Anyone caught throwing chewing gum on the streets of Brussels now faces a €200 fine.
The city council of Brussels approved on Monday a series of new rules regarding public behaviour, meaning that fines for polluting the streets of the city have increased.
The fine for throwing a cigarette butt on the floor has increased from €50 to €200. The fine for throwing chewing gum on the street has also increased from €100 to €200, while anyone caught urinating on the street now faces a fine of €250 rather than €100.
The city council also approved stricter fines on illegal dumping. Anyone who leaves waste illegally now faces a fine of €500 per cubic meter. If the contents of the waste include construction items or household chemical waste, the fine can go up to €51,000 per cubic meter.
The fine for illegal graffiti has also increased from €150 to €500 per square meter.
A number of politicians expressed concerns about whether or not these new fines would actually be collected, Bruzz explained.
"If the city is dirty, it is due to the people who pollute and have no respect. That does not mean that the cleaners do not do their job," Zoubida Jellab (Ecolo-Green) explained.
Evie McCullough
The Brussels Times
