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-2022-10/2405 – Updated – measures in Belgium
Country | Belgium , applies nationwide |
Time period | Open ended, started on 01 March 2022 |
Context | War in Ukraine |
Type | Legislations or other statutory regulations |
Category |
N/A
– Support for energy bills |
Author | Dries Van Herreweghe (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) and Eurofound |
Measure added | 23 May 2022 (updated 19 June 2023) |
The war in Ukraine has led to significant increases in energy prices. Because of the extent of these price increases, the Belgian federal government has undertaken several measures to lessen the financial impacts on people.
Some of these measures already existed (social tariffs for those in precarious living conditions), while others are new (for instance, the reduction in VAT).
To compensate for the increase in energy prices, the government decided on several temporary measures:
The following updates to this measure have been made after it came into effect.
30 May 2023 |
The reduction in VAT from 21% to 6% has been turned into a permanent measure (albeit with an added excise). The temporary entitlement to the social tariff (for gas and/or electricity) for those entitled to increased health care allowance still runs (extended) until 30 June 2023. |
No information available yet.
Workers | Businesses | Citizens |
---|---|---|
Does not apply to workers | Does not apply to businesses | Applies to all citizens |
Actors | Funding |
---|---|
National government
|
National funds
|
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.
Unknown.
Citation
Eurofound (2022), Measures to compensate increasing energy prices for citizens, measure BE-2022-10/2405 (measures in Belgium), EU PolicyWatch, Dublin, https://static.eurofound.europa.eu/covid19db/cases/BE-2022-10_2405.html
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30 January 2023
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