2

Households in Brussels have to dispose of bottles in bottle banks and not in the white bags provided for general household waste. Offenders run the risk of a fine ranging from €62.50 to €625, although authorities have promised to be lenient in the early period of 2009.

3

Older employees will no longer receive automatic wage increases based on age. All pay grade schemes based on age must be abolished and replaced with schemes based on competence or experience.

4

New traffic rules have been introduced in Brussels to combat air pollution. Speed limits are lowered automatically if pollution levels exceed certain thresholds. There are three grades of pollution: at the lowest level all speed limits are reduced to 50 km/h in the city and 90 km/h on the ring. If pollution exceeds the second level, then only cars with odd-numbered licence plate numbers are allowed to circulate, while even-numbered cars are banned the next time round. Public transport would be free and trucks banned during rush hour. If the highest level is exceeded, all cars are banned, but this level has never been attained.

5

The price of a standard postage stamp went up from 54 cents to 59 cents. It is still 1 cent below the European average, said De Post.

6

The legal pension age for women went up from 64 to 65, the same as for men. In 1997, the pension age for woman was 60.

7

Farmers born after 1982 must have a drivers licence to drive tractors. Formerly, farmers driving between their farm and fields were exempt.

8

The Royal family’s annual allowance is now linked to the health indexation, the same as salaries, and not the more beneficial consumer price index. The health index excludes rises in petrol, cigarettes and alcohol.

9

Former telephone monopoly Belgacom slashed it tariffs for calls to the fixed phone lines of rival companies. These have long been criticised for being abusively high.

10

Anyone who rents out an older house or apartment in Flanders has to supply an energy performance certificate (energieprestatiecertificaat), which rates the energy efficiency of the house. The certificate costs €200-€250 and is valid for 10 years. A certificate is also needed when selling a house, but not when renting out a newly-built property.

11

Cats and dogs can no longer be sold in shops but only through officially recognised breeders. The legislation is mainly meant to combat impulse buying of pets that often end up abandoned.

12

Radio Donna, a Flemish pop station, has changed its name to MNM. But its new logo has run into problems from the Mars candy company because of alleged copyright infringement.

13

You can now spend your euros in Slovakia, which joined the EU’s single currency zone on 1 January.

14

Child allowance has gone up for self-employed people for their first child, from €74 to €78.

15

The Flemish government will pay out a €500 grant for roof insulation. Both owners and tenants can apply for the grant, which can rise to €1,000 for those on low incomes.