A new month is nearly upon us and a series of new administrative measures and regulations will come into effect across Belgium tomorrow, 1 November.
The most important changes and how they will impact people can be found below.
Euthanasia fee for doctors
From November, doctors in Belgium will receive an official fee for performing euthanasia, announced the National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (RIZIV/INAMI).
The procedure will now be fully reimbursed by health insurance, meaning patients and their families will no longer have to pay for it themselves. By adding it to the reimbursement system, the cost will be covered by the health insurance fund.
In total, a fee of €180.24 will be provided for physicians performing euthanasia, which includes the costs of materials, performing the euthanasia, certifying the death, and completing the death certificate and other official documents.
New alcohol and tobacco rules
New regulations are coming into effect to simplify the administrative obligations for alcohol and tobacco retailers.
The new, uniform 'Alcohol and Tobacco Retailer' permit will replace three separate certificates previously required for the sale of these products: one for ethyl alcohol and alcoholic beverages, one for manufactured tobacco products, and one for raw tobacco (such as plants and leaves in their natural state).
Credit: Belga
This fragmentation created additional administrative burdens and confusion for retailers, especially at mixed sales outlets such as night shops and speciality stores.
The new permit is not only mandatory for traditional tobacco and alcohol sales but also applies to retailers offering e-liquids. These liquids, used in electronic cigarettes, are legally considered manufactured tobacco products and therefore fall under the same regulations. The application for the new permit must be submitted before 1 November via MyMinfin or an authorised business counter.
More autonomy for home nurses
Home nurses will be allowed to perform more care tasks (such as injections, wound care and catheter procedures) without needing a separate prescription.
The aim is to give nurses more independence, reduce paperwork and help ease workload pressure, according to Federal Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke (Vooruit). "We are cutting unnecessary administration so that caregivers can focus on their patients. This makes home care more manageable for everyone," he said.
Burial forests
From November, the city of Genk (province of Limburg) will open a burial forest of 2,700m², offering residents a natural alternative to traditional cemeteries and scattering meadows. The site allows ashes to be scattered or interred in biodegradable urns.
Credit: Uitvaart in Vlaanderen
A burial forest is a form of natural burial that integrates remembrance with forest conservation. Instead of conventional gravestones or monuments, the deceased are laid to rest in wooded surroundings, where trees and plants mark the passage of time and return the remains gently to nature.
Genk is the latest city to introduce this form of remembrance, but it is not the first; the practice is common in the Netherlands and Germany, and demand is also increasing in Belgium.
