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

In a call with the European Commission before Christmas, the British in Europe group asked if the Commission could provide some sort of statement for UK citizens resident in the EU to help with traveling and passport stamping issues.

That statement is now available on the Commission website. The statement - Rules for UK nationals when entering or leaving the Schengen area - can be downloaded here. It is rather basic but may help UK citizens resident in the EU when faced with an intransigent border guard. It is recommended that UK citizens legally resident in an EU country should perhaps save the links on their mobile phones.

The statement does highlight that nothing in EU law prevents border guards from stamping the passport, however there is little practical use in stamping passports of Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries.

BBCA and British in Europe are always interested in your experiences and any issues when entering or leaving the EU/ Schengen area. Keep us informed, so we can help ensure your rights are preserved.

The statement

The document states:

“EU law does not prevent border guards from stamping upon entry to and exit from the Schengen area of travel documents of United Kingdom nationals who are beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement who are in possession of a valid residence permit issued by a Schengen Member State. The same applies to their family members in the same situation.

The Commission considers that there is little practical use in stamping passports of Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries.

The reason is that stamping a passport serves to establish whether a non–EU national respected the authorised length of a short stay within the Schengen area, but beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement in a Schengen Member State cannot overstay. The usual limitation of a stay of 90 days in a 180 days’ period does not apply to them, irrespective of whether their passport has been stamped or not.

Beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement can use their residence documents issued under the Withdrawal Agreement at the border to prove their residence status and connected rights, such as not being subject to the maximum duration of stay of up to 90 days in a 180 days’ period.

The Commission recommends that all beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement to [sic] obtain the appropriate residence document under the Withdrawal Agreement in their Member State of residence and to [sic] proactively present it to border guards when crossing a Schengen external border.”

Belgium's Card Stop hotline, which allows users to quickly block a missing or stolen bank card, is now a completely free service and has a new number: 078 170 170. Calls to the previous number cost €0.30 per minute – a situation described as “absurd” by Belgian Telecoms minister Petra De Sutter.

The new freephone service commenced on Monday (10 January) and the number is available 24 hours a day in Dutch, French and English. It can also be called from abroad by adding the +32 prefix to the number: +32 78 170 170.

A call to Card Stop will block your payment cards if they are lost or stolen. Similarly, you can call Card Stop and your bank if you have your card, but do not recognize some transactions on your account, or if you think you have given your PIN code etc to a potential fraudster. Since last month the Card Stop website has a new page listing all necessary contact information for all Belgian banks.

The banking sector is considering a possible extension to Card Stop services that can also block digital banking channels to your accounts (e.g. via banking apps). However, this is a complex area and further analysis is being undertaken.

Today (6 January 2022) the Belgian Consultative Committee took stock of the COVID19 epidemiological situation and the health and safety measures required. The rapid spread of the Omicron variant in Belgium is resulting in a sharp increase in the number of infections and, therefore, it was decided to maintain the current measures. The Committee also discussed the medium-term strategy.

The latest scientific data indicates that the Omicron variant is three to four times more contagious but perhaps less pathogenic compared to previous variants. This is already reflected in a rapid increase in the number of infections (+79% last week) and an increase in hospital admissions (+20%). Intensive care unit occupancy continues to decline, but less so than in the previous week.

In view of the current situation, the Committee concludes that it is preferable that measures remain in force. These are outlined below.

Telework

Teleworking remains compulsory, at least four days a week. Only one return day can be scheduled per week, with a simultaneous presence of a maximum of 20% of the staff.

Team buildings and other activities that require a physical presence in the workplace, both indoors and outdoors, remain prohibited.

Meetings, Activities and Events

The restrictions or closures in force concerning certain gatherings, activities and events - for example, in the hospitality industry, nightlife or sporting and cultural life - continue to apply.

Education

The Committee confirms the planned reopening of education from 10 January. This means a return to full-time face-to-face education in nursery, primary and secondary schools, and part-time in arts education. The following preventive measures must be observed:

• permanent ventilation
• wearing a mask is compulsory from 6 years old
• compliance with testing and quarantine measures. Classes will be closed from four infections (symptomatic children) in a class
• meetings continue to be organised online
• the mixing of classes in common interior spaces (study room, dining hall, etc.) should be avoided as much as possible
• day trips are allowed in accordance with the rules in force in the establishment
• extra mural activities with an overnight stay are suspended

The Committee calls on parents to test their children using self-tests whenever possible.

With regard to higher education, the Committee invites the Ministers of Education, in collaboration with the education sector, to assess the basis on which (additional) preventive measures in higher education can be organised from 10 January.

Testing and quarantine measures

The Committee took note of the decision of the Ministers of Public Health who have modified the testing and quarantine policy*. This change will take effect on 10 January.

This new testing and quarantine policy places more emphasis on self-tests. These self-tests are available in supermarkets and pharmacies. People who are on benefits will be able to buy self-tests in pharmacies for just 1 euro (4 self-tests maximum per person and per 14-day period).

Medium-term strategy and barometer

The Committee also examined the preparatory work of the COVID-19 Commission on a medium-term strategy and the Corona barometer project. The COVID-19 Commissioner has been tasked with refining and developing the barometer.

*Policy changes

In terms of testing:

• Workplace testing is abandoned
• High-risk asymptomatic contacts are no longer tested (except for self-tests). Symptomatic high-risk contacts will continue to be tested under current guidelines
• Incoming travellers will continue to be tested
• Departing travellers should retain the option of taking a RAT or PCR test depending on the demand of the destination country. These tests are still possible in all test contexts, not just in airports, etc

In terms of quarantine:

Fully vaccinated high-risk contacts should not go into quarantine but should apply strict preventive measures (mouth mask (preferably FFP2), distance, no contact with vulnerable people, etc.) for up to 10 days after treatment. A fully vaccinated person is someone who has received their booster vaccine, or who received the last dose of their baseline vaccination no more than 5 months ago, or who has had a certificate of recovery no more than 5 months ago. Young people between the ages of 12 and 17, who have received their basic vaccination regardless of the date of vaccination, are considered fully vaccinated.

Partially vaccinated high-risk contacts should go into quarantine for 7 days; From day 4, the quarantine can be lifted on condition of carrying out daily negative self-tests and strictly applying preventive measures (mouth mask (preferably FFP2), social distance, no contact with vulnerable people, etc.) up to 10 days after their high risk contact. A partially vaccinated person is someone who received the last dose of their primary vaccination more than 5 months ago and who has not yet received their booster vaccination.

High-risk, unvaccinated contacts should enter quarantine for 10 days; From the 7th day, the quarantine can be lifted provided that daily negative self-tests are carried out, and that preventive measures are strictly applied (mouth mask (preferably FFP2), distance, avoidance of contact with vulnerable people, etc. until 10 days after high-risk contact.

Children aged 5 to 11 have the status of the adult with whom the child currently reside. This means that the child will have to follow the same quarantine rules as this adult, i.e. if one of the adults is subject to quarantine (or isolation), the child is also subject to quarantine. 

The Belgian authorities have decided to drop the requirement for fully vaccinated people to self-isolate following a close contact with someone infected with COVID-19 from Monday 10 January 2022. However, people are asked to continue to be extremely careful, maximise teleworking, avoid contact with vulnerable people, and wear a FFP2 mask if possible.

The new rule applies to anyone who has received their second vaccine dose or booster in the last five months.

Vaccinated folk whose last jab was more than five-month ago must still isolate for 10 days following a high-risk contact, but can be released on day four with daily negative antigen tests taken until day seven. A negative PCR test will no longer be required to end quarantine.

However, for unvaccinated people, the rules remain the same. They will have to undergo PCR testing on days one and seven, will remain in quarantine until they have received a negative result for the second test, and must also undergo daily negative self-tests until day ten.

These new rules were backed by federal and regional health ministers on Tuesday (4 January) and will come into effect on 10 January 2022.

The Belgian government has today (4 January 2022) released a handy infographic on the current COVID-19 testing regime applicable to travellers heading abroad and/ or returning home to Belgium.

An image of the infographic is shown below and you can access the pdf version with clickable links here: 20220104 FODKAN_POSTER_OP_REIS_FR.pdf

ICYMI some UK citizens normally resident in Belgium have, since 28 December, been prevented from returning home to Belgium from the UK by car by French authorities. This rule preventing land transit through France follows new guidance on COVID travel restrictions introduced before Christmas and issued to the French Border forces on 28 December. However, the French authorities have now issued further guidance to allow UK citizens resident in EU countries who travelled to the UK on or before 28 December to return without hinderance.

This welcome suspension to allow travel through France for UK citizens returning to their main home in an EU country during the festive period is very welcome. It follows extensive representations to the French authorities by the UK Embassies in France and Belgium and the Belgian authorities.

However, this is a temporary measure and UK citizens are still largely banned from going to France unless they have a compelling reason and return car transit through France for a journey to the UK starting today would not be possible.

The French interior ministry has issued a ‘tolerance instruction’ to facilitate the transit of British nationals through France to reach their residence in an EU country during the end of the year celebrations.

The rules and regulation can always be found on the website of the French Ministry of the Interior.

The current regulations, introduced as part of measures to combat a surge in COVID cases in France, cover travel to France from the UK, which is classified as a COVID red zone. Travel is only authorised for:

• European (EU) nationals returning to their main residence in France or located in another EU country
• Nationals of a third countries holding a long-stay visa or a valid residence permit having their main residence in France

In addition, France has added UK citizens who reside regularly in France and are exempt from a residence permit under the Brexit withdrawal agreement, but can provide proof of residence.

However, British citizens who reside in another EU country, as nationals of a third country, are not covered by this measure and, therefore, cannot transit through France to another EU country while the COVID restrictions are in place.

As many UK citizens residing in an EU country travelled to the UK for the Christmas/ New Year holidays before the new guidance was issued and now would face unexpected difficulties in returning home, the French have issued tolerance instructions to their border forces.

Happy New Year everyone!

Our second seasonal celebration recipe comes from BBCA Council member and Editor of The Bulletin - Sara Crew. This recipe is Sarah's adaptation of a recipe first published in De Standaard magazine. The Bulletin shares an office with the Flemish newspaper.

First make a meringue with 4 egg whites, 150g sugar and 1.5 teaspoons of cornflour or cream of tartar. Pile the whipped meringue (swirl the mixture into a  messy pile, leaving a cavity for the cream filling) onto baking paper and cook for at least two hours at a low temperature (125-150°) and leave to dry in the oven for a couple of hours (or overnight).

In the meantime empty a bottle of rosé or white wine into large saucepan and add spices (cloves/star anis/cinnamon stick/ cardamom pods) as well as 20g of dried hibiscus flours (sourced from an organic supermarket). Add 75g of sugar and when dissolved, add peeled (you can leave the stalks on) and cored whole pears (smaller sized fruit are recommended). If necessary, add water to ensure the pears are completely submerged.

Although rosé or white wine is suggested, Sarah has considered using red wine instead and adding an extra dose of alcohol to the syrup to create a heady mulled wine mixture that would be very fitting for a winter festive pud!

Simmer until the pears are cooked, turning them from time to time so that they evenly colour. The pear poaching fills the kitchen with a lovely Christmassy fug! Remove from the heat, leave to cool and when cold, remove the pears and then reduce the syrup on high heat to make a sauce. You can add a little lemon juice when reducing the liquid.

Now assemble pavlova shortly before you want to serve it. Pile whipped cream (you can add some citrus zest for additional flavour) onto the meringue and top with the pears. Drizzle a little hibiscus syrup over the top and serve the remainder in a jug separately. For extra pizazz, you can sprinkle the dessert with dried hibiscus powder created by grinding some flowers.

Enjoy!

On Wednesday 22 December, the Belgian Consultative Committee discussed the COVID situation in the country and noted that the Omicron variant is rapidly gaining ground. With this in mind, the Committee advocates caution and has moved to reinforce protective measures from Boxing Day, Sunday 26 December 2021.

While the total number of infections has decreased, with a slight drop in pressure on the healthcare sector, the number of beds occupied in intensive care by COVID patients remains high at 693. In addition, the new Omicron variant is gaining ground in Belgium and already accounts for more than 27% of infections across the country. This variant is much more contagious than previous variants and is expected to become the dominant variant by the start of 2022. Due to the high contagiousness of this variant, extreme caution is required.

Vaccines remain the main protection against severe forms of COVID, with the booster dose in particular providing additional protection against the Omicron variant. Nearly four in ten adults (37%) have already received their booster vaccine and the Committee wants all adults to have had the opportunity to be vaccinated by the end of January.

To slow down Omicron's progress, to reduce its impact on hospitals and to avoid jeopardizing the reopening of schools after the Christmas holidays, the Committee has therefore taken a series of measures, which will come into force from Sunday December 26. These are itemised below.

1. No relaxation of rules

The current rules, decided by the Committee on 3 December, remain in force, in particular the wearing of a mask (compulsory from 6 years old), the obligation to telework (with a maximum of one day of return per week in the office) and the closure of the hotel and catering industry (at 11 p.m., with no exceptions for Christmas or New Year's evenings).

2. Indoor and outdoor events prohibited

All mass events inside are prohibited. This also applies to Christmas markets, winter villages, cultural and other performances, as well as congresses organized inside.

The interior spaces of the cultural, festive and recreational sectors are also closed, with the exception of:

Cinemas, laser games, bowling alleys, escape rooms, paintball, snooker, darts and billiards centres as well as indoor trampoline parks must also close.

The sports sector remains open, including fitness centres and swimming pools. Recreational elements of swimming pools and subtropical swimming pools must close, as well as the interior spaces of amusement and animal parks. Sports courses can only take place without an overnight stay.

3. Stricter rules for outdoor events

With regard to outdoor events, stricter regulations will apply to avoid crowd effects:

4. Sports competitions without an audience

The presence of the public during professional and non-professional sports competitions and training is prohibited. This rule prevails inside and out.

5. Safe shopping

Shopping can be done with a maximum of two people (with the exception of minors from their own household). One visitor is allowed per 10 m2 of retail space. It must be possible to guarantee a distance of 1.5 m between consumer groups. If the retail area is greater than 400 m2, adequate access control must be provided.

6. Mandatory teleworking

Teleworking remains compulsory with a maximum of one return day to the office per week.

7. Safe parties

The Concertation Committee recommends continuing to limit contact during the Christmas period and encourages recourse to self-testing. Ventilate indoor spaces and wear a facemask. And if you are feeling sick, then stay home.

Given the positive opinion of the Higher Health Council and the Bioethics Advisory Committee, the Committee also asked the Vaccination Taskforce to start the vaccination of children aged 5 to 11 as soon as possible and on a voluntary basis.

The Committee recommends the use of FFP2 masks for vulnerable people. Recent scientific studies indicate that the omicron variant resists longer in air than the previous variants.

The Committee will reassess the epidemiological situation in the first half of January 2022.

The Brussels British Community Association (BBCA) is happy to announce that it will donate €3,900 to the Community Help Service (CHS) Helpline thanks to the hard work of its volunteers and supporters throughout the year. This is a significant increase on previous years and reflects the large rise in demand for CHS services during the pandemic.

With the end of the year approaching the BBCA Council has been deliberating on its charitable donations for 2021. In recent years, our policy has been to split the funds available equitably between our four principle associated charitable bodies: The British Charitable Fund (BCF), The Community Health Service (CHS), The Royal British Legion Brussels branch (RBL), and The Wednesday Club. However, for 2021, in the light of the increased level of calls on the CHS due to the COVID pandemic and Brexit we are giving a larger amount to support their valuable work.

2021, like 2020 before it, has been a very difficult year for many people. While levels of anxiety and associated mental health issues on the rise, the ability of many charities to fund raise has been limited. With this in mind the BBCA Council has decided to prioritise its donations this year to focus on where greatest support is needed.

“In close consultation with the leadership of our four main charitable associations we have decided to donate to just two of the charities this year,” explains Glenn Vaughan, Chair of the BBCA Council. “In the light of massively increased calls on their services we will be donating €3,900 to CHS this year. This is by far the largest donation BBCA has been able to make to a single cause for some years and is very appropriate in the circumstances.”

In addition, €600 will be donated to RBL this year to support their local activities including the development of some centenary projects in Belgium.

CHS and COVID

“Even before the pandemic, there was a pressing need to raise awareness about mental health issues,” says Jeremy Jennings, Chair of the CHS Board. “But now, focus on mental health has never been more relevant, more important. CHS is proud to be a community leader shedding light on these issues, encouraging community care and offering vital services. And we thank the BBCA for its continuing, generous support for our work.”

The pandemic has forced CHS to modify and adapt the way in which they work. Pre-COVID, CHS Helpline volunteers would meet, face to face, on a weekly basis to discuss calls under the mentoring supervision of two trained psychologists. During the pandemic, everything has had to move to Zoom. But in anticipation of a return to a new normal, CHS has upgraded the CHS Boardroom with a new large screen (donated by Samsung) and high-quality video conferencing facilities. This facilitates "hybrid" meetings where some volunteers can attend in person (whilst respecting social distancing requirements) and others connect remotely.

CHS has also made a big investment in new communication technology. They have recently moved from their old Proximus system to Destiny Mobile. And whilst this has produced the inevitable teething troubles, CHS now has a much more flexible system where each volunteer has their own CHS smartphone. The new system is much easier to operate and provides the service with incredibly rich statistical data. For example, in the final quarter of 2021 CHS were able to note that roughly 15% of individuals calling the Helpline are from outside Belgium. CHS now has a global reach!

“COVID has inevitably had a huge impact on the people that use our services. The total number of calls to the Helpline in 2021 will be over 6,500, far more than any previous year,” comments Jeremy. “Similarly, the Mental Health Services Centre has seen a 30% increase in people seeking a consultation with a therapist over 2020. And 2020 was also record-breaking year! This increased workload has had a real impact on CHS people. COVID fatigue is a very real phenomenon. But the CHS family - therapists and volunteers alike - are enthusiastic in their desire to support the wider community (not just in Belgium) to manage our way through the pandemic.”

What does CHS do?

In 2021, CHS celebrated its 50th anniversary. Since 1971, the organisation has been supporting the international community in Belgium, regardless of nationality or circumstances . No-one should feel that they are alone – and help from CHS is always only a telephone call away.

CHS operates a Mental Health Services Centre in Brussels, housing an international team of professional therapists who provide support for a comprehensive range of mental health issues. All the CHS therapists speak English and many also work in other languages. The therapists are supported by a team of volunteers who also manage the administrative aspects of CHS, a non-profit organisation.

CHS also operates a 24/7 Helpline in English, for children, adolescents and adults. Calls are free of charge, anonymous and confidential. The Helpline is staffed by a team of volunteers that is recruited, trained, supervised and supported by the mental health professionals working with CHS.

CHS currently has 25 volunteers of whom 20 are active. This is the most volunteers CHS has had for a number of years, but more are always welcome. And you can always donate direct to CHS yourself via this web page.

The British Charitable Fund (BCF) was established in 1815 on the initiative of the Duke of Wellington to help British people in Belgium and their dependants, who find themselves in difficult circumstances. Over 200 years on the BCF continues its valuable work in Belgium and BCF Chairperson Julie Huckle has recently reviewed their activities in 2021.

During 2021, the world continued to come to terms with the on-going effects of COVID-19. The pandemic has had an impact on the way that the BCF has been able to work this year. Calls for assistance have had to be handled from a distance which can be difficult and has effectively removed a large part of the human contact element of the BCF’s work.

The help that the BCF offers comes in two main forms: financial support and pastoral care. The financial aspect is fairly straight forward and relies on the generosity of supporters to help maintain a sufficient level of funds. Pastoral care is far less simple but, at the end of the day, is about the care we all have for one another as human beings and is a very large part of what the BCF does.

BCF volunteers provide social and emotional support to people in our community who need it. Care can include all forms of human needs from ordinary physical and biological needs, through the need for safety and security, to social needs for connectedness and love and, finally, the higher needs for respect, personal growth and fulfilment.

Pastoral care

Pastoral Care is about providing an accompaniment for people, to help them and encourage them to take care of themselves. It may well include practical help (including referring them to other agencies) but also involves lots of listening and helping people to clarify their own thoughts. Perhaps most importantly, it also includes trying to ensure that they know they are being thought about and cared for. This can be achieved by staying in touch, sometimes just with a message. And there can be a spiritual element to this as well and the BCF is proud to work closely with Holy Trinity Church, St Andrew’s Church of Scotland and St George’s Memorial Church in Ypres. Adding The Wednesday Club, the Community Help Service, the Royal British Legion and the British Consulate as combined resources means that BCF can assist just about anyone who needs help.

The BCF In general, there are no fixed rules for the provision of assistance and the fund tries to help anyone in genuine need. In practice, applicants should have exhausted all other means of support from family and state agencies. However, there are often gaps in the provision of social help that can uniquely affect foreigners in Belgium, and it is these cases that the BCF is best suited to assist.

BCF assistance

Jim was living in an unpleasant apartment which was causing both his physical and mental health to be affected. He asked for assistance to find a new, more suitable, place to live and the BCF helped him to bridge the financial gap which inevitably appears when someone moves location. Not only that, BCF volunteers helped him move some of his more cherished belongings to his new home, all of which helped to ease the stress of the whole proceeding.

The BCF has provided on-going support to people affected by the terrorist attacks of March 2016. These cases are very complex and challenging, which have required not only financial support, but also patience, time and expert input from the BCF volunteers involved.

How can you help?

The work of the BCF volunteers continues to be entirely supported by the generosity of people like you. EUR 30 covers the cost of a one-way bus ride back to the UK. EUR 90 covers the cost of a replacement passport. EUR 250 can help to cover the cost of a loan for the up-front payment of a rental guarantee. All donations to the BCF, no matter the size, are welcome and any amount of EUR 40 and over is tax deductible in Belgium.

Donations can be made directly to the BCF account: BE37 3101 8900 8428

If you know of anyone who may need BCF help, please do not hesitate to get in touch. All of BCF’s work is carried out in total confidence.

Similarly, if you would like to become a BCF volunteer, please contact Louise Lang on 02 354 7563.

The BCF committee, and especially its beneficiaries, thank all the supporters of the fund, including the BBCA, and wishes everyone a very happy Christmas and a peaceful and healthy New Year.

You can find more information on BCF activities at: www.bcfund.be