Program decree not suited for radical fiscal reforms
SERV condemns the practice of realizing fiscal reforms by way of program decrees (or amendments). A program decree is not suited to introduce radical fiscal reforms such as the greening of the vehicle taxes, recent reforms of the deduction measures stimulating ownership of housing or the inheritance and gift taxes. Moreover giving SERV only a short time to formulate an advice, does not allow the secretariat to work out sound and nuanced texts.
Furthermore SERV shares his worries about the budget cuts in the university and college education, in the welfare system and in compensation for municipalities as a result of some specific tax breaks.
Finally SERV urges government to cooperate with the other regions of Belgium and sign a cooperation agreement so that leasing vehicles also can be charged in the green taxation system.
The study department of SERV started a research on policies concerning the rational use of energy in different countries. At the same time the staff of SERV examined how actual concepts coming from behavioral economics can be relevant in this context. The focus of the research is on energy savings in existing housing. The reason for this initiative was the evaluation of the rational Energy Use – Public Service Obligations of the government that plans to adapt the instruments. SERV is willing to give an advice on the evaluation if asked. In the meantime SERV already suggests 7 areas of concern.
On the 21st of October 2015 the Flemish social partners reached an agreement on the Job Pact that twin-track focuses on employment for target groups and strengthening/recruitment of long term unemployed persons. The renewed Flemish target group policy is concentrating on youngsters, 55 + and people with a work disability. Stimulating work experience in combination with social security contribution reductions are paths to regular jobs. Simplification and making the target group reductions more transparent is sincerely appreciated and therefore highly suggested by social partners. Moreover, they demand an extra reduction for low skilled youngsters as well as an employment subsidy for the group of long term unemployed between 25 and 55 years old.
SERV and MINA are pleased that the Flemish government wants to stimulate geothermal energy as sustainable energy source as well as to ameliorate the existing support scheme for green heat. They miss however the broader context and the policy vision. A former advice dating back to 2011 in which both councils jointly urged for such a vision and formulated concrete suggestions should be kept in mind.. Furthermore social partners are demanding clarification about the modalities of the support schemes for deep geothermal energy and the call system for green heat, biomethane injections and residual heat.
In a joint letter the 3 regional social and economic councils together with the Central Economic Council are asking the different ministers competent for energy to fully involve the social partners in developing of the future energy policy in Belgium. In the long run a successful energy policy cannot be realized without widespread support of all stakeholders and taking care of the various social and economic effects of political decision-making.
SERV is positive about the plans of the Flemish government to restructure the economic institutional context and the related public services. According to SERV the integration of the agencies in the policy department of Economy and Innovation should take care of legal security, clear communication, digitalization, administrative simplification and a client friendly approach. Furthermore SERV formulates some concrete recommendations on the functioning and the coordination of the Agency Innovation and Enterprise and the Fund for Scientific Research (FWO). SERV concludes its advice with some specific areas of concern such as the need for coherence, complementarity and streamlining the support instruments.
MINA, SERV and SALV are asking government to adjust the environmental legislation to the European level. They specifically refer to the water framework directive, REACH, the regulation on biocidal products and plant protection. Together they plea for harmonizing the methodologies to outline the polluting substances. The councils point at the difference between direct impact of normative regulation regarding new dangerous substances and the indirect effects through compulsory monitoring. When new norms face direct consequences, authorities should carefully balance between the need for general action (all polluters) or specific actions aimed at polluters exceeding the norms. Finally the councils formulate some remarks concerning the expansion of the Flemish substances list with 3 new ones.
SERV agrees with the proposal of the Flemish government to install a new dialogue structure in the policy field of Welfare, Health and Family. SERV pleas for a rapid implementation of the new structure. The advice formulates some other remarks on the proposal and stresses the need for clarification.