Belgium

Business leaders from Europe urged the European Union to take urgent action to lower energy prices on Wednesday. They said that this was essential for European industries to be able compete with the United States and China. The message from the industries is being delivered just as EU leaders are gathering in a Belgian Castle on Thursday to have a "retreat". They will be discussing how Europe can compete with China and America economically. Why is Europe so far behind the rest of world? Conrad Keijzer, CEO of Swiss specialty chemicals manufacturer Clariant, told corporate leaders in Antwerp that the...

Draft documents from the European Commission, seen by, show that the European Union intends to 'extend its upcoming border tax on carbon to include imported products such as car parts, washing machines and refrigerators. This is to close any loophole that foreign firms could use to avoid paying this levy. The EU will publish a set of measures related to the world's first carbon border tariff on Wednesday. This is before the CO2 emissions cost on imported steel, cement, and other goods begins in January. The draft Commission proposal stated that "the proposal will expand the scope of Carbon Border...

The French presidency announced at a United Nations climate conference that European nations had backed a plan worth $2.5 billion to save the Congo rainforest. This conservation initiative could steal some of the thunder from Brazil's flagship initiative, which is the host country for COP30. The U.N. Climate talks are being held this year in the Brazilian Amazon to draw attention to the issue of emissions caused by rampant deforestation. The initiative "The Belem Call for the Forests of the Congo Basin", led by France and Gabon, and supported by Germany, Norway and Belgium, was reported on by Thursday, and...

After a delay of almost an hour and half caused by rain and poor visibility on the Spa-Francorchamps track, the Belgian Formula One Grand Prix began after four laps. The starting procedure was stopped after the first formation lap, which took place behind the safety vehicle. Lando Norris of McLaren, who sits nine points behind his championship-leading teammate Oscar Piastri on the podium, told the team's radio, "I don't know what's going on behind the safety vehicle." The FIA finally cleared the race for start after a long wait. The safety car led the field to evaluate visibility, before deciding...

Kenyan courts fined four men each $7,700 for attempting to traffic thousands of valuable ants to the country's eco-system. Experts say that this case shows a shift from biopiracy towards lesser known species, such as elephant ivory. On April 5, authorities arrested two Belgian teens, a Vietnamese and a Kenyan man in separate cases for allegedly trying to smuggle about 5,440 giant African harvester ants. Magistrate Njeri Thuku stated that the ants could fetch more than 800,000 Euros or $900,000. This is in Europe, Asia and some parts of North America where antkeepers maintain colonies in large, transparent vessels called...

Firefighters claim they are understaffed Wildfires and house fires are on the increase EU launches Preparedness Strategy By Beatrice Tridimas Fire services are under pressure across Europe due to wildfires fueled by hotter and drier conditions, as well as household fires that are, according to unions, sometimes caused by non-certified solar installations. The firefighters want to see more funding and incentives for the many millions of volunteers that support the system. Pablo Sanchez, the policy lead of the European Federation of Public Service Unions' Firefighter's Network EPSU (EPSU), said: "We have over 1,000 volunteer hours per year." "They treat volunteers...

The shares of European truck manufacturers fell Thursday after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that it would begin efforts to reverse Biden's administration's vehicle emission rules. Analysts say that trucking fleet companies had expected to "pre-buy", trucks before the new rules came into effect, which would have driven up demand. This is unlikely to happen now. Pal Skirta, an analyst at Metzler, said that the market is likely to assume the tighter regulations are going to be reversed. This means there's no expectation of a surge in pre-purchases for the second half 2025-2026. Skirta stated that this was the...

The Argentinean security minister announced on Monday that the country has loosened the safety regulations for shipments travelling on a river, which is a major grain transport corridor. This move could increase cargo transported through the waterway up to 7%. The Parana-Paraguay river will be able carry more cargo now, said Security Minister Patricia Bullrich on social media site X. She added that it would increase efficiency and lower costs without compromising safety. Argentina is the top exporter in the world of soy oil, flour and corn. It's also a major supplier of wheat. Over 80% of Argentina's agricultural products...

Belgium will in January end up being the first European Union country to prohibit sales of disposable vapes due to the fact that of concerns about their usage amongst children and the ecological damage they can cause. The move becomes part of an anti-tobacco drive in the western European country, where government data reveals most young smokers start the habit with electric cigarettes (vapes), instead of routine tobacco cigarettes. Non reusable e-cigarettes are created to bring in young people, to attract brand-new users who maybe never ever smoked, Belgian health minister Frank Vandenbroucke informed Reuters. E-cigarettes are partially attracting a...

The international Earth Observation (EO) market is on track to exceed $8 billion in valuation by 2033 from $5 billion currently, according to a new report from Novaspace, the merger of Euroconsult and SpaceTec Partners. The rapid development is mainly credited to the surge in massive defense agreements and increasing accessibility of high-resolution imaging and 3D capabilities, which are improving the scope and quality of Earth monitoring, the report stated. EO technology, which offers crucial information for industries ranging from farming to ecological monitoring and defense, is among the most profitable sectors in the commercialization of space innovation. The United...

In the Belgian province of Limburg, one of the orchards in the country's peargrowing heartland stands out as unusual: a. cluster of 12 transparent domes, set down high by a mirrored wall. above the surrounding nature park. Inside the domes, researchers are growing pears in a. controlled environment that simulates how environment change will. affect the area in 2040. Their objective is to see what worldwide. warming has in shop for Europe's fruit growers. We expect more heatwaves and less even precipitation, so. more droughts and floods too. And in general, somewhat higher. temperatures, Francois Rineau, associate professor at the....

The Olympic mixed relay triathlon competitors will be held as scheduled at 8 a.m. (0600 GMT) in Paris on Monday, organisers stated in a statement after testing the water quality of the River Seine. Training sessions for the swimming leg of the triathlon were cancelled due to bad water quality in the Seine and the guys's occasion was returned to last Wednesday, happening on the same day as the ladies's. Organisers confirmed late on Sunday that the relay would take place, regardless of cancelling Sunday's training. Following demands from the triathlon teams to give the athletes more time to prepare...

The 'Council of the EU' announced that the European Union countries approved a deal on Thursday to delay the anti-deforestation legislation by one year. This cleared the final legal hurdle so the law could be passed. First-ever policy, the EU would not allow imports of palm oil, cocoa and other products linked to deforestation. Foreign exporters of these commodities were required to submit due diligence reports proving that their products didn't contribute to forest degradation. The law, originally due to take effect in December 2024 was intended as a major component of the EU’s green agenda. Brussels had already delayed...

A document seen by revealed that European nations have thrown their weight behind a plan worth $2.5 billion to save the Congo forest. This conservation scheme could steal some of the thunder from Brazil's flagship initiative for the COP30. The U.N. Climate talks are being held this year in the Brazilian Amazon to draw attention to the issue of emissions caused by rampant deforestation. The initiative, led by France, is called "The Belem Call to the Forests of the Congo Basin". It has the backing of Germany, Norway and Britain. The initiative's supporters hope to mobilize resources in order to...

Theo Francken, Minister of Defence in Belgium, said that police are investigating recent drone sightings in military areas. Francken, in a posting on X, said that the government had received reports of drones flying above Kleine Brogel in north-east Belgium on Saturday. He said that a helicopter and police cars pursued the drone but were unable to capture it. A drone jammer also failed to intercept it. Francken stated that the flight was not just a simple flyover, but rather a command to target Kleine Brogel. Police are investigating the incident, according to a spokesperson from Francken's office. Ministers from...

Zizou Bergs, a Belgian tennis player on the rise, could soon rank among the top 50 in the world. However his desire to travel the globe and pursue his career has created an awkward situation. Bergs, 25 years old, is passionate about the environment and sustainability. However, the ATP Tour is so global that he doesn't have much choice but to fly. ATP Tour players racked-up an average of 122,000km by 2023. While Bergs acknowledges that air miles are a part of his job, he's still doing his part to help the ATP Tour achieve its pledge of a reduction...

Junction Growth Investors is an investment firm that funds companies working to combat climate change. On Tuesday, it announced raising 115 million Euros ($119.8 millions), which demonstrates the resilient appetite of investors in this sector. Even though President Donald Trump has ordered the United States not to participate in the Paris Climate Agreement, many funds continue to invest in green energy. Last month, Norway's $1.8 billion wealth fund expressed its commitment to renewable energies. Junction Growth Investors in Belgium said that Keeling Capital and BNP Paribas Private Equity were among the firms who participated in the fund-raising. The European Investment...

MercedesBenz CEO Ola Kaellenius advised the European Commission on Thursday to acknowledge that subdued electrical car sales in the European Union were due to weak need not lack of supply and to ditch prospective fines for the car sector. The bloc's carmakers, who are having a hard time to compete against Chinese rivals and bracing for U.S. tariffs after President-elect Donald Trump takes workplace, face possible EU fines of as much as 15 billion euros ($ 15.4 billion) if their fleets do not satisfy CO2 emission limitations in 2025. Kaellenius, the brand-new president of the European Auto Makers' Association (ACEA),...

Wind power supplied 20% of the electricity consumed in Europe in 2015, but the capability built during the year was less than half of what is required to meet the European Union's 2030 energy and environment targets, industry group WindEurope said on Friday. WHY IT'S IMPORTANT Wind has been a growing part of Europe's electrical energy production for more than twenty years, and the European Union desires it to grow far more to meet targets to fight climate modification and likewise as it decreases reliance on fossil fuels. BY THE NUMBERS Europe built 15 gigawatts (GW) of brand-new wind energy...

The global Earth Observation (EO) market is on track to go beyond $8 billion in valuation by 2033 from $5 billion presently, according to a brand-new report from Novaspace, the merger of Euroconsult and SpaceTec Partners. The fast growth is mainly attributed to the rise in large-scale defense agreements and increasing availability of high-resolution imaging and 3D capabilities, which are boosting the scope and quality of Earth tracking, the report said. EO innovation, which provides important information for markets ranging from agriculture to ecological monitoring and defense, is one of the most profitable sectors in the commercialization of area innovation....

EU federal governments on Wednesday will vote on brand-new draft rules permitting some crops to be geneedited to make them more dry spell and pestresistant, as they look for to unwind a few of the world's strictest policies on genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The strongest champs of so-called new genomic strategies ( NGT), which can modify the genetic product of an organism without presenting foreign DNA, include Spain, Portugal and Italy, countries currently struggling with the effects of climate modification such as drought. A heatwave due to spread out throughout Europe today is set to take a heavy toll on...

Europe has actually clocked a. record number of hours of negative power rates this year due to. a mismatch between need and supply as solar energy generation. soars, potentially helping to move investment to much needed. storage options. Wholesale power markets in most of Europe's key economies. turned out no or negative prices for a record variety of hours. in the first 5 months of this year at times of low demand. That means producers more frequently need to pay to unload. power, or stop their plants. One could definitely state that, at this moment, success is. consuming its own...

Farmers drove numerous tractors into Brussels on Tuesday to protest against the European Union's ecological policies, however the action was avoided by mainstream farming groups who stated it did not show their members' concerns. A few days before the European Parliament election on June 6-9, farmers from the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland and Germany taken a trip to Brussels to protest against EU green policies that organisers said undermine the competitiveness of European farmers. We originated from Poland, due to the fact that we know that the source of our issue remains in Brussels. Due to the fact that we wish...

A Belgian farmer is taking French oil and gas business TotalEnergies to court, looking for compensation for climate changefuelled damage to his farm and a legal order for the business to halt financial investments in new fossil fuel jobs. The case, filed on Wednesday at the Tournai commercial court, is the very first climate change-related suit in Belgium to target a multinational business. It follows a case in which thousands of residents effectively taken legal action against the Belgian government to demand stronger greenhouse gas emissions cuts. A representative for TotalEnergies declined to discuss the case. Hugues Falys, who farms...