European Foundation
for the Improvement of
Living and Working Conditions

The tripartite EU agency providing knowledge to assist
in the development of better social, employment and
work-related policies

EU PolicyWatch

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-2022-10/2405 Updated – measures in Belgium

Measures to compensate increasing energy prices for citizens

Maatregelen om stijgende energieprijzen te compenseren

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)

Background information

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).

Content of measure

To compensate for the increase in energy prices, the government decided on several temporary measures:

  • An extension until 30 September 2022 of the right to a social rate (for gas and/or electricity). This measure applies to persons who are entitled to increased health care allowances.
  • Value added tax (VAT) on electricity will be reduced from 21% to 6% from 1 March to 30 September 2022. This will be reflected on the advance invoices starting April 2022. In addition, there is also a reduction in VAT on natural gas from 21% to 6% from 1 April 2022 to 30 September 2022.

Updates

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.

Use of measure

No information available yet.

Target groups

Workers Businesses Citizens
Does not apply to workers Does not apply to businesses Applies to all citizens

Actors and funding

Actors Funding
National government
National 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 March 2022: Maatregelen van de overheid naar aanleiding van de hoge energieprijzen (www.vlaanderen.be)
  • 30 May 2023: Maatregelen van de overheid naar aanleiding van de hoge energieprijzen (www.vlaanderen.be)

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

Share

Eurofound publications based on EU PolicyWatch

30 January 2023

 

Measures to lessen the impact of the inflation and energy crisis on citizens

Governments across the EU continue to implement policies to support citizens and businesses in the face of rising food and energy prices caused by the COVID-19 crisis and intensified by the war in Ukraine. This article summarises the policy responses as reported in Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch database from January to September 2022.

Article

12 September 2022

 

First responses to cushion the impact of inflation on citizens

Although the worldwide pandemic situation had already disrupted supply chains and triggered increases in energy and food prices in 2021, the situation deteriorated in 2022 with the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Article

12 September 2022

 

Policies to support EU companies affected by the war in Ukraine

This article summarises the first policy responses that governments across the EU have started to implement to support companies affected by the rising prices, and those with commercial ties to Ukraine, Russia or Belarus.

Article

5 July 2022

 

Policies to support refugees from Ukraine

This article summarises the first policy responses of EU Member States, including those of the social partners and other civil society actors, enabling refugees to exercise their rights under the Temporary Protection Directive.

Article

Disclaimer: This information has not been subject to the full Eurofound evaluation, editorial and publication process.