April might start with Fool's Day laughs but the new legislation that comes into effect on 1 April is quite serious. From a new funding model for doctors to a higher minimum wage and priority rules in childcare, here is what changes in Belgium today.
Higher minimum wage
From 1 April the minimum wage in Belgium will increase, surpassing €2,000 gross per month for the first time, the Christian trade union ACV confirmed. Around 80,000 workers will see their wages increase on Monday.
The rise was agreed during inter-professional negotiations for the period 2021-2022, which led to a €76.28 increase on 1 April 2022. A second increase was scheduled for 1 April this year, when it will rise by €35.70 (gross) per month.
"The new minimum wage will be €2,029.88 per month," ACV noted. The total amount that staff on this salary will take home will be around €50/month higher as the fiscal work bonus will also go up for people paid the minimum wage.
The increase in the minimum wage and the work bonus are normally implemented automatically. On 1 April 2026, a final rise will increase the minimum wage by €35.70. This amount can still be adjusted according to indexations.
Daycare priority for working parents in Flanders
Working parents will now have priority for subsidised childcare in Flanders. Until now, childcare providers had to reserve a maximum of 20% of their places for children from vulnerable families; from Monday, this will be lowered to 10% to ensure there is space for the children of working parents (or those in education at least four days per week).
"The basic rule is that childcare organisers give priority to families for whom childcare is necessary to work or to undergo training with a view to work," childcare services Kind & Gezin explained on its website.
However, the controversial measure will be challenged in the Constitutional Court as many organisations within the childcare sector and outside fear that the changes will lead to greater inequality and exclude parents in poverty.
A daycare worker feeding a child in a nursery. Credit: Belga
New heating oil
As of Monday, traditional heating oil 50S will disappear from the market. It is being replaced with a slightly less polluting (though slightly more expensive) variant that contains less sulphur.
The 50S refers to the maximum permissible sulphur content, which was 50 ppm (parts per million) or 0.005%. In its place, consumers will find heating oil 10S, or heating oil with no more than 0.001% sulphur. Less sulphur is better for the environment.
Other than the price difference, consumers won't see any practical change with the new standard. It works just as the previous oil and has already been sold widely as many retailers had exhausted stocks of the old 50S variant. For a 2,000-litre order the lower-sulphur heating oil costs €36 more.
Digitising judiciary
Criminal records will now be created and kept entirely digitally, part of the process to phase out paper records. This will also reduce the need for storage space and manual filing at courts and prosecutors' offices. It will do away with mould problems that come with storing huge quantities of paper.
Existing archives will not be digitised but with the gradual expiry of retention periods (30 years for assize cases and 20 years for correctional cases) additional kilometres of archives, which is how the collection is referred to in the country, will be destroyed each year. This will eventually clear the basements of courts and tribunals from paper files.
Historically valuable archives will still be transferred to the State Archives for permanent preservation.
Court archives in Belgium. Credit: Belga/ Maarten Weynants
Medical changes
People who lose their job due to medical force majeure making them unfit will be able to apply the 'Back to Work' fund – an initiative set up by the National Institute for Sickness and Disability Insurance (Riziv) to support people in finding a new job.
Employers who terminate the contract of an employee incapacitated due to medical force majeure must deposit €1,800 in the fund. The affected employees can apply to Riziv for a voucher of the same value to pay for a specialised tailor-made service from a recognised service provider.
"Through career guidance and personalised coaching they will get new perspectives to return to the labour market, within their possibilities," Riziv noted.
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Finally, 122 GPs in group practices and 12 GPs in individual practices will be entered into a new funding model. They will receive proportionally less income for their consultations but a higher fixed fee per patient for whom they are GP. This should not change their net income but will make it more stable.
The measure comes as the current performance funding model means that GPs don't have enough time to engage in prevention and proactive follow-up with their patients. In the long term it is hoped the change will reduce the number of acute problems. The new model also provides for additional premiums for member GP practices, including if they recruit a nurse for the practice.
