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 11, 2025
More and more EU countries are concerned about the new European tax on CO2 emissions, but there is no support for postponing it. ETS2 is the European Union’s carbon tax, planned for introduction in 2027, which will make the use of fossil fuels more expensive for consumers. The new tax is an extension of the existing […]
July 10, 2025
Two satellites developed in the Netherlands will soon map global greenhouse gas emissions. By collecting and sharing information about greenhouse gases, everyone will know who is and isn’t complying with the Paris Climate Agreement. The launch was initially planned for 2027, but has been postponed to 2028. The two agile satellites are known as the ‘Twin […]
July 09, 2025
After an excellent 2024 – the best in the past 15 years – new motorcycle registrations during the first half of 2025 showed a decline of -7% to 14,461 units. All in all, a relatively good result. In June, we even saw growth again (+5.6%). The figures were released by the mobility federation Traxio and […]
July 09, 2025
On March 31, 2025, more than 13,000 cars (specifically, 13,201) were rented in Belgium through a Private Lease formula. A full 90 percent of these were equipped with a gasoline engine – hybrid or otherwise. Electric Private Lease cars represent only four percent of the total. Renta, the Belgian federation of long-term and short-term vehicle […]
July 08, 2025
Rainer Zietlow, a 55-year-old man from Mannheim (Germany), wants to prove that you can get anywhere with an electric car and that you can even travel around the world with it. His goal is to break the world record for the number of countries he visits in a single trip with an electric vehicle. He intends to […]
July 08, 2025
Energy provider Energy Vision is permitted to install 2,500 charging stations for electric cars at the railway company NMBS/SNCB’s station car parks. This was reported by the newspaper De Tijd. The charging stations, with a total of 5,000 charging points (with the possibility of expansion), are expected to be operational by 2032. The project involves a concession […]
July 07, 2025
On Saturday, tech billionaire and Tesla-boss Elon Musk announced the creation of a new political party in the United States on X: the America Party. President Trump touts Musk’s move as “ridiculous” and says her former best ‘buddy’ has gone “completely off the rails”. Musk says he wants to wipe out the Republicans and Democrats […]
July 04, 2025
In contrast to other years, when registrations of new speed pedelecs often saw extreme peaks, the number of registrations remained relatively constant in the first half of 2025. A total of 7,509 units were registered, slightly more than last year (+0.4%). However, in June, we saw a 6% increase to 1,309 units. The figures were […]
July 04, 2025
Flemish Minister of Mobility, Annick De Ridder (N-VA), is cancelling 72 planned section controls on regional roads. De Ridder only wants section controls at ‘black spots’, where serious accidents occur, which reduces the list to about ten of those speed checks. The decision has sparked outrage among experts. The number of section controls in Flanders has increased significantly […]
July 03, 2025
On Sunday, July 6, 2025, the Euro Space Center in Transinne (province of Luxembourg, Belgium) will celebrate the official opening of its brand-new attraction. Five years after its reopening, the center is taking a new step with Lunar X. ‘Lunar X’, as the virtual trip to the moon is called, is a space-themed experience designed […]
July 03, 2025
According to Filip Rylant, spokesperson for the mobility federation Traxio, the second-hand car market performed well in the first six months of the year, with 373,810 used car registrations, representing a 7.1% increase compared to the same period last year. The second-hand market performed strongly in the first half of the year, with no less […]
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 […]
July 01, 2025
A new observational study by the Vias traffic institute has revealed that Belgian van drivers are most often distracted by their mobile phones or other devices. On average, they are not entirely focused on traffic for 8% of the time, it turns out. The Vias researchers observed almost 20,000 drivers for a month at 161 locations […]
June 30, 2025
Frédéric Dunon, the CEO of the high-voltage grid operator Elia, warns that if the government does not intervene, the electricity supply will be compromised by 2035. “A clear energy strategy is urgently needed,” he says. “We need to know which energy mix we want: do we want more offshore wind energy, more nuclear energy, and […]
June 30, 2025
Children younger than twelve can travel for free on the coastal tram in July and August if they have a beach flower with them. Transport company De Lijn presented its colorful summer campaign last Friday in Bredene. With this campaign, De Lijn is linking a true coastal tradition to one of its most iconic lines and […]
June 27, 2025
The Flemish Waterway is planning to install speed meters on towpaths. The measure is part of a ‘fun’ awareness campaign to encourage users to respect traffic and courtesy rules on the paths. Towpaths are increasingly used by walkers, joggers, cyclists, skaters, and service vehicles, all of which move at different speeds. Courtesy is, therefore, essential […]
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
A new study commissioned by the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) reveals that making particle filters mandatory in Europe’s dirtiest home heating method – wood burning – would deliver significant public health benefits at a fraction of household incomes. High fossil fuel prices have pushed many low-income and rural households back to wood as their primary […]
June 24, 2025
According to a new European Environmental Agency (EEA) report released on Tuesday, more than 20% of Europeans – more than one in five – are exposed to unhealthy levels of transport noise. When measured against stricter World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations, this figure rises to over 30%, or nearly one in three citizens. “Extremely high […]
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 19, 2025
In its annual report, a team of more than 60 international scientists has compiled a comprehensive picture of the current state of the climate. Together, they warn that the world is in “crunch time” to avoid higher levels of warming beyond the key threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius. The group examined the amount of planet-heating […]
June 18, 2025
On Tuesday, Princess Astrid inaugurated Belgium’s first small-scale hydroelectric power station in Lessen (province of Hainaut). This is a first. The installation on an island in the Dender uses a turbine that generates energy from a slight height difference via a whirlpool. The mini hydroelectric power plant, developed by the Leuven-based tech company Turbulent, is […]
June 17, 2025
The Belgian air traffic controller Skeyes has developed a digital platform that publishes drone flight data in real-time. The platform was officially certified on Monday by the Federal Public Service Mobility at the Skeyes site in Steenokkerzeel (Belgium). It marks a new step toward an airspace where both drones and manned aircraft can fly safely. […]
June 17, 2025
On June 16th, four of Europe’s leading nuclear technology organizations – Ansaldo Nucleare, Enea, Rete, and SCK CEN – signed the creation of the Eagles Consortium, a newly established alliance, whose goal is to develop and commercialize Eagles-300, a next-generation lead-cooled Small Modular Reactor (SMR). The Belgian-Italian-Romanian consortium aims to introduce a new nuclear production […]
June 16, 2025
The Belgian ESA astronaut Raphaël Liégeois, who will leave for a six-month space mission to the International Space Station (ISS) next year, has chosen two favorite dishes to take into space. He chose traditional Flemish ham rolls with chicory and cheese sauce, but Liège meatballs are also on the menu, because they remind him of […]
June 13, 2025
Supermarket chain Colruyt is going to switch its current fleet of diesel trucks to HVO100 biodiesel – 100% Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil, which is made entirely from biomass. The HVO100 diesel reduces CO₂ emissions by up to 90% compared to conventional diesel and fits into existing diesel engines without technical modifications. It is yet another transitional measure […]
June 13, 2025
On Tuesday, June 10th, the new Port of Limburg container terminal on the former Ford site in Genk was inaugurated. As a satellite location outside the busy seaports, the terminal offers an efficient container transport solution. The container terminal is strategically located on the Albert Canal, with connections via the highways E313 and E314. By […]
June 12, 2025
The World Health Organization (WHO) has established a new agency to make recommendations to the health sector in the European Region. The ‘Pan-European Committee on Climate and Health’ (PECCH), as the new organization is called, will offer pragmatic and cost-effective health sector solutions to address climate change. Former Icelandic Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir will chair the PECCH. […]
June 12, 2025
Hasselt University (UHasselt) and its project partners, Cegeka, OCW, Vlawebo, and Embuild Limburg, are investigating how innovative technologies can ensure better roads, safer traffic, and more sustainable mobility. They experiment with digital solutions in real-life situations, in an innovative test garden. The pilot project will use various locations in Limburg as test areas. Digital innovations “The […]
June 11, 2025
Belgian energy grid company Fluvius expects to invest approximately €200 million more in its medium-voltage networks over the next few years, as the industry is electrifying faster than anticipated. Fluvius expects companies to cause more peak loads than previously thought, as they are switching more quickly from fossil fuels to electricity in their production processes, […]
June 10, 2025
The part of the energy island in direct current, the costs of which have become excessive, will be scrapped. This will make a considerable saving possible. The costs had increased dramatically, from 2.12 billion euros to 7 to 8 billion euros as a result of the rapidly growing demand for direct current stations and cables. Saving […]
May 16, 2025
Planet Earth is heading for more than 1.5 degrees of global warming. A disturbing new calculation shows that the rate of warming is now twice as fast as it was at the end of the 20th century. The climate goal the world set itself ten years ago in Paris was to limit global warming to […]
May 15, 2025
Energy provider Engie started working on a second battery park in Kallo (East Flanders) this week after building one in Vilvoorde. Federal Energy Minister Mathieu Bihet (MR), Mayor of Beveren, Marc Van de Vijver (CD&V), and Engie Belgium CEO, Vincent Verbeke, gave a symbolic groundbreaking ceremony in Kallo on Wednesday. Engie wants to respond to […]
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
The Danish capital, Copenhagen, wants to raise tourists’ awareness of the need to travel more sustainably. This summer, the city will again use generous incentives to encourage guests to travel and sightsee more sustainably. In response to the climate crisis and general world overtourism, last year’s CopenPay campaign will be extended with more discount offers and […]
May 09, 2025
According to the latest accident figures, 266 severe accidents with injuries occur annually in Flanders during road works on regional roads and highways–an average of five accidents at a construction site every week. Six of them are fatal. Most accidents happen in traffic jams before the construction sites or when driving past them. The ‘Rij […]
May 08, 2025
Global methane emissions from fossil fuels remain extremely high, while a significant portion could be avoided. Measures to tackle methane emissions are often very cost-effective and could have brought an extra 100 billion cubic meters of gas to market in 2024, the IEA’s Global Tracker shows. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), one-third of […]
May 08, 2025
April 2025 was the second warmest April globally, with an average ERA5 surface air temperature of 14.96°C. Last month, global temperature was 1.51°C above the estimated 1850-1900 average used to define pre-industrial levels. These are some of the conclusions the Copernicus Climate Change Service published in its latest monthly climate bulletin. The average temperature over […]
May 07, 2025
In April, the number of registrations of new speed pedelecs increased slightly by +0.3% to 1,150 units, and more growth is emerging thanks to additional registrations by federal civil servants and education staff. “The wider access to bicycle leasing for government staff will have an even more positive impact on the figures in the coming […]
May 06, 2025
The popular self-driving shuttles at the Terhills tourist site in Dilsen-Stokkem and Maasmechelen will disappear from May 26th. The reason? The French technology supplier Easymile, responsible for vehicle production, maintenance, and safety, is stopping its shuttle projects for financial reasons. The ‘Limburgse Reconversie Maatschappij’ (LRM) and its partners, responsible for operating the shuttles, will investigate […]
May 06, 2025
The used car market continues to grow, with 63,710 registrations in April (+1.8%, and +18.7% compared with April 2023). This steady growth underlines the market’s resilience, which is supported by continued demand from private individuals. The used car market represents 90.4% registrations by private individuals, who often do not have the means to purchase an expensive […]
April 24, 2025
How can Belgium become climate-neutral by 2050 without driving industry out? Research institute VITO/EnergyVille formulated an answer: “The most expensive option is to do nothing.” Vito/EnergyVille launched a study and joined forces with several major players in the Belgian energy market: grid operators Elia and Fluxys, major consumers such as BASF and ArcelorMittal, and producer Luminus. With […]
April 23, 2025
Today, mobility platform Bolt celebrates the third anniversary of its taxi booking service in Belgium. Bolt was launched in February 2022 and now offers its service in Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent, Bruges, Namur, and more. Three years after it arrived in Belgium, Bolt draws a very positive balance that reflects the image of urban mobility in […]
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 18, 2025
The US government has stopped the construction of the Empire 1 wind farm on New York’s coast, even though the $5 billion project has the necessary permits. The Trump administration strongly opposes offshore wind farms. According to Donald Trump, “They are dangerous to birds and whales.” Norwegian Equinor’s project The Empire 1 wind farm is […]
April 17, 2025
According to the Central Bureau for Statistics (Centraal Bureeau voor de Statistiek, CBS), in the Netherlands, 675 people died in a traffic accident last year, among them 246 cyclists. Almost half of them (44%) rode an electric bicycle, and most (60%) died from head injuries. Cyclists form the largest group of road fatalities. It mainly […]
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
Globally, 2024 was the warmest year on record and the first with an average temperature exceeding 1.5°C above the pre‑industrial level. The last ten years have been the warmest ten years on record. This is stated in the Copernicus European State of the Climate Summary 2024, compiled by the European climate service Copernicus and the […]
April 14, 2025
The member states of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the maritime branch of the United Nations, reached an agreement on Friday on greening shipping. The deal involves a standard to limit the use of fossil fuels and a price mechanism for companies that do not meet the imposed standards. Ships will have to emit 30 […]
April 14, 2025
In a radiation protection study commissioned by the German Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) and the German Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMUV), all electric cars analyzed complied with the recommendations for protection against the health effects of magnetic fields. According to the researchers, people are not generally exposed to stronger magnetic fields in […]
April 10, 2025
On Wednesday, Belgian maritime contractor Deme announced that it has agreed to acquire Havfram, a Norwegian company that provides transport and installation services for offshore wind farms. The deal is worth approximately 900 million euros and is expected to be completed by the end of April 2025. Oslo-based Havfram owns and operates vessels for installing […]
April 09, 2025
Sortbat, a subsidiary of Bebat, a Belgian non-profit association that processes used batteries, is acquiring the Norwegian Høyenergi. Together, they want to strengthen Belgium and Norway’s position in managing large batteries, including those of electric vehicles, maritime applications, and energy storage systems. This acquisition anticipates the increasing amount of end-of-life batteries in Europe. The global […]
April 08, 2025
According to the International Energy Agency’s latest report, transport in Germany is a significant obstacle to the country’s green energy transition, still accounting for 95% of all transport emissions. IEA experts identified transport as “the largest emitting sector in Germany” and thus a key area for additional focus. The IEA report highlights how Germany has […]
April 07, 2025
This year, Limburg celebrates the 30th anniversary of the cycle route network—one of the province’s main attractions. Recent research by Visit Limburg confirms that cycling in Limburg is popular not only with the Limburgers themselves but also with cyclists from far beyond the provincial borders. Visit Limburg’s study shows that 90% of cyclists are delighted […]
April 07, 2025
According to charging station operator MobilityPlus, a quarter of all employees with an electric car hardly ever charge their company car at home. Nevertheless, employees with electric company cars usually have a charging station at home. But most fear that charging at home will drive up their energy bill. MobilityPlus discovered that 26 percent of […]
April 07, 2025
In March 2025, 40,184 new passenger cars were registered –10% fewer than in the same month last year. The decline continued throughout the first quarter, from -13% in January to -8.1% in February. It is striking that the share of private buyers in the first quarter was approximately 10% higher than last year, possibly due […]
April 04, 2025
The Antwerp shipping company, Flandria, has a new attraction: the Oosterweel Cruise. From April 12th, the Easter holidays, tourists can register for a boat trip along the Oosterweel works, often called “the largest road project of the century.” The tour lasts three hours, and visitors are guided via the Asiadok and the Royersluis to the […]
April 03, 2025
The almost free subscriptions the previous Walloon government introduced for public transport were not an unqualified success. More season tickets were sold, but validation on the buses and trams decreased. “If this price reduction does not encourage the use of public transport, where is the problem?” Minister of Mobility, François Desquesnes (Les Engagés), wonders. The […]
April 02, 2025
After Bstor launched a new battery park in La Louvière at the beginning of this year, the battery project developer has started constructing its third and largest battery park, ‘Estor-Lux II,’ in Aubange, in the Belgian province of Luxembourg. Bstor is 40 percent owned by the listed Antwerp holding company Ackermans & van Haaren. In […]
