DOCSLIB.ORG

Country Report Belgium 2020

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

EUROPEAN COMMISSION Brussels, 26.2.2020 SWD(2020) 500 final COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Country Report Belgium 2020 Accompanying the document COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK AND THE EUROGROUP 2020 European Semester: Assessment of progress on structural reforms, prevention and correction of macroeconomic imbalances, and results of in-depth reviews under Regulation (EU) No 1176/2011 {COM(2020) 150 final} EN EN CONTENTS Executive summary 4 1. Economic situation and outlook 8 2. Progress with country-specific recommendations 15 3. Reform priorities 19 3.1. Public finances and taxation 19 3.2. Financial sector 30 3.3. Labour market, education and social policies 34 3.4. Competitiveness and Investment 50 3.5. Environmental sustainability 66 Annex A: Overview Table 72 Annex B: DSA statistical annex 83 Annex C: Standard Tables 84 Annex D: Investment guidance on Just Transition Fund 2021-2027 for Belgium 90 Annex E: Progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 91 References 96 LIST OF TABLES Table 1.1: Key economic and financial indicators – Belgium 14 Table 2.1: Progress with the implementation of the 2019 CSRs 17 Table 3.1.1: Government size by subsector in 2021, (% of GDP) 22 Table 3.2.1: Domestic banking groups and standalone banks, foreign (EU and non-EU) controlled subsidiaries and foreign (EU and non-EU) controlled branches 30 Table 3.4.1: Distribution of competences between government tiers - Funding 63 Table C.1: Financial market indicators 84 Table C.2: Headline social scoreboard indicators 85 Table C.3: Labour market and education indicators 86 Table C.4: Social inclusion and health indicators 87 Table C.5: Product market performance and policy indicators 88 Table C.6: Green growth 89 1 Table E.1: Indicators measuring Belgium’s progress towards the SDGs 91 LIST OF GRAPHS Graph 1.1: GDP growth and components 8 Graph 1.2: Potential growth estimates and components 8 Graph 1.3: Changes in merchandise export market share 9 Graph 1.4: Employment growth by occupation, cumulative, thousands 10 Graph 1.5: External accounts developments 11 Graph 1.6: Private indebtedness 12 Graph 1.7: Deflated house price index 12 Graph 1.8: Monetary and financial institutions lending to the non-financial private sector 13 Graph 2.1: Overall multiannual implementation of 2011-2019 CSRs to date 15 Graph 3.1.1: Breakdown of gross public debt 19 Graph 3.1.2: Evolution of primary expenditure 20 Graph 3.1.3: Evolution of public net capital stock 21 Graph 3.1.4: Public debt medium-term projections and scenarios (% of GDP) 24 Graph 3.1.5: Tax wedge on average wage, single earner (2018) 27 Graph 3.2.1: Evolution of households debt 33 Graph 3.2.2: Households indebtedness, selected indicators 33 Graph 3.3.1: Key labour market indicators 34 Graph 3.3.2: Number of jobseekers per vacancy, by region 34 Graph 3.3.3: Share of private sector salaried employment that is ill, by duration of the illness 35 Graph 3.3.4: Employment rates, by population groups and regions (2018) 35 Graph 3.3.5: Low wage traps for different social benefits (for a single earner household working at the minimum wage), (2019)) 37 Graph 3.3.6: Correlation between the transition rate (2018) and participation in ALMPs (2017) 37 Graph 3.3.7: STEM wage premium (as% of the wage of a non-STEM worker; average 2014-2017) 38 Graph 3.3.8: Potential wage and productivity growth by sector from increased training (2008-2017) 39 Graph 3.3.9: Job seniority by age bracket 40 Graph 3.3.10: Average PISA score for reading, by region, gender, type of programme and socio- economic and migrant background 41 Graph 3.3.11: Self-reported unmet needs for medical examination by main reason declared ("Too expensive") and income quintile (2018 data, % quintile population, inter-quintile differences (Q1-Q5)) 45 Graph 3.4.1: Export market share 50 Graph 3.4.2: Market dynamism and competitiveness of goods exports for top-10 sectors (2000- 2018) 50 Graph 3.4.3: Productivity growth (2010 = 100) 51 Graph 3.4.4: Services content of manufacturing (in 2015) in percent 51 Graph 3.4.5: Unit labour cost decomposition 53 2 Graph 3.4.6: Employment in fast-growing enterprises in 50% most innovative industries and employment in all fast-growing enterprises, both as % of total employment, 2016 57 Graph 3.4.7: GDP per head, 2017 – Index EU=100 62 Graph 3.5.1: Contribution of non-ETS sectors (%, 2016) 67 Graph 3.5.2: Building stock energy consumption, KWh/m² (2016) 68 LIST OF BOXES Box 2.1: EU FUNDS AND PROGRAMMES TO ADDRESS STRUCTURAL CHALLENGES AND TO FOSTER GROWTH AND COMPETITIVENESS IN BELGIUM 18 Box 3.1.2: Unequal tax treatment of rental income taxation 29 Box 3.3.3: The importance of skills in the Belgian labour market 46 Box 3.3.4: Monitoring performance in light of the European Pillar of Social Rights 49 Box 3.4.5: Investment challenges and reforms in Belgium 56 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Structural reforms and targeted investment employed in 2019, the highest figure in the past should contribute to more sustainable and 10 years. Recent employment growth is mainly inclusive growth in Belgium. Reforms in the concentrated among older workers and in the high areas of pensions, corporate and labour taxation, skilled and – to a lesser extent - low-skilled wage indexation, the labour market and the professions. Wage and labour costs are expected to business environment have been introduced in continue to grow moderately in the coming years. recent years. Nevertheless, Belgium is still midway Combined with a drop in unemployment, wage in this process and adopting and implementing increases are expected to support growth in further reforms is needed if it is to address households’ disposable income, which has been remaining challenges, especially in the context of sluggish in recent years. population ageing and subdued productivity growth. Addressing skills shortages, low The high level of public debt, combined with the innovation diffusion, as well as barriers to structural budget deficit, limits the fiscal space competition in the product and services market available in case of an economic downturn. will help to boost productivity growth. Increasing According to the Commission's 2019 Autumn the still relatively low labour participation, will Forecast, under a no-policy-change assumption, also have a positive impact on public finances. the general government headline deficit is Improving the composition and efficiency of expected to widen to 2.6% of GDP in 2021, public spending, notably through spending following a notable improvement in 2017 and reviews, could create room for an increase in the 2018 when the deficit was at 0.7 % of GDP. Some share of growth-friendly expenditure, such as tax reforms adopted in recent years are expected to public investment. However, while reforms can be weigh on revenues. Rising age-related expenditure, pursued at regional and communities level, the notably due to higher pension, long-term care and protracted situation of a caretaker government has health expenditure, will further worsen the led to an almost complete stop of the reform headline deficit. Public debt is set to remain high at process at the federal level.(1) around 100% of GDP. Economic growth is set to gradually slow down. Belgium has significant investment needs in The economy grew at an average rate of 1.8% per education, sustainable transport, energy, digital year in the wake of the financial crisis although it infrastructure such as 5G and social housing. has been trailing behind the euro area average Belgium’s commitment to fully phasing out since 2015. In 2019, GDP growth is expected to nuclear energy by 2025 means there is a need for have stood at 1.4% of GDP against 1.2% in the major investment in power generation, as well as euro area. Economic activity is forecast to interconnection capacity, smart grids and storage. moderate further to just above 1% in the near Addressing labour shortages, especially of future. According to the latest Commission employees with backgrounds and skills in science, forecast, private consumption is set to continue technology, engineering and mathematics, will driving economic growth, supported by robust require investment in the training and education fundamentals and offsetting a slowdown in system. Important investments are on-going in investment growth. Net exports are forecast to suburban rail infrastructure and signalling. weigh negatively on growth, amid subdued Renovating the old building stock, which predates prospects of growth in world trade. the introduction of energy norms, will help Belgium meet its 2020 and 2030 emission Employment growth remains robust. Almost 4.9 reduction targets. There are important needs in million people are expected to have been terms of social infrastructure (early childhood education and care, social housing, schools) and (1) This report assesses Belgium’s economy in light of the workers in the social sector. Digitalisation of European Commission’s Annual Sustainable Growth Strategy published on 17 December 2019. In this public services and justice, and the reinforcement document, Commission sets out a new strategy on how to of certain key enforcers and public bodies, would address not only the short-term economic challenges but improve institutional governance. also the economy's longer-term challenges. This new economic agenda of competitive sustainability rests on four dimensions: environmental sustainability, productivity gains, fairness and macroeconomic stability. 4 Executive summary Overall, Belgium has made limited (2) progress specific groups. Moreover, the share of individuals in addressing the 2019 country-specific living in low work intensity households continues recommendations, due in part to the lack of to be high.
Recommended publications
  • Draft Annual Tourism Reporting Template

    Draft Annual Tourism Reporting Template

    BELGIUM DRAFT ANNUAL TOURISM REPORTING TEMPLATE 1. INTRODUCTION Council Decision 86/664/EEC of 22 December 19861 establishing a consultation and cooperation procedure in the field of tourism foresees that “each Member State shall send the Commission, once a year, a report on the most significant measures it has taken and, as far as possible, on measures it is considering taking in the provision of services for tourists which could have consequences for travellers from the other Member States”. With the publication of the “Agenda for a sustainable and competitive European tourism”, the Commission announced that “in order to strengthen the collaboration with and among Member States, their current annual reporting through the Tourism Advisory Committee (TAC) will be used to facilitate the exchange and the dissemination of information about how their policies and actions safeguard the sustainability of tourism”. This Communication was welcomed by the Competitiveness Council conclusions (22nd-23rd November 2007) and by the Presidency Conclusions of the Brussels European Council of 14th December 2007. The main aims for the reporting process are: x to be able to monitor the level of implementation of the “Agenda for a sustainable and competitive European tourism” by Member States; x to facilitate the exchange of experiences among member States with regard to how they tackle issues which are important for the competitiveness and sustainability of European tourism. MS reports referring to year n shall be sent to the European Commission by the end of February of year n+1. If the reports are sent in English, the deadline is shifted to the end of April.
  • Criminal Code

    Criminal Code

    Criminal Code Warning: this is not an official translation. Under all circumstances the original text in Dutch language of the Criminal Code (Wetboek van Strafrecht) prevails. The State accepts no liability for damage of any kind resulting from the use of this translation. Criminal Code (Text valid on: 01-10-2012) Act of 3 March 1881 We WILLEM III, by the grace of God, King of the Netherlands, Prince of Orange-Nassau, Grand Duke of Luxemburg etc. etc. etc. Greetings to all who shall see or hear these presents! Be it known: Whereas We have considered that it is necessary to enact a new Criminal Code; We therefore, having heard the Council of State, and in consultation with the States General, have approved and decreed as We hereby approve and decree, to establish the following provisions which shall constitute the Criminal Code: Book One. General Provisions Part I. Scope of Application of Criminal Law Section 1 1. No act or omission which did not constitute a criminal offence under the law at the time of its commission shall be punishable by law. 2. Where the statutory provisions in force at the time when the criminal offence was committed are later amended, the provisions most favourable to the suspect or the defendant shall apply. Section 2 The criminal law of the Netherlands shall apply to any person who commits a criminal offence in the Netherlands. Section 3 The criminal law of the Netherlands shall apply to any person who commits a criminal offence on board a Dutch vessel or aircraft outside the territory of the Netherlands.
  • Anneke Jans' Maternal Grandfather and Great Grandfather

    Anneke Jans' Maternal Grandfather and Great Grandfather

    Anneke Jans’ Maternal Grandfather and Great Grandfather By RICIGS member, Gene Eiklor I have been writing a book about my father’s ancestors. Anneke Jans is my 10th Great Grandmother, the “Matriarch of New Amsterdam.” I am including part of her story as an Appendix to my book. If it proves out, Anneke Jans would be the granddaughter of Willem I “The Silent” who started the process of making the Netherlands into a republic. Since the records and info about Willem I are in the hands of the royals and government (the Royals are buried at Delft under the tomb of Willem I) I took it upon myself to send the Appendix to Leiden University at Leiden. Leiden University was started by Willem I. An interesting fact is that descendants of Anneke have initiated a number of unsuccessful attempts to recapture Anneke’s land on which Trinity Church in New York is located. In Chapter 2 – Dutch Settlement, page 29, Anneke Jans’ mother was listed as Tryntje (Catherine) Jonas. Each were identified as my father’s ninth and tenth Great Grandmothers, respectively. Since completion of that and succeeding chapters I learned from material shared by cousin Betty Jean Leatherwood that Tryntje’s husband had been identified. From this there is a tentative identification of Anneke’s Grandfather and Great Grandfather. The analysis, the compilation and the writings on these finds were done by John Reynolds Totten. They were reported in The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Volume LVI, No. 3, July 1925i and Volume LVII, No. 1, January 1926ii Anneke is often named as the Matriarch of New Amsterdam.
  • Constructing Dutch America in the Twentieth Century

    Constructing Dutch America in the Twentieth Century

    Western Michigan University ScholarWorks at WMU Dissertations Graduate College 4-2012 Faithful Remembering: Constructing Dutch America in the Twentieth Century David E. Zwart Western Michigan University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/dissertations Part of the Anthropology Commons, Religion Commons, Social History Commons, and the United States History Commons Recommended Citation Zwart, David E., "Faithful Remembering: Constructing Dutch America in the Twentieth Century" (2012). Dissertations. 23. https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/dissertations/23 This Dissertation-Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate College at ScholarWorks at WMU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at WMU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. FAITHFUL REMEMBERING: CONSTRUCTING DUTCH AMERICA IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY by David E. Zwart A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of The Graduate College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of History Advisor: Edwin Martini, Ph.D. Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, Michigan April 2012 THE GKADUATE COLLEGE WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN March 12, 2012 Date WE HEREBY APPROVETHE DISSERTATIONSUBMITTED BY David E. Zwart ENTITLED Faithful Remembering: Constructing Dutch America intheTwentieth Century AS PARTIAL FULFILLMENTOFTHE REQUIREMENTS FORTHE DECREE OF Doctor ofPhilosophy History (Department) History (Program) Mitch Kachun, PMX Dissertation ReviewCommittee Member Robert Ulfri, Pt»,D. DissertationReviewCommittee Member APPROVED i Date .A^QTtl rUXl' DeanorTheGraduate College FAITHFUL REMEMBERING: CONSTRUCTING DUTCH AMERICA IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY David E. Zwart, Ph.D. Western Michigan University, 2012 The people of the Dutch-American community constructed and maintained a strong ethnoreligion identity in the twentieth despite pressures to join the mainstream of the United States.
  • Chapter 3. CAPITALIZATION RULES

    Chapter 3. CAPITALIZATION RULES

    3. CAPITALIZATION RULES (See also ‘‘Abbreviations and Letter Symbols’’ and ‘‘Capitalization Examples’’) 3.1. It is impossible to give rules that will cover every conceiv- able problem in capitalization; but by considering the purpose to be served and the underlying principles, it is possible to attain a con- siderable degree of uniformity. The list of approved forms given in chapter 4 will serve as a guide. Obviously such a list cannot be complete. The correct usage with respect to any term not included can be determined by analogy or by application of the rules. Proper names 3.2. Proper names are capitalized. Rome John Macadam Italy Brussels Macadam family Anglo-Saxon Derivatives of proper names 3.3. Derivatives of proper names used with a proper meaning are capitalized. Roman (of Rome) Johannean Italian 3.4. Derivatives of proper names used with acquired independ- ent common meaning, or no longer identified with such names, are set lowercased. Since this depends upon general and long-continued usage, a more definite and all-inclusive rule cannot be formulated in advance. roman (type) macadam (crushed italicize brussels sprouts rock) anglicize venetian blinds watt (electric unit) pasteurize plaster of paris Common nouns and adjectives in proper names 3.5. A common noun or adjective forming an essential part of a proper name is capitalized; the common noun used alone as a sub- stitute for the name of a place or thing is not capitalized. Massachusetts Avenue; the avenue Washington Monument; the monument Statue of Liberty; the statue Hoover
  • Downloads - Recipe,” 2014)

    Downloads - Recipe,” 2014)

    Members of the examination committee: Dr. Benedetto Rugani Public Research Center Henri Tudor (CRPHT)/Resource Centre for Environmental Technologies (CRTE), Luxembourg Prof. dr. ir. Wouter Achten The Institute for Environmental Management and Land-use Planning, Gestion de l’Environnement (IGEAT), Société et Territoire (GESTe), Université libre de Bruxelles Prof. dr. ir. Joris Van Acker Laboratory of Wood Technology (Woodlab), Department of Water and Forest Management, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University Dr. ir. Hans Verbeeck (Secretary) Laboratory of Plant Ecology, Department of Applied Ecology and Environmental Biology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University Prof. dr. ir. Filip Tack (Chairman) Laboratory for Analytical Chemistry and Applied Ecochemistry, Department of Applied Analytical and Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University Promotors: Prof. dr. ir. Jo Dewulf Research Group Environmental Organic Chemistry and Technology (Envoc), Department of Sustainable organic Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University Prof. dr. ir. Kris Verheyen Forest & Nature Lab (Fornalab), Department of Water and Forest Management, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University Prof. dr. ir. Bart Muys Division Forest, Nature and Landscape, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, University of Leuven Dean Prof. dr. ir. Guido Van Huylenbroeck Rector Prof. dr. Anne De Paepe Faculty Bioscience engineering Ir. Thomas Schaubroeck Including man-nature relationships in environmental sustainability assessment of forest-based production systems Thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor (PhD) in Applied Biological Sciences 2014 Nederlandse vertaling: Het includeren van verhoudingen tussen mens en natuur in duurzaamheidsanalyse van op bos gebaseerde productiesystemen Funding: This work is supported by a research project (number 3G092310) of the Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO-Vlaanderen).
  • Department of Economics, Stellenbosch University; Department of Economic and Social History, Utrecht University

    Department of Economics, Stellenbosch University; Department of Economic and Social History, Utrecht University

    Settler skills and colonial development: The case of the French Huguenots in Dutch South Africa* JOHAN FOURIE† AND DIETER VON FINTEL‡ Settlers are not all equal. Although the arrival of the French Huguenots in 1688 is heralded as the event that buttressed European settlement in the Cape Colony of South Africa, their impact was not only limited to explaining the rapid growth of the population circa 1700. Using tax records, we show that, controlling for various factors, the French were more adept at viticulture than the non-French farmers at the Cape. Standard factors of production or institutional factors usually associated with faster growth do not explain the differences between the two groups. We posit that the skills of French matter in explaining the productivity differences. We test this hypothesis by dividing the French settlers into two groups: those originating from wine regions, and those from wheat regions. We find that descendants of settlers from wine regions in France were more productive wine makers in their adopted homeland than their non-wine compatriots, whose production function resembled more closely those of the Dutch and German farmers. This important insight – that home-country production function determines settler-society production functions, even in later generations – sheds new light on our understanding of how newly-settled colonial societies develop, and of the importance of human capital in economic growth. Keywords: South Africa, Cape Colony, French Huguenots, VOC, wine, slaves JEL: N37, D31, D63 * This paper was prepared for the Economic History Association meetings in Illinois, USA, September 2010. We are grateful for the comments and suggestions on earlier versions by Jan Luiten van Zanden and colleagues at the University of Pretoria, Northwest University (Potchefstroom campus) and the University of the Witwatersrand.
  • Huguenot Identity and Protestant Unity in Colonial Massachusetts: the Reverend André Le Mercier and the “Sociable Spirit”

    Huguenot Identity and Protestant Unity in Colonial Massachusetts: the Reverend André Le Mercier and the “Sociable Spirit”

    122 Historical Journal of Massachusetts • Summer 2012 Huguenots Fleeing France, 1696 At least 200,000 Huguenots are believed to have fled France in the years surrounding 1685, ending up in places as far afield as North America, the Dutch Republic, England, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, and South Africa. 123 Huguenot Identity and Protestant Unity in Colonial Massachusetts: The Reverend André Le Mercier and the “Sociable Spirit” PAULA WHEELER CARLO Abstract: Numerous researchers have noted that many Huguenots conformed to Anglicanism several decades after their arrival in North America. The situation differed in colonial Massachusetts, where Huguenots typically forged connections with Congregationalists or Presbyterians. This article explores the activities and writings of André Le Mercier (1692- 1764), the last pastor of the Boston French Church, which closed in 1748. Le Mercier was an ardent supporter of Protestant unity, yet he also strove to preserve a strong sense of Huguenot identity. Nevertheless, support for Protestant unity facilitated Huguenot integration into the English-speaking majority, which fostered the demise of French Reformed churches in New England and thereby weakened Huguenot identity. Paula Wheeler Carlo is a professor of history at Nassau Community College and the author of Huguenot Refugees in Colonial New York: Becoming American in the Hudson Valley (Sussex Academic Press, 2005). * * * * * Historical Journal of Massachusetts, Vol. 40 (1/2), Summer 2012 © Institute for Massachusetts Studies, Westfield State University 124 Historical Journal of Massachusetts • Summer 2012 The Huguenots were French Protestants who followed the teachings of the religious reformer John Calvin (1509-1564).1 They faced persecution and even death during the French Religious Wars in the second half of the sixteenth century.2 The conclusion of these wars produced the Edict of Nantes (1598), which allowed Protestants to freely practice their religion in specified areas of France.
  • The Dutch Atlantic and American Life: Beginnings of America in Colonial New Netherland

    The Dutch Atlantic and American Life: Beginnings of America in Colonial New Netherland

    City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works Theses Lehman College 2021 The Dutch Atlantic and American Life: Beginnings of America in Colonial New Netherland Roy J. Geraci Lehman College City University of New York, [email protected] How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/le_etds/12 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] THE DUTCH ATLANTIC AND AMERICAN LIFE: BEGINNINGS OF AMERICA IN COLONIAL NEW NETHERLAND by ROY J. GERACI A master’s thesis submitteD to the GraDuate Faculty in history in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts, The City University of New York at Lehman College 2021 ©2021 ROY J. GERACI All Rights ReserveD 2 CUNY Lehman College The Dutch Atlantic and American Life: Beginnings of America in Colonial New Netherland by Roy J. Geraci Abstract Advisor: AnDrew Robertson SeconD ReaDer: Robert Valentine The Dutch colony of New NetherlanD was one of the earliest attempts at a non- inDigenous life on the east coast of North America. That colony, along with the United Provinces of the NetherlanDs anD Dutch Atlantic as a whole, playeD crucial roles in the Development of what woulD become the UniteD States. This thesis project examines the significance New NetherlanD helD in American history as well as explores topics which allow for new anD inclusive narratives of that history to reach further exploration.
  • William the Silent Illiam the Silent

    William the Silent Illiam the Silent

    Tutorial http://matchthememory.com/ MemoryCelebritiesNL1 William the Silent William the Silent Coat of Arms of William the Silent William I of Orange-Nassau , ( April 24 , 1533 – July 10 , 1584 ) was an important leader of the Dutch rebellion against the Spanish in the Eighty Years' War . He was the first leader of the Netherlands. He held the title of Prince of Orange . William of Orange is better known as William the Silent (in Dutch : Willem de Zwijger ). It is not sure how he got this name. One story tells that when the kings of France and Spain proposed to William to kill all Protestants in his area, William did not reply. William was born in Nassau in Germany . The king of Spain made him stadtholder (a sort of leader) about several Dutch provinces. But William converted to Protestantism, the religion of the Dutch people and joined their struggle for independence. The king of Spain offered a reward for the person who would kill William. In 1584 William was shot by Balthasar Gerards in his house in Delft . William's last words were in French: "Mon Dieu, mon Dieu, ayez pitié de moi et de ton pauvre peuple" ( My Lord , My Lord, have pity on me and your poor people). Balthasar Gerards never received his reward, because he was killed by the angry Dutch. In the Netherlands, people often call him "Father of the fat herland". The Dutch national anthem, the Wilhelmus, is about William. 1 Anne Frank Anne Frank Annelies Marie Frank Born 12 June 1929 Frankfurt am Main , Weimar Germany Early March 1945 (aged 15) Died Bergen-Belsen concentration camp , Lower Saxony , Nazi Germany German until 1941 Nationality Stateless from 1941 Notable The Diary of a Young Girl (1947) work(s) Signature 2 Annelies Marie "Anne" Frank ( 12 June 1929 in Frankfurt am Main – early March 1945 in Bergen-Belsen) is one of the most famous Jewish people who died in the Holocaust .[2] Her diary is seen as a classic in war literature, and is one of the most widely read books today.
  • The Asbestos Industry in Belgium (1945-2001)

    The Asbestos Industry in Belgium (1945-2001)

    Interface Demography Working Paper 2016-2 The asbestos industry in Belgium (1945-2001) Laura Van den Borre* & Patrick Deboosere * Corresponding author E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +32 2 614 81 44 Version: 29/01/2016 Interface Demography, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 5, B-1050 Brussel, Belgium Tel. ++32/(0)2/614 81 50 – FaX ++32/(0)2/614 81 35 Website: http://www.vub.ac.be/demography !1 The asbestos industry in Belgium (1945-2001) By Laura Van den Borre & Patrick Deboosere 29 January 2016 Introduction Belgium was a major international manufacturer of asbestos products in the post-war years. However, specific information on Belgian asbestos industries is scarcely available. In light of the serious health effects of asbestos exposure, knowledge on exposure circumstances is a vital key to understanding the magnitude of the asbestos problem in Belgium. De term ‘asbestos’ refers to a group of six naturally occurring minerals, as shown in figure 1. Because asbestos minerals can be split into microscopic fibres, numerous different applications are possible. Asbestos often occurs in blends with resin, cement or plastics. Uniquely, asbestos minerals can also be spun into textile. In addition to the versatility of the material, one of the main advantages is that asbestos remains unaffected by fire and heath. Asbestos is a durable, lightweight, electrically non-conductive material with great insulating properties due to a high resistance to water, acids and microorganisms. Finally, it has a number of economic advantages: it is abundant and inexpensive to mine. These advantages made asbestos, in many respects, an ideal material for an industrializing and electrifying world.1 Two mineralogical groups of asbestos can be discerned: serpentines and amphiboles.
  • Comparative Cross-Border Study on the Iron Rhine

    Comparative Cross-Border Study on the Iron Rhine

    European Commission Directorate General for Energy and Transport (DG TREN) 1994 TEN-T BUDGET LINE B94/2 Feasibility study Iron Rhine Ministerie van Verkeer en Infrastructuur, Belgium Bundesministerium für Verkehr, Bau-und Wohnungswesen, Germany Ministerie van Verkeer en Waterstaat, the Netherlands Comparative cross-border study on the Iron Rhine Draft Report 14th of May 2001 Colophon Report title: Comparative cross-border study on the Iron Rhine Report characteristic: IJ-Rijn1/WvS/46601 Version: 1.0 With funding of: European Commission Directorate General for Energy and Transport Ministerie van Verkeer en Infrastructuur, Belgium Bundesministerium für Verkehr, Bau-und Wohnungswesen, Germany Ministerie van Verkeer en Waterstaat, the Netherlands Principal: Nationale Maatschappij der Belgische Spoorwegen (SNCB/NMBS) Iron Rhine expert group: ir. D. Demuynck, Nationale Maatschappij der Belgische Spoorwegen ir. P. Van der Haegen, TUC Rail NV ir. J. Peeters, Ministerie van Verkeer en Infrastructuur L. De Ryck, Ministerie van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap ir. K. Heuts, Ministerie van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap ir. G.J.J. Schiphorst, Railinfrabeheer BV drs. D. van Bemmel, Railinfrabeheer BV A. Cardol, Railned BV K. Hohmann, Eisenbahn-Bundesamt ir. dr-ing. A. Hinzen, DB Netz AG Deutsche Bahn Gruppe Drafted by: ARCADIS Berkenweg 7 Postbus 220 3800 AE Amersfoort The Netherlands http://www.arcadis.nl drs.ing.M.B.A.G. Raessen, project manager ir. R.J. van Schie, project manager design ir. R.J. Zijlstra , project manager environment Contents 1 Introduction 11 1.1