WEF’s Global Competitiveness Report 2010-2011: Belgium slips to 19th position out of 139

Lucas Schuurman — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 12:01:36 GMT

Similar to Newsweek’s Best Countries List (BCL), published in August 2010, the Scandinavian countries continue to be well positioned among the top ten: Sweden 2^nd, Finland 7^th and Denmark 9^th

SD Worx' KMO/PME job index: golden years prolonged

Lucas Schuurman — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 07:07:24 GMT

Good news from SD Worx’ second quarter KMO/PME job index. The index, which samples more than 16,000 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Belgium, reports in its online press release (September 1, 2010) a remarkable increase in demand for older workers.

R&D in Belgium: Cultivating innovation and innovating cultivation

Lucas Schuurman — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:39:11 GMT

In L’Echo, August 31, 2010, Benoît Cerexhe, Minister of Economy and Education, calls for a simplification of the framework programs for research

Downsizing employment costs vs out-sourcing production runs

Lucas Schuurman — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:07:37 GMT

Given Belgium’s slow economic growth, increasing unemployment and sluggish export growth, even unions are willing to cut salaries in exchange for job security

US truck maker DAF: experienced workers back in demand

Lucas Schuurman — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 10:04:30 GMT

DAF Trucks NV, located in Oevel (Westerlo), part of the US Paccar Group, is about to recruit 100 workers in response to an increasing demand in heavy trucks.

Foreign investors keep three things in mind: location, location, location

Lucas Schuurman — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 08:18:42 GMT

In an ambitious attempt to rank the world’s best countries, Newsweek identifies the Scandinavian countries as the new land of milk and honey, while Belgium only just stays within the top 20

Nothing is certain but death and taxes?

Lucas Schuurman — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 11:23:10 GMT

Belgium’s employment taxes top the world ranking once again, while tax regime certainty ranks third on the average foreign investor’s wish list

Simple Denmark: present cuts = future consumption

Lucas Schuurman — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 14:02:27 GMT

Denmark strategically curbs its unemployment benefits from four to two years in anticipation of tight budget control and a grim post-crisis outlook

Belgium's next generation in the making: young, smart, unemployed

Lucas Schuurman — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 13:10:15 GMT

Belgium joins the bandwagon of an international increase in youth unemployment despite a small increase in vacancies

Germany’s labor market flexibility might trigger the next Wirtschaftswunder

Lucas Schuurman — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 13:59:28 GMT

German exports and employment are on the rise thanks to a weaker Euro, excellent engineering and strategic moves by the German Government to increase labor force flexibility

New study reveals Belgium’s ageing demographic: particularly in Flanders

Lucas Schuurman — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 10:13:37 GMT

Flanders’ demographic trends reveal a strong increase in the number of pensioners

Up the ante for employment, down the rate of unemployment

Lucas Schuurman — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 10:15:47 GMT

An alarming picture on Belgium's employment rate is painted in the latest Eurostat figures on workforce participation within the EU Member State, with Belgium ranking lowest in the Benelux countries

Wallonia: 10 + 1 Good Reasons to Invest in the Region

Lucas Schuurman — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:05:48 GMT

A sturdy signal of intentions, an inspiring invitation to business

Land of Confusion sees Belgian FDI drop of 70%

Lucas Schuurman — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 14:37:23 GMT

Foreign perception reveals domestic disdain

Opel Antwerp’s Bridge Pension: a Bridge to Cross, a Bridge to Burn or a Bridge too Far?

Lucas Schuurman — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 10:33:25 GMT

Bridge pension scheme authorized for workers at Opel Antwerp

Opel Antwerp re-awakens debate over pre-pensions

Andrew Canning — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 13:30:35 GMT

The case of Opel Antwerp re-ignites the debate on pre-pensions in Belgium

European Commission urges Member States to increase retirement age

Andrew Canning — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 08:40:40 GMT

Faced with a Europe-wide ageing demographic, the Commission is urging an increase in the retirement age

Multinationals concerned about the level of tax certainty in Belgium

Andrew Canning — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 12:52:03 GMT

Tax certainty a major concern for multinationals in Belgium according to a recent Deloitte survey

Belgium has the second highest tax rate on labor in Europe

Andrew Canning — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 09:36:32 GMT

According to Eurostat statistics, Belgium's tax-to-GDP ratio has risen while corporate tax remains high compared with most other EU Member States.

High productivity is no longer Belgium’s trump card

Emily Allan — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 13:38:44 GMT

According to a study by the Belgian Federal Planning Bureau (FPB), the per unit labor cost in Belgium has risen by 13.2 percent between 1996 and 2007.

Share your Green Best Practices in the AmCham Belgium Survey

Sven Vercalsteren — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 08:22:43 GMT

We need your help and various companies are already participating in the survey. Please don’t wait to register as the deadline for completing the survey is June 30. Besides the opportunity to promote your environmental efforts, the survey will provide you and your company several benefits! Go Green!

Guy Quaden, Governor of Belgium’s National Bank (BNB) puts forward the idea of an increase in taxation

Sven Vercalsteren — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 13:53:02 GMT

Belgium bears the third-highest debt relative to its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the euro region. According to the Federal Planning Bureau, balancing the budget for 2015 will require the next Government to free up an estimated €22 billion, six percent of GDP.

An Open Letter on Reducing the Fiscal Pressure for Companies in Belgium

Sven Vercalsteren — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 14:26:25 GMT

Our third and final Open Letter before the Federal Elections

Increasing the employment rate for the over 55s

Sven Vercalsteren — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 06:55:25 GMT

A Second Open Letter to the Leaders of Belgium’s political and economic future.

An Open Letter on Labor Costs and Flexibility

Sven Vercalsteren — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 15:56:06 GMT

To the Leaders of Belgium's political and economic future.

Employer Social Charges have increased in 2010

Emily Allan — Thu, 20 May 2010 12:58:38 GMT

Every year the Federation of Enterprises in Belgium (FEB/VBO) analyses the average real cost of wages which employers pay for the effective work of blue and white collar employees.

Recent US International Tax Developments: Do they affect you?

Emily Allan — Mon, 17 May 2010 08:10:47 GMT

Are you a US company which has to meet US tax reporting obligations?
Are you a US citizen living in Belgium or do you have investments in US company(s) as a result of you company stock option scheme? If the answer to any of these questions is yes then you will be interested in the presentation on “International Tax: U.S. Tax Developments” given at a recent meeting of AmCham Belgium’s Legal & Taxation Committee. This presentation was given by Mr. Matt Rogers and Ms Marcia Doyle of Deloitte Belgium.

Total Tax Contribution in Belgium is amongst the highest internationally

Emily Allan — Tue, 11 May 2010 12:39:32 GMT

A survey conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers and commissioned by the Federation of Enterprises in Belgium assesses the total tax contribution in Belgium in 2009. This is the second time this survey has been conducted since 2007.

Politics in Belgium is never a walk in the park

Emily Allan — Wed, 05 May 2010 12:09:49 GMT

In order to get your views, AmCham Belgium will post certain “hot topics” on LinkedIn to create a discussion amongst members. All members can join the AmCham Belgium Group on LinkedIn by clicking here, which will allow you to get more involved in discussions and for your opinions to be heard.

Times are changing, literally!

Laura Reynders — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 08:55:24 GMT

Those of us that are in contact with the United States on a regular basis need to be aware of the beginning of the US summer time, or risk missing conference calls with our American colleagues.

Corporate Income Tax

Sven Vercalsteren — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:10:36 GMT

The Notional Interest Deduction has once again been under attack. Legal and Taxation Committee members Werner Heyvaert and Roel Van Werde step in to defend the NID and explain its critical role to keeping Belgian competitive in attracting foreign investment.

The Minister of Pensions Michel Daerden does not want to increase the effective retirement age

Emily Allan — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:27:29 GMT

Europe faces the problem of an ageing population and how to finance pensions.

Antwerp and Flanders prize-winners for attracting foreign investors

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 14:02:25 GMT

The city of Antwerp won in the category ‘Best Small City for Foreign Direct Investment Strategy’ for its successful strategy in attracting foreign investors, beating Leeds, Brno, Edinburgh and Manchester.

The new European Commission is approved

Laura Reynders — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 09:54:43 GMT

The European Parliament has voted in favor of the new European Commission.

President Obama gives his first State of the Union Speech

Laura Reynders — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:16:41 GMT

Obama states that “jobs must be our number one focus” as he spoke about the State of the Union.

Belgium ranked as the 3rd most productive country in the world

Emily Allan — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 15:16:57 GMT

In 2009, Belgium was ranked 3rd most productive country in the world by The Conference Board, an American research institute, who conducts an annual economic survey of labor productivity.

Belgium meets the Kyoto objective

Emily Allan — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 09:57:23 GMT

Belgium successfully managed to reduce its carbon emissions by 8.3%.

William E.Kennard appointed as the new US Ambassador to the EU

Laura Reynders — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 08:36:35 GMT

On January 6, 2010, Mr. W E. Kennard began his new role as US Ambassador to the EU by presenting his credentials to José Manuel Barroso in Brussels.

The bonus system for successful innovation not attractive to businesses

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 10:27:00 GMT

Since 2006, employers have been able to offer a bonus to their employees for “creative innovation.” The bonus is totally tax-free for the employee, is not subject to social security contributions and yet is fully tax-deductible by the employer.

Important Update: Van Quickenborne to speak at New Year Reception with Belgian Officials

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 09:34:14 GMT

On January 20, 2010, AmCham Belgium will organize its prestigious New Year Reception, sponsored by KBC.

Marshall 2.vert: €2.7 billion for the Walloon economy

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 14:16:05 GMT

The governments of the Walloon region and of the French Community announced on Thursday, December 3, 2009 that they will invest €2.7 billion in the Walloon economy over the next five years, some of which specifically with foreign investors. This was announced at the launch of the new ‘Marshall Plan 2.vert.’

US Direct Investment (USDI) Report 2009 - Release Event

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 09:42:10 GMT

On Wednesday November 25, AmCham Belgium presented the 2009 edition of its annual publication: the US Direct Investment in Belgium Report (USDI). After a successful press conference earlier the same day at the offices of Pfizer, invitees including government and US Embassy officials and strategic sponsors were welcomed in the auditorium of BNP Paribas Fortis where the USDI Report 2009 was officially released.

SME legislation remains rare in the European Union

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:06:07 GMT

European employers’ organizations complain that one year after the entry into force of the Small Business Act very few measures favorable to SMEs have been implemented at national level.

Class Actions Luncheon with Mischael Modrikamen

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 09:34:29 GMT

Following the introduction of a pre-draft for class action legislation by the Belgian Minister of Justice, AmCham Belgium's legal subcommittee organized a luncheon seminar on the US system of class actions (also known as collective procedures for compensation for damages). AmCham Belgium invited Mr. Mischaël Modrikamen to highlight common misunderstandings and to discuss why or why not class actions should be introduced in Belgium.

Vacancy: Marketing and Communications Intern

Sven Vercalsteren — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 10:49:51 GMT

This internship position is to be filled as of the week of January 11, 2010, full time, 6 months, with the possibility for an extension.

US Direct Investment in Belgium plummets - Summary of USDI press coverage

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:50:35 GMT

The influx of foreign direct investment (FDI) in general, and of US Direct Investment (USDI) in particular have declined sharply since 2007 and 2008. A further drop is forecast for 2009, both in Direct Investment and employment.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:52:20 GMT

AmCham Belgium wishes you all a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving.

Belgian companies spend less on R&D than companies in other EU Member States

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:47:27 GMT

Last year, Belgian companies decreased their investment in Research and Development (R&D) by 0.8% compared to 2007. Of the ten EU Member States where companies invest most in R&D, Belgium is the only Member State where the growth in private R&D investment decreased, the European Commission reports in the 2009 edition of its annual EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard.

Belgian government sets new Notional Interest Deduction rates

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:05:09 GMT

On November 13, 2009, the Belgian Council of Ministers set the maximum level (cap) that companies may claim when using the Notional Interest Deduction for the tax years 2011 and 2012. This rate was set at 3.80 percent, while Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) can claim a maximum rate of 4.30 percent.

US statements on Van Rompuy’s election as President of the European Council

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:00:49 GMT

The Obama Administration has congratulated Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy on his election as President of the European Council, and Baroness Catherine Ashton on her election as High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

Minister Van Quickenborne considers reforming the wage disadvantage a priority

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:13:41 GMT

Vincent Van Quickenborne (Open Vld), Minister of Entrepreneurship and Simplification, calls on the social partners to tackle the reform of the labor cost handicap, caused by automatic wage indexation, and take it into account as one of the priorities during the negotiations for a new inter-professional social agreement.

26.5% of Belgium’s corporate tax revenue comes from the 500 largest companies

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:47:55 GMT

Last year, the 500 largest companies in Belgium paid 26.5 percent of all corporate tax revenue. As Belgium counts around 450,000 companies, this implies that 0.1 percent of all companies are responsible for more than a quarter of all corporate taxation revenue.

Belgium has the oldest central government workforce

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:13:04 GMT

44 percent of Belgian Federal civil servants will retire within the next 15 years, according to the new “Government at a Glance" report by the OECD. This ranks the central government workforce of Belgium as the oldest amongst countries member of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Real wages increase faster than ever

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:12:47 GMT

The automatic wage indexation caused real wages in Belgium to increase by four percent on an annual basis in June 2009, making this the largest increase in 30 years. De Tijd made this calculation based on official data.

The average nominal monthly salary of employees was 3 percent higher than it was in June 2008. But as inflation decreased by -1.1 percent, the effective real wages increased by 4.1 percent. The increase for blue collar workers, 4.4 percent, was even higher.

Belgium still in top rankings of high corporate taxation rates

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:41:33 GMT

With its 33.99 percent corporate taxation rate, Belgium remains one of the countries with the highest taxation pressure, ranking third out of all OECD countries after Japan and the USA, and second out of all EU Member States, with only Malta having a higher rate. These conclusions are drawn from the annual Corporate and Indirect Tax Rate Survey 2009 report by accounting and tax advisory company KPMG.

Young employees for difficult position

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:44:59 GMT

Companies employing young, unemployed people with low or no qualifications may expect an additional reduction in social security charges. That is the main point of the new plan of Joëlle Milquet, Federal Minister for Employment, which will be presented to the Council of Federal Ministers in the beginning of October. Her Head of Cabinet, Peter Vansintjan, gave some details at a job fair on September 30, 2009.

60th Anniversary Gala Celebration and Launch of the AmCham US-Belgium Award

Jeremy Dixson — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 16:14:35 GMT

The American Chamber of Commerce in Belgium launched the first AmCham US-Belgium Award at its 60th Anniversary Gala Celebration on September 26, 2008 at the NYSE Euronext Stock Exchange Brussels.