McDonald’s is going to ban the use of plastic straws at six Brussels restaurants. It is a part of a pilot programme following discussions with Brussels environment minister Céline Frémault. Outlets at Bourse, Rue Neuve, Docks Bruxsel, Cora Anderlecht, Bascule and Chaussée d’Ixelles will no longer offer plastic straws from September, according to RTBF. McDonald’s […]

A roundabout outside Brussels North rail station will be transformed into a beach with paddling pool for one day only on 1 June. Pool is Cool, the organisation dedicated to bringing outdoor swimming back to Brussels, is organising North Beach – an unusual afternoon and evening event “to show that urban swimming is fun and […]

Brussels Commercial Court ordered Hema to pay €4.4 million to Levi Strauss for using stitching that was too similar to the international denim giant’s famous V shape. Levi’s back-pocket stitching has been a registered trademark since 1981. The company had originally filed a damage claim for €50 for each pair of jeans Hema sold. That […]

New passenger flight from Charleroi to Hong Kong is ready to take off on 3 June, after a two-month delay. The new Belgian long-haul airline delayed its 30 April launch while it awaited permission to fly over Russian airspace. La Libre Belgique reports that the administrative procedure “dragged on” but has now been resolved. Chief […]

New passenger terminal for Brussels cruise daytrippers has been opened by the Port of Brussels. The goal is to treble the number of cruise daytrippers visiting the city by 2030. The new €5.2 million terminal, which received 60% European funding, provides docking for ships that are too large to use the central Brussels canal. The […]

The monks of Grimbergen Abbey, just outside Brussels, want to brew their own beer based on a centuries-old recipe. The beer currently known as Grimbergen is produced by mega-brewer Maes. Despite being called an ‘abbey beer’, it has never been brewed by monks or at an abbey. Launched in the 1950s, it simply carries the […]

According to a nine-month-long study – Place Sainctelette, Avenue Louise and Rue de la Loi are the least safe for cyclists streets in Brussels. 400 volunteers took part in the experiment between May 2017 and January this year, pushing a button on their bike handlebar connected by Bluetooth to their smartphone whenever they encountered a […]

If you want to learn everything you need to know to get a start-up off the ground – visit a free event that will be organized by ING on 17 May. Anne-Sofie van den Born Rehfeld – is the keynote speaker. Her business story is one of the best examples of a real success. Van […]

Members of Belgium’s federal parliament who fail to take part in enough votes will have their pay docked. The proposal received unanimous support (among those MPs who turned up to vote) but will not come into force until after the next elections in 2019. According to Het Nieuwsblad and De Standaard newspapers, members of parliament […]

Now it’s time to fill in online declarations and the printed form for your 2017 revenue. The deadline for filing a paper return is 29 June, while if you use the Tax-on-web service you have until 12 July, or 25 October if your accountant files on your behalf. Finance minister Johan Van Overtveldt said this […]