July 18, 2025
The new environmental permit for Brussels Airport has been annulled by the Council for Permit Disputes, an independent Flemish administrative court. The Council thereby agrees with Brussels Airlines. The airline found that the stricter environmental conditions, including an annual ceiling on the number of flight movements and the tightening of night flights, restricted its operations […]
July 17, 2025
France is heading towards a fourth lawsuit in the Dieselgate saga. After Volkswagen, Peugeot-Citroën, and Renault, it’s Fiat-Chrysler’s turn to be investigated for fraudulent software in some of their diesel cars. The manufacturer contests “the entire jurisdictional argumentation”. Fiat-Chrysler is suspected of having commercialised between 2014 and 2017 diesel vehicles of the brands Fiat, Alfa […]
July 16, 2025
The French government has announced a second season of its social leasing scheme for EVs. An envelope of €370 million is destined for subsidising the rental of at least 50,000 EVs for three years or more. Social leasing of (smaller) EVs has been a significant success in France last year. Even overwhelmingly so, because 50,000 […]
July 14, 2025
The Paris prosecutor’s office has asked for a third lawsuit in the so-called dieselgate scandal. After Volkswagen and Peugeot-Citroën (part of Stellantis now), it’s Renault’s turn. The French manufacturer denies any infringement. Renault has supposedly “specially calibrated” Euro 5 and Euro 6 vehicles sold between 2009 and 2017 to pass the legal tests, but they […]
July 11, 2025
Today, Minister of Justice Annelies Verlinden (CD&V) will present a bill to introduce ‘traffic manslaughter’ as a criminal offense. The term ‘traffic manslaughter’ is introduced as a new criminal law concept. This is a terminological change, but it also entails heavier penalties in certain circumstances. Anyone who causes a fatal traffic accident in Belgium faces a […]
July 10, 2025
Ombuds Brussels, the institution responsible for overseeing good governance in the Brussels Region, has launched several concrete proposals aimed at increasing consideration of vulnerable groups about the low-emission zone (LEZ). For example, Ombuds advocates that it should be possible to buy a day pass through non-digital channels. Additionally, all violators should receive a warning before […]
July 08, 2025
The Flemish public transport company De Lijn will increase the amount of its administrative fines by 18.37%. The acceptable amounts thus follow the fare indexation implemented in April. According to Flemish Minister of Mobility Annick De Ridder (N-VA), it is logical for fines to follow that price trend and should “continue to encourage people to […]
July 07, 2025
Will we soon have self-driving Teslas in Belgium? The American carmaker has already applied to the European Commission in March for approval of autonomous driving (Full Self Driving), and more specifically, supervised hands-off driving. According to the Vers L’Avenir newspaper, Federal Minister of Mobility Jean-Luc Crucke (Les Engagés), unlike his predecessor, is already in favor. […]
July 07, 2025
The Flemish Government has presented a new climate plan for 2030, which is expected to appease the European Commission and avoid heavy fines. One of the most visible new measures is the intention to push down electricity prices by shifting 362 million euros in taxes to the natural gas invoice by 2028. Families heating with […]
July 03, 2025
Stellantis is warning of potential factory closures across Europe as the automaker struggles to align with the European Union’s increasingly stringent CO₂ emissions targets. The alarm was sounded this week by Jean-Philippe Imparato, the group’s Europe chief, who described the situation as “just months away from a drama” if no regulatory adjustments are made before […]
July 02, 2025
The European Commission has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040 and to incorporate this target into the European Climate Law. However, with the possibility of achieving part of that reduction in third countries outside the EU through so-called ‘carbon credits’. The European Commission, which will present this strategy on Wednesday, is […]
June 30, 2025
The Board of Directors of the Belgian public railroad company NMBS/SNCB has postponed its decision on designating Spanish CAF as the preferred bidder for a billion-euro order for new railcars. NMBS/SNCB’s decision drew considerable political criticism, and CAF competitors Alstom and Siemens also appealed to the Council of State. In a reaction, NMBS/SNCB refers to […]
June 30, 2025
After months of tense negotiations with the European Commission, the Belgian federal government has decided to drastically limit its planned extension of tax deductions for plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs). What was once pitched as a broad incentive to support businesses transitioning away from older combustion engine cars will now apply only to self-employed individuals. Companies […]
June 27, 2025
The increase in the flight tax that the De Wever government wants to introduce will cost Brussels Airlines 1 million euros. So, write the business newspapers L’Echo and De Tijd. Indeed, it turns out that the increase also applies to tickets that were already purchased before the introduction of the new law, usually on July […]
June 27, 2025
Belgium’s tax-friendly treatment of company cars is depriving the state of up to €6 billion a year in lost revenues, as calculated in a damning new report by the Federal Planning Bureau. The analysis, published on Thursday, highlights how a system initially designed to ease wage costs has evolved into one of the most expensive […]
June 26, 2025
The Berlin Constitutional Court has ruled that an initiative to make the city largely car-free is legal, paving the way for organizers to collect signatures for a referendum. The draft law is thus compatible with the Berlin Constitution, the Basic Law, and federal law. Now, the initiators can further pursue their legislative proposal for a […]
June 25, 2025
The French government has ordered the immediate immobilization of 800,000 additional vehicles because of the presence of possibly lethal Takata airbags. All car brands are involved in the massive and urgent recall that is now needed. Last week, French car manufacturer Citroën initiated a ‘stop drive’ for all its C3 and DS3 models produced between […]
June 25, 2025
Tesla finds itself under the French spotlight for all the wrong reasons. The American EV maker has now been slapped with a formal injunction by France’s consumer watchdog, the DGCCRF. The charge? Misleading advertising and dubious business practices, according to French authorities, that veer off the legal path. The case zeroes in—unsurprisingly—on Tesla’s most contentious […]
June 24, 2025
A survey of HR service provider Acerta shows that the CO2 emissions of company cars have diminished by one-third in two years. The reason is apparent: since mid-2023, only zero-emission vehicles are 100% tax deductible. This has also resulted in a spectacularly increased presence of EVs in Belgium’s professional car market. The Acerta study is […]
June 24, 2025
The US Supreme Court has revived a challenge by fuel producers against California’s strict vehicle emissions rules, casting doubt on the state’s planned 2035 ban on new gasoline cars. The ruling could significantly impact EV policy leadership in the largest US car market. The conservative-dominated Supreme Court has granted fuel producers the right to challenge […]
June 23, 2025
The number of driver’s licences (type B) obtained in Flanders has been declining slightly every year since 2014. Last year, 66,415 Flemish people obtained their B driver’s licence; in 2014, this figure was still 76,730. This trend is also evident in Brussels: 10,505 driving licences last year, compared to 11,957 in 2014. In Wallonia, we see an […]
June 20, 2025
The Belgian Arizona government appears increasingly cornered over its controversial attempt to revive tax breaks for plug-in hybrid vehicles in corporate fleets. As it becomes clear that the proposed measures likely breach earlier commitments Belgium made under the EU’s post-COVID-19 recovery programme, the penalty for the revived incentive could be costly. Not a favorable outlook […]
June 19, 2025
Steel giant Arcelor Mittal is considering closing its innovative Steelanol plant in Ghent, a prestigious showpiece for the company’s decarbonization strategy. The plant, which converts CO2 from blast furnace gases into ethanol, is struggling with strict and unfavorable European regulations, threatening to make the project financially unsustainable. The Steelanol plant captures residual gases from the […]
June 19, 2025
The Belgian socialist transport trade union BTB-ABVV is launching a multilingual hotline for truckers. They can go there in 21 languages to ask questions about their rights or to report abuse or malpractice. “Every driver deserves a correct wage, dignified working conditions, and access to help, regardless of nationality or employer,” BTB-ABVV states. “The hotline […]
June 19, 2025
The infamous Takata airbag scandal, which began in 2014, has resurfaced in the automotive world. Due to a deadly incident last week in France, Citroën is immobilizing all its C3 and DS3 models in the whole of Europe. 441,000 vehicles are concerned. Last week, a 37-year-old woman died on a French motorway near Reims in […]
June 18, 2025
Two years after the European consumer organization BEUC filed a complaint, airlines are still engaging in greenwashing, or using misleading environmental claims, according to Testaankoop/Test Achats and its European umbrella organization, BEUC. While the situation has “slightly improved,” greenwashing remains the norm in the airline industry, according to the consumer organizations. Still a widespread practice […]
June 13, 2025
Drivers of high-fronted cars are unable to see children as old as nine, tests find. The hood height of new vehicles in Europe is increasing by half a centimeter a year, on average, driven by the growth in SUV sales, new research assembled by Transport & Environment (T&E) finds. The trend is part of the […]
June 12, 2025
A Republican-led push in the US Congress threatens to blow a hole in one of Tesla’s most lucrative sources of profit: the sale of carbon and fuel economy credits. If the bill gets approved, it would deprive the electric vehicle maker of billions in future revenue. No wonder Tesla CEO Elon Musk slashed the proposal, […]
June 11, 2025
The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) has issued a public statement following the latest Transport Council report on 5 June, in which no further action was taken regarding the revision of the Weights and Dimensions Directive. The lobby group urges the Council to conclude negotiations to make the truckmakers’ lives easier about the EU’s 2030 […]
June 10, 2025
The Antwerp hospital umbrella ‘Hospitaal aan de Stroom’ (ZAS) receives an emergency patient every eight hours due to an accident involving an e-scooter. In half of the cases, this led to an inability to work. Emergency doctors as well as the clinic and the Flemish Foundation for Traffic Studies (VSV) are asking the government to […]
June 06, 2025
European transport ministers propose that air passengers will now be entitled to compensation only for flight delays of four hours or more. European legislation currently provides for compensation of three hours or more of delay if the airline is at fault. However, the proposal still requires approval from the European Parliament and the European Council. […]
June 04, 2025
From August, you can no longer go to a bpost post office or post point in Belgium to cancel a license plate. From then on, the license plate must be sent to the Vehicle Registration Service (DIV) or handed in in Brussels. Bpost “takes note” of the decision of the FPS Mobility. It also specifies […]
June 04, 2025
The new German government appears to be rushing to launch the first subsidy measures for electric vehicles again. As part of a larger package, electric cars are to be made more attractive for companies. Special depreciation allowances are expected to be available from July. This is the result of a draft bill from the German […]
June 03, 2025
Electric vehicle drivers will soon have to pay to enter central London, as part of Transport for London’s (TfL) plans to revise the Congestion Charge. The move has divided campaigners, business groups, and clean air advocates, but adds to a broader trend as cities are readressing their clean air policies. The overhaul doesn’t affect the […]
May 29, 2025
A German court has condemned four former top managers of Volkswagen to jail sentences for “fraud and ganging up”. It’s been almost ten years since the biggest scandal in the automotive world, known as the ‘Dieselgate’ scandal, broke out in the United States. Volkswagen Group had installed fraud software in its vehicles to circumvent official […]
May 28, 2025
The EU Parliament has approved the Commission’s request to soften the 2025 CO2 fleet targets. The proposal received 458 votes in favour, 101 against, and 14 abstentions. All that remains is for the European Council to approve it, which it did on 27 May. The more flexible CO2 targets are one measure the EU Commission […]
May 26, 2025
Up to 3 million households on low or modest incomes in Europe’s five largest countries (Germany, Spain, France, Italy, and Poland) could switch to electric cars by 2032 thanks to social leasing, according to an analysis by T&E based on data from the Öko-Institut. This scheme, which allows affordable electric vehicles under €25,000 to be […]
May 22, 2025
Last year, 16,403 fines were issued in the Brussels region for motorists who entered the low-emission zone (LEZ) with an overly polluting car. That’s almost a halving from the record year of 2023, when 29,643 drivers were fined. Meanwhile, several citizens’ associations have started proceedings at the Constitutional Court to annul the two-year postponement of […]
May 22, 2025
It’s no secret that the global car industry is undergoing a power shift, but the numbers suggest that the United States are more severely on the back foot than generally assumed. A new benchmark report by Chinese manufacturing network RapidDirect places the U.S. a distant fifth among the world’s top automotive producers—well behind China, Germany, […]
May 14, 2025
Good news for future drivers: all applications for a category B driver’s licence—including the definitive driver’s licence—can now be made online. The Federal Public Service Mobility and Transport announced this on Tuesday. Applications are processed via the BelDrive online platform. The initiative results from a collaboration between the Belgian authorities to provide a user-friendly and reliable […]
May 13, 2025
Since last week, Belgian car owners have been able to receive their official invitation for the obligatory car inspection in their eBox, an official and secure electronic mailbox used by the government. Until now, invitations to present your car (older than four years) for official inspection in one of the agreed inspection centers were mainly […]
May 06, 2025
Stellantis President John Elkann and Renault CEO Luca De Meo said in an interview with Le Figaro on Monday that the fate of the European automotive industry is being played out this year. Both are pleading for Europe to rediscover its origins: the popular and affordable car. They say that a radical and fast simplification […]
May 05, 2025
Flemish Environment Minister Jo Brouns (CD&V) is introducing stricter distance rules for large wind turbines. This is reported by the newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws. For windmills higher than 200 meters, the distance to the first residence must from now on be at least three times the tip height. “Flanders is too small to place such […]
May 04, 2025
US President Donald Trump softened some of his automotive tariffs on Tuesday, following industry complaints. Trump signed off on orders that will stop separate levies “stacking” on top of each other, thereby reducing the overall tariff level on vehicle imports. The orders state that vehicles assembled in the US will qualify for partial reimbursements on […]
April 22, 2025
Federal Public Service (FPS) Justice’s figures show that almost half a million more traffic violations were recorded last year than in 2023. The number of violations recorded increased from 6.5 million in 2023 to more than 6.9 million last year (+7%). In 2022, the number was still 6.2 million. The total amount of fines collected represents […]
April 22, 2025
Reactions to the automotive import tariffs in the US differ from manufacturer to manufacturer. Audi is considering producing in the US, GM has no plans to move from Mexico to the US, and Mazda is decreasing its US production. In an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ), Volkswagen Group CEO Oliver Blume said the […]
April 18, 2025
The Belgian Council of State has suspended the public railroad company NMBS/SNCB’s decision to designate Spanish CAF as the preferred bidder for purchasing new trainsets. The decision came after co-bidder Alstom went to court to ask for it to be suspended. The Council judges that NMBS/SNCB has not been sufficiently transparent in its decision. As […]
April 17, 2025
In Northern California, hackers have manipulated pedestrian lights’ audio to mock Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Mark Zuckerberg. Instead of the usual ‘walk’ or ‘wait’ audio instructions that emanate from the crosswalk speakers, pedestrians hear seemingly deepfake recordings, mocking some of the titans who preside over the tech world. A series of viral videos posted […]
April 15, 2025
About 320,000 Belgians who bought a car with ‘fraud software’ from the VW Group can finally claim indemnification. Nine years after the court case started, an agreement exists between the Belgian consumer organization TestAankoop/TestAchats and Volkswagen. In those nine years, Volkswagen finally admitted that it had sold some 11 million diesel cars with engine type […]
April 15, 2025
The Belgian federal government gave hybrid cars more breathing space in its Easter agreement. The authorities now think that a battery electric car is not yet the right solution for everyone and are providing more room to hybrids. Organisations that promote EVs or environmental associations see the new rules as a serious step back. The […]
April 10, 2025
The EU has new legislation that is ready to reduce plastic pollution in the environment. For example, companies that produce or transport small plastic pellets will face stricter regulations. The rules will apply to all companies that handle more than five tons of plastic pellets annually within the EU. They will also cover companies using […]
April 10, 2025
A new study from the NGO Transport & Environment (T&E) shows significant irregularities in the reported consumption of palm residues used in renewable diesel (HVO) being sold by oil majors. A new T&E study shows that a key ingredient in the ‘renewable diesel’ sold in Europe is likely fraudulent. Nearly twice as much palm oil […]
April 09, 2025
The Auditor of the Council of State advises to suspend the decision of Belgian public railroad company NMBS/SNCB on the order of new trains. This is what the public broadcaster VRT writes on its website. NMBS/SNCB chose Spanish company CAF as the preferred bidder to build hundreds of new trains, an order worth 3.4 billion […]
April 08, 2025
Ombudsrail, the Belgian ombudsman service for rail passengers, was contacted 4,154 times last year, up 7.6% from 2023. On that basis, 1,089 files were opened, accounting for 2,344 complaints – one file can contain several complaints. Seven out of ten complaints in this regard were filed in Dutch. Together with even older complaints, just over […]
April 07, 2025
Belgian high-voltage grid operator Elia is calling for vigilance over solar overproduction. Due to the sunny spring and the large number of solar panels installed, an overproduction could lead to negative prices and a frequency increase, threatening blackouts. Unlike last year, when this phenomenon occurred mainly in the summer, Elia notes that the risk is […]
April 04, 2025
Rehabilitation physicians at UZ Ghent want a bicycle helmet to become mandatory in Belgium. After all, less than a third of Belgians (29%) wear a bicycle helmet, but out of the nearly four in ten victims of injury accidents involving bicycles and speed pedelecs who ended up in a Belgian hospital in 2023 had a […]
April 02, 2025
The European Commission has fined 15 major automakers 485 million euros for participating in a cartel involving the recycling of end-of-life vehicles. The fines apply to BMW, Ford, Volkswagen, Volvo, and the European automobile trade association ACEA, among others. All companies admitted involvement in the cartel and agreed to the settlement. Mercedes-Benz escaped a fine […]
March 28, 2025
Europe’s major airlines think that Europe’s ReFuel legislation is not going to succeed in creating the affordable market for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) that is promised. They said this at a press conference in Brussels. They fear there will not be enough production. The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) report, released on Thursday, predicts a shortfall […]
March 28, 2025
President Donald Trump’s decision to impose a 25% tariff increase on all imported automobiles—set to take effect next week—has ignited sharp reactions across the global automotive industry, triggering concerns among European, Japanese, Korean, and even American manufacturers. Tesla seems to have gained the most from these measures, but Western and Asian countries are warning of […]
March 27, 2025
The global auto industry braces for disruption after President Donald Trump officially confirmed his plan to impose 25% tariffs on imported vehicles and car parts. Critics say this could destabilize supply chains, raise consumer prices, and strain international trade alliances. Even a close ally of Trump, Elon Musk, warned on his social media channel X […]
