Belgium has suffered a decline of nearly 18,000 independently owned shops in the past five years, according to a survey by the union for the self-employed, NSZ, based on figures from the state institute for social insurance for the self-employed. In 2008, the number of independent retailers stood...

If Belgium strictly adheres to the budget trajectory that the European Union is demanding, some 47,000 jobs will go by the wayside by 2017, according to estimates by the Federal Planning Bureau, reports De Standaard and Het Nieuwsblad . The Federal Planning Bureau arrived at this figure in June,...

Flanders’ minister-president, Geert Bourgeois, has warned that strict European Union budgetary rules could make it difficult for governments to carry out vital projects requiring long-term investments. In an interview on Radio 1, Bourgeois ( pictured ) said new EU rules could represent “a serious...

Brussels Art Days was launched in 2008 and the seventh edition this weekend marks the re-opening of 37 of the capital’s contemporary art galleries around the city centre. In Tour & Taxis, Brussels Design Market specialises in mid- to late-20th century furniture and deco. You’ll find items from...

In 2013, the number of self-employed people in Belgium reached a record high of more than 1 million. Economists point to the increasing number of women who choose for part-time self-employment, reports De Tijd , according to the annual report of the National Institute of Social Security for the...

Electricity provider Electrabel and the nuclear regulator Fanc have warned the Belgian government that it does not have enough enriched uranium ( pictured ) to keep the nuclear power plants Doel 1 and Doel 2 open beyond the planned closing date of 2015. The issue is currently being discussed by the...

France has violated no European law by increasing its excise duty on strong beers by 160%, according to the European Commission, despite a complaint filed by the association of Belgian Brewers. The Commission’s Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs ruled against the brewers’ protest and...