The Federal Government will submit its draft budget to the European Commission by early next week at the very latest, according to Budget Minister Vincent Van Peteghem (CD&V).
Belgium was supposed to submit its multi-annual draft budget to the EU's executive arm by September, along with an outline of structural reforms it intends to take to tackle its budget deficit.
However, lengthy government negotiations prevented timely submission and the deadline was extended to mid-March.
This deadline will be met, Van Peteghem has confirmed. Belgium will submit its plans by the end of the week, or early next week at the very latest.
"We are arriving later than many other countries, but it is in line with previous governmental agreements with the European Commission," the Budget Minister said. Technical discussions are already underway with European services.
The Commission will spend six weeks evaluating the Belgian budget plan. The new government has requested seven years to meet European standards rather than the original four-year deadline. The Commission has indicated readiness to grant this extension, provided a credible reform programme is presented.
Van Peteghem aims to present the full 2025 budget to the Federal Parliament by mid-April. Meanwhile, provisional twelfths – which allows one-twelfth of total 2024 expenditure (plus indexation) to be spent each month – will apply until the end of June.
