News and Events -----------

Many expats choose to stay in Belgium after they retire, deciding to enjoy the widely-recognised benefits that Belgium has to offer in retirement. A new hands-on guide ‘Golden years in Belgium: an expat guide to life after retirement’, has been produced by the King Baudouin Foundation and the Federation of Notaries, offering tips on how to enjoy retirement in Belgium.

The practical guide covers every area from meeting people and buying property to health care and welfare. It takes expats through their pension and inheritance rights and informs them how to get in touch and maintain links with their new community, while retaining a sense of well-being and purpose. It offers practical advice and useful addresses, while encouraging the reader to take action at an early stage.

“Golden years in Belgium: an expat guide to life after retirement” is one of a series of practical guides that have been published jointly by the King Baudouin Foundation and the Federation of Notaries (Fednot). It can be downloaded free of charge from the King Baudouin Foundation's website.

Other practical guides in the series are also available from the Fednot site.

A press release from the Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo has confirmed the outcomes of Friday’s Consultation Committee. The committee considered the worrying epidemiological situation, which places the entire country at alert level 4 on the COVID-19 barometer (very high alert level).

The pressure on hospitals and on the continuity of care for conditions unrelated to Covid-19 is increasing. Certain hospitals are suffering from high absences among their staff. Primary care, especially general medicine, is also facing increasing pressure.

The number of COVID patients in intensive care today is 2.5 times higher than at the end of March.

To prevent increasing problems in hospitals, to avoid closing schools, shutting down the economy, and forcing that too many people into a general lockdown, the committee decided on a series of measures:

• Close contacts are limited to 1 person maximum.
• Private gatherings are limited to 4 people for two weeks, always the same people.
• Gatherings on public roads are limited to a maximum of 4 people.
• Teleworking becomes the rule, for the jobs that lend themselves to it and while respecting the continuity of the management of companies and organizations, services and activities.
• Small-scale markets and fairs remain open, but the consumption of food and drink is prohibited. Flea markets and small Christmas markets are prohibited.
• Cafes, bars and restaurants will be closed. This measure is valid for a period of four weeks and will be subject to an evaluation after two weeks. On-site takeaway collection remains possible until 22h00. Receptions and banquets organized by a professional caterer or catering service are prohibited, except in hotels for clients staying there and funeral receptions (maximum 40 people).
• Night shops must close at 22h00. The sale of alcohol is prohibited after 20h00.
• Prohibition on being on the public highway (a curfew) between midnight (24h00) and 05h00, except for essential trips that cannot be postponed, such as trips for urgent medical reasons, business trips and the journey between home and work.
• Activities inside continue to fall under the protocols in force until their assessment on 23 October. The sale of food and drink is prohibited.
• Sports competitions: reduction by half of the compartments reserved for spectators, which will be reduced from 400 to 200 (professionals) or composed only of members of the same household (amateurs). Cafeterias and drinking establishments at sports grounds are closed.
• These measures come into effect on Monday October 19 and will apply for a month, before being subject to an assessment.

More information on the new measures can be found here.

Install Coronalert on your smartphone

Coronalert is a free and easy-to-use mobile application that strengthens our common fight against the coronavirus. If a person tests positive for Covid-19, they can directly notify high-risk cross-contacts in the previous hours and days. This application acts in addition to traditional contact monitoring - reinforced contact monitoring is one of the keys to combating the coronavirus.

In addition, if you take a screening test, you will receive the results directly on your phone.

To make this app as efficient as possible, we encourage as many smartphone users as possible to use it. It has been developed taking care to guarantee our privacy as much as possible: it is not based on geolocation and does not use any of your personal data.

You will find all the information and answers to your questions about the app here.

Following a tense discussion at today's consultation committee, a set of more restrictive measures to combat COVID-19 has been announced by Prime Minister Alexander De Croo. Belgium is now entering phase 4: a "very serious" alert phase.

De Croo stated that the Belgian health situation is alarming with the figures being significantly higher today than what was seen in March and April and all indicators continuing to increase.

The main new measures are:

• The Social Bubble: Your close contact bubble should be reduced to one person.
• Teleworking to become the norm: when this is not possible, every effort must be made to protect employees
• All Horeca establishments (cafes, bars, restaurants) will close for one month, with an evaluation within two weeks to see if the measure should remain in place. This measure should come into force on Monday. A support plan is being proposed for the sector.
• Small-scale markets may remain open with a maximum of 200 people. However, the Christmas markets are canceled.
• Alcohol sales will be prohibited from 20h00.
• A curfew will be adopted from midnight to 05h00.

"We realize that these measures are very harsh, even unfair. But unfortunately the virus is also unfair, it affects us all and in particular the oldest people. The virus affects our society in a particularly hard way," said the Prime Minister. "But the time to act is now".

The Expat Welcome Desk of the Brussels Commissioner's office invites you to a free webinar on 27 October from 12h00 to 13h30 on 'Social security consequences of cross border employment in the EU.'

The webinar (in English) will focus on the impact of international mobility on the social security contributions and benefits of employees in the EU. It will be given by Ms An De Wever and Mrs Inge Janssens, both legal advisor at Pro-Pay NV and moderated by Amélie Bovy, legal adviser at Expat Welcome Desk.

Topics to be covered include:

• Where do I contribute to the social security system if I live in one member state of the EU and work in another member state?
• Does the fact that my employer has its registered seat abroad have an impact on where I pay social security contributions?
• What happens if I have worked in Belgium under the Belgian social security scheme and move to another country? Do I lose my social benefits?
• I work on a regular basis in the UK and hold a valid A1 form covering my international employment situation. What will happen on 01.01.2021 when the UK leaves the EU?
• I work in multiple countries but I am subject to social security contributions in a country that is not my home country. Does the fact that I work (more) at home in my home country due to COVID-19 have an impact on where I have to pay social security contributions?

How to register?

This webinar is free to access, but you must register by 16h00 on Friday 23 October by sending an email to: inscription@commissioner.brussels

Practical information including the link to access the meeting will  be sent to you after your registration.

Some good news! BBCA member group the English Youth Theatre (EYT) is creating extra classes for kids and young people to experience the thrills of performing arts. The new class will be close to the EU Quarter.

The EYT currently organises groups in Woluwe (Full) and Uccle (growing) and has now decided to open a new teaching centre in the EU Quarter of Brussels. Classes will take place every Saturday from mid-morning to early afternoon at the British Chamber of Commerce (1 minute's walk from Madou metro station). This group will eventually migrate to the Flagey / Châtelain neighbourhood of Ixelles.

If you are interested in joining the EYT group, visit the website and download the registration form (at the foot of the page) and getting in touch with EYT at: admin[at]englishyouththeatre.be 

New Belgian Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo (pictured below), has this evening (6 October) announced new measures to combat the growing rate of COVID-19 infections. In addition, a COVID-19 Commissioner has been appointed: Pedro Facon, director general for health at Belgium's Federal Public Service Health (FPSH).

The current evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic is causing particular concern: the number of contaminations, hospital admissions and deaths is increasing. In order to avoid a return to a general lockdown containment, a number of strengthened measures to contain the virus have been decided.

These measures are:

• Close contacts: limitation to a maximum of 3 close contacts per month. Close contact is contact with a person within 1.50m without a mask.
• Private gatherings at home: maximum 4 people, respecting safety distances or wearing a mask if this is not possible.
• Cafes, cafeterias and other places where drinks are served: maximum 4 people per table, except people living under the same roof.
• Unorganized gatherings outside: maximum 4 people, except for people living under the same roof.
• Cafés closing time: 11:00 pm.
• Additional efforts in terms of awareness and respect so that these measures are applied everywhere.
• Telework is strongly recommended, several days a week

Strict monitoring of these measures is absolutely necessary to protect healthcare services, to keep schools open to the fullest and to protect the elderly and the vulnerable. If these measures are not followed, even stricter measures will be required. Our social life will be further reduced and our economy will be seriously damaged. Respecting these measures is everyone's responsibility.

These measures apply to the whole of Belgium from Friday 9 October to 9 November inclusive, after which they will be subject to evaluation.

Original press release text in French.

After a break over the summer months, the good people at UNICEF Belgium have put together another anagram quiz to exercise your grey cells and at the same time make a contribution to UNICEF.

This time, the answers are the names of (mostly) well-known animals. As before, the number of letters corresponding to each clue is given in parentheses and the number in bold represents the total number of letters in the animal’s name. The quiz sheet can be downloaded here.

For the tie-break question this month, another sporting question will be used. This time it will be the total number of points scored in the final of the European Rugby Cup to be played between Racing 92 of Paris and the Exeter Chiefs on Saturday, 17 October at 18h45 Belgian time.

As a guide for those not au fait with the world of Rugby Union, the total points scored in the four quarter-final and two semi-final matches were 34, 42, 44, 46, 53 and 63. The two teams contesting the final are Exeter, who scored 38 and 28 points in their quarter-final and semi-final matches and Racing 92 whose equivalent scores were 38 and 38 points.

All answers must be submitted no later than 13h00 Belgian time on Saturday 17 October and the winners will be announced on Sunday 18 October.

The winner and ‘Animal Anagram Quiz Champion’ will be the person who has the highest score and whose tie-break answer (if applicable) is closest to the true actual number of total points scored.

Prizes - The winner will receive three bottles of Petit Pas Saint Emilion Grand Cru. There will also be a prize of a bottle of champagne for the person who does not achieve the highest quiz score but whose tie-break answer is closest to the actual number of total points scored.

How to enter - To enter the quiz email your answers to unicefquiz@gmail.com to arrive no later than 13h00 Belgian time on Saturday 17 October.

The suggested entry fee for the quiz is EUR 10 payable directly to the Ex-Pats for UNICEF account: BE83 3630 2680 8315 and mark your transfer 'October Quiz'.

Donate - Even if you do not wish to participate in the quiz, please consider making a donation to UNICEF. All money raised by UNICEF Belgium this year will go to support the WASH (WAter, Sanitation and Hygiene) project in Rwanda.

Please feel free to distribute this announcement widely to your friends, colleagues and fellow quiz team members. With many thanks for your continued support for UNICEF in these difficult times.

The British Chamber of Commerce in Brussels is launching a new video series entitled 'Afternoon Tea with' featuring interviews with personalities from the community in and around Brussels. In the 15-minute interview, the interviewee talks about their perspective on ‘life in Brussels’.

The first episode has just been posted and the interviewee is Melanie Warnes, principal of the British School of Brussels.

COVID-19 restrictions in the Brussels-Capital Region have been updated/ increased following a meeting of the Crisis Cell on 26 September.

The following measures have been announced for the Brussels-Capital Region that will come into force on Thursday 1 October, apart from those affecting closing times, which are implemented immediately from today (Monday 28 September), and will last for at least the next three weeks.

• Cafes and bars (but not restaurants) must close at 23h00.
• Ban on gatherings of more than 10 people between 23h00 and 06h00. Controls will be tightened to ensure compliance.
• Bookstores with a play/games area and any other shop selling food or drinks must close at 22h00, following the same rule that already applies to night shops.
• No food may be consumed at street markets.
• The obligation to wear a mask outdoors is lifted generally (but see the points below), however each person must carry a face mask on their person at all times .
• Wearing a mask will become mandatory outdoors in crowded zones from October 1. These 'crowded zones' and the hours of implementation will be fixed for each municipality by their own mayor.

• It is still compulsory to wear a mask in public spaces, shops and around schools.
• Outside these areas, wearing a mask will remain strongly recommended whenever the situation does not allow physical distancing.

The crisis cell also announced that CVID-19 testing capacities will be gradually strengthened from next week, by setting up four “villages” as well as three branches in the city centre.

There are more than you think! This music video produced by long-term BBCA member Martin Watson made me smile. Bon weekend!

"Belgium is just delicious with beer, chocolates and fries - and more famous people than you realise! Celebrating lovely Belgium."