2023-08-27 08:02:00
From September, sentences of 6 months to 2 years in prison will also be carried out with the entry into force of the last phase of the reform of the Minister of Justice Vincent Van Quickenborne (Open VLD).
For several years, prison sentences of up to 3 years were only rarely carried out due to the lack of space in penitentiary establishments. In particular, they have been replaced by electronic monitoring.
According to Minister Van Quickenborne, this “impunity” is however one of the reasons for the high rate of recidivism and therefore also for prison overcrowding. It has therefore gradually reintroduced the effective enforcement of shorter sentences in recent years, although reform has lagged.
Since last September, prison sentences of between 2 and 3 years have been carried out, and this will also be the case for sentences of less than 2 years from September 1, 2023. The minister also wishes to abolish sentences of less than 6 months , he said at the start of the legislature.
For the execution of these sentences, the Justice opened new detention centers, of smaller size and with a lower level of security, where the detainees are accompanied for their reintegration into society. The new prisons of Haren and Dendermonde have also opened their doors.
Reusable cups now mandatory at events in Wallonia
From 1 September, it will be prohibited to use single-use plastic cups in Wallonia during cultural, recreational, sporting, folkloric or leisure events, whether these take place outdoors or indoors, a announced the Walloon Minister for the Environment, Céline Tellier.
The measure – which is part of the new regional decree relating to waste, the circularity of materials and public cleanliness – was voted in March by the Parliament of Wallonia.
In concrete terms, the ban applies to traders, whether itinerant or not, located inside an event zone. It targets, for example, cinemas, shows, exhibitions, festivals, fairs, sports competitions, etc.
No reusable cups at major festivals yet: here’s why
“The objective of this measure is to reduce the mass of waste generated by plastic containers during these events, but also to reduce public uncleanliness and pollution in general”, argues the environmental minister. This emphasizes that the measure complements the ban, in force since January 2023, on the Belgian market for disposable plastic cups.
However, a tolerance period is applied this year for the Walloon festivals (which will take place from September 15 to 18), as the small (reusable) containers needed to serve péket are not yet sufficiently available on the market.
The mandatory skills assessment for young job seekers in Brussels
September 1 will look like the start of the new school year for Brussels job seekers under the age of thirty, since from this date onwards they will be systematically assessed on their professional, linguistic and digital skills.
This skills assessment will be accompanied by a path to employment through work placements and/or training. The objective is to verify the adequacy of the skills of the people of Brussels with regard to the needs of the labor market.
The measure will initially be deployed for young people between the ages of 18 and 30 newly registered with Actiris. Eventually, the skills assessment should be extended to all job seekers in the capital, the Brussels Employment Office explained to Belga.
The first reminder of a debt now free
From September 1, the first reminder of a debt will be free. Concretely, upon receipt of the first reminder, the consumer will have 14 days to repay his debt, without any additional costs being billed to him.
Until now, a small debt could quickly turn into a major expense, with the addition of reminder fees, bailiffs, collection agencies or even lawyers.
As of September 1, the first reminder will be free and must specify any additional costs in the event of late payment. These costs will henceforth be capped.
Let’s start a real debate on the alternatives to paying the public debt
Thus, for debts of less than 150 euros, a maximum of 20 euros may be added. If the debts are greater than 150 euros but less than 500 euros, a ceiling of 30 euros plus ten percent of the amount due will apply.
This ceiling will increase to 65 euros plus 5% of the amount due on the portion greater than 500 euros with a maximum of 2,000 euros if the amount remaining due is greater than 500 euros.
Finally, the lawyers and bailiffs in charge of collection will be placed under the supervision of the FPS Economy, as is already the case for collection agencies.
The measure will apply to contracts concluded from September 1.
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