Good afternoon. It’s Katie Westwood back in the saddle today.
Are you suffering from news fatigue? A recent study suggests that 66% of Flemish people now actively avoid the news – up from 48% a decade ago.
As a member of the villainous Fourth Estate, this naturally worries me, but I understand the logic. With the world in a state of permacrisis and the 24-hour news cycle battering us with negative headlines, it’s natural for people to want to switch off. I sometimes wish I could take a break from it too – it would certainly reduce my wrinkle count.
So today, to give us all a little respite from the notion that we are all going to hell in a hand basket, I’ve got some good news for you – unless, perhaps, you are a shareholder in an airline company.
This week, the EU reached a long-awaited agreement on improving air passenger rights. As our Political Editor Maïthé Chini writes, passengers will continue to benefit from strong compensation rights, and unfair practices – like charging people fees for correcting spelling errors in their name – will be banned. Read all about the changes here.
Staying with the EU, the European Environment Agency has issued a timely report ranking EU countries by the cleanliness of their bathing water.
You’ll be relieved to hear that overall, the news is positive, with nearly 85% of EU bathing sites considered to have “excellent” water quality. However, in comparison to its peers, Belgium is on the naughty step, with some room for improvement in the cleanliness of its bathing sites.
But comparisons with neighbouring countries aren’t all unfavourable for Belgium. While Belgium is – with some justification – seen as a strike-prone nation, you may be shocked to learn that so far this year, the number of strike days here have been dwarfed by the number of strike days in other EU countries. Read the full analysis here.
Elsewhere, reporters Rita Alves and Anika Austvold spoke to Brussels residents to get their thoughts on the impending ban on shared e-scooters in the city.
Rita and Anika found there was some support for the ban, with many people citing safety concerns and irritation over the dumping of e-scooters on pavements – a real hazard for people with mobility issues. But there was also a lot of pushback against the decision.
Lots of people use e-scooters to save time and money. One interviewee said that a trip from his house to central Brussels takes 12 minutes by e-scooter and 35 by public transport – requiring two metro journeys. Put like that, it does seem a curious decision to scrap the scooters altogether – particularly when we are trying to find greener ways of getting around.
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As always, should you have any comments, tips or suggestions, you know where to find me: k.westwood@brusselstimes.com.
Bye for now!
Katie
Belgium in Brief is a free daily roundup of the top stories to get you through your coffee break conversations. To receive it straight to your inbox every day, sign up below:
1. Deal on EU air passenger rights: What changes for travellers?
After over a decade of negotiations, the EU reached an agreement on improving air passengers' rights. Read more.
2. How clean are Belgium’s bathing water sites compared to other EU countries?
A new report by the European Environment Agency shows bathing waters in the EU are of good quality – but there is room for improvement in Belgium. Read more.
3. Belgium is seen as a strike-prone country – but how does it compare with others?
As cost of living pressures grow, workers in other countries are taking to the streets more often than Belgians. Read more.
4. ‘Is the convenience really worth the cost?’ Brussels residents divided over e-scooter ban
Brussels is banning shared e-scooters in 2027. Residents agree there are problems, but many aren't convinced a ban is the solution. Read more.
5. De Wever reforms leading to ‘unjustified’ erosion of rights in Belgium, experts say
Affecting hundreds of thousands of people, federal human rights experts are warning that Belgium's unemployment reforms were rushed through. Read more.
6. 27 years in prison for the man behind one of Belgium’s deadliest road tragedies
Judges said they found no mitigating circumstances in Falzone's favour, pointing instead to what they described as his "contemptuous attitude towards human life". Read more.
7. Police appeal for witnesses after violent assault in Saint-Gilles square
A young man was attacked by a gang of assailants. Read more.
