Latest blog articles

  • With the Royal Decree of 12 December 2018, Belgium has solved the problem for the cross-border worker where the unemployment benefit does not match the Dutch pension. The new decision states that Belgian unemployment benefit for frontier workers does not stop at the age of 65 but continues until...

  • SMECC stands for School, Minimum standard, Education, Child-friendly policy and care-Continuum. Imagine SMECC as a flat drawing of a house. The regulatory backstop is the minimum standard in family litigation for competent parenthood – far on the horizon, however, a necessary fundament of human...

  • The statutory pension of civil cervants in Belgium is on de verge of a reform. The legislative proposal ‘mixed pension’ will soon be introduced by law, after being the centre of intense debate for nearly a year. What exactly does ‘mixed pension’ mean?

  • Last week, the Dutch and Belgian ombudsmen called on their governments to take action in the context of pensions problems for unemployed cross-border workers, aged 65, and living in Belgium. In response to this call, a possible solution by Expertise Centre ITEM is elaborated in this blog.

    This blog...

  • Asylum seekers usually do not cross borders with a bag of documents. They have lost their personal belongings or have been confiscated by smugglers. Oral statements are therefore the only proof of origin. (Dutch only) 

  • While Europe holds its breath and follows the negotiations between Greece and its partners on the financial assistance, another ´piece in the puzzle` of the European attempts to contain the sovereign debt crisis has prominently featured in the press recently. The Court of Justice (CJEU) delivered...