Belgium Imposes New Regulation on Foreign Companies

March 2007POEA MARKET UPDATE NO. 11-07BELGIUM IMPOSES NEW REGULATION ON FOREIGN COMPANIESThe Philippine Embassy in Brussels has reported that effective April 2007, foreign companies in Belgium are required by the social security authorities to inform them of the identities of the employees it sends to Belgium and the nature of their work. The new regulation was designed to monitor the illegal workers in Belgium and prevent the undercutting of the Belgian workforce. The system is also in line with the efforts of the social security authorities to ensure that foreign workers receive the same social protection as the Belgian workers.Belgian Employment Minister Peter Vanvelthoven said that foreign companies could electronically use the Limosa network in informing the Belgian government on the identities of its workers. In time, the government hopes to set up one central database to gather all information on foreign workers in Belgium.With tighter controls on entry of foreign workers to legitimate foreign firms doing business in Belgium and the setting up of a central database to track down movements of foreign workers,...