Four to five bodies are sent from Flanders to the Netherlands each day for cheaper cremation before the ashes are brought back, but the practice operates in a legal grey area, Flemish Home Affairs Minister Hilde Crevits said in parliament on Tuesday.
Unlike in Belgium, where crematoria may be run only by public authorities such as municipalities and intermunicipal bodies, the Netherlands allows private operators to offer cremation services.
A study by the Flemish administration, the network of public crematoria and the funeral sector found that prices for so-called technical cremations in the Netherlands range from €430 to €925. Some Dutch crematoria are even said to offer a special rate of €470 for Belgian clients.
However, transporting a body across the border is governed by international rules designed for cases in which the funeral itself is to be held in the other country.
In the case of these technical cremations, the ashes are returned to Flanders immediately after. Dutch law, however, states that ashes must be kept in the Netherlands for at least one month after cremation.
Crevits said she wants to draw up clearer rules as part of a new Flemish decree on cemeteries and funerals. Her aim, she said, is to ensure legal certainty, transparency and dignified treatment of the deceased.
Christen Democratisch en Vlaams (CD&V) parliamentarian Katrien Schryvers, who questioned the minister, said these were not isolated or exceptional cases.
She said estimates ranged from 1,500 to 1,750 cases a year, or no fewer than four to five a day, and added that the practice must be brought to an end urgently.
