to as low as 0%, following a previous cut in June.

And finally, on Monday Brussels Airlines will introduce its Check & Go ticket formula, the cheapest of the range, in direct competition with low-cost airline Ryanair. For prices starting as low as €69 return, passengers with no bags to check can fly to certain destinations.

photo: Ingimage