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Database of national-level policy measures

Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch collates information on the responses of government and social partners to the COVID-19 crisis, the war in Ukraine, rising inflation, as well as gathering examples of company practices aimed at mitigating the social and economic impacts.

Factsheet for measure BE-2015-1/2731 – measures in Belgium

Centre for enterprises in difficulty

Centre pour Entreprises en difficulté/ Centrum voor Ondernemingen in moeilijkheden

Country Belgium , applies regionally

    • – BE1 RÉGION DE BRUXELLES-CAPITALE/BRUSSELS HOOFDSTEDELIJK GEWEST
Time period Open ended, started on 01 January 2015
Context COVID-19, Restructuring Support Instruments
Type Legislations or other statutory regulations
Category Supporting businesses to stay afloat
– Other
Author Dries Van Herreweghe (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) and Eurofound
Measure added 11 July 2022 (updated 02 November 2022)

Background information

The mission of the Centre is to help self-employed and business leaders to take stock of their professional situation, anticipate difficulties and help with a restart. As well as come up with new solutions to problems they face (good relationship between the partners, commercial conflicts, cash problems, personnel concerns, etc.), if necessary, help of experts is available.

It is available to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the region of Brussels.

Content of measure

The Centre for Enterprises in Difficulty (CED) provides help and advice for business owners and self-employed people in the Brussels region. Its services include collective information and advice sessions twice a week; a professional diagnosis of the situation; one-on-one advice on management; strategy; finance; tax; commercial and social law, and a free confidential helpline that is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The centre searches and selects coaches/advisors that can assist enterprises with their difficulty.

Following the COVID-19 crisis, the Brussels regional government decided to increase funding for the centre with €200 000, in order to provide more and better aid to companies that are in need.

Funding is provided by the regional government of Brussels, the Chambre of Commerce of Brussels as well as the accounting associations, federation of Notaries, Crédal Solidarity Bank, Question Santé and Partena.

Use of measure

Responses to this service grow, as firms facing difficulty begin to ask for help.

The agency in Brussels meets approximately 2,000 applicants every year that are interested in their services (2019).

Target groups

Workers Businesses Citizens
Self-employed
Other groups of workers
Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors Funding
Other social actors (e.g. NGOs)
Local / regional government
Employers organisation
Regional funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

Trade unions Employers' organisations
Role Unknown Unknown
Form Not applicable Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

  • Unknown
  • Main level of involvement: N/A

Involvement

Unknown

Views and reactions

Unknown

Sources

  • 01 January 2015: European Commission Enterprise and Industry. Small Business Act-Database of Good Practices  (ec.europa.eu)
  • 01 January 2015: Centre pour Entreprises en difficulté – Centrum voor Ondernemingen in moelijkheden (www.beci.be)

Citation

Eurofound (2022), Centre for enterprises in difficulty, measure BE-2015-1/2731 (measures in Belgium), EU PolicyWatch, Dublin, https://static.eurofound.europa.eu/covid19db/cases/BE-2015-1_2731.html

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