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Ivan Van de Cloot wrote that people had been asking for months to look ahead to winter and adequately replenish gas supplies. He referred to a warning from the European Commission about a very difficult winter, high energy prices, an affordability crisis, and a volatile, unpredictable situation. Van de Cloot questioned why newspapers were not filled with outrage and stated that policy without accountability does not work. #Energiecrisis #Winter #EUbeleid (translated)

European Commissioner Dan Jørgensen warns that Europe is facing a tough winter due to rising energy prices and emphasizes that long-term support measures could undermine the sustainability strategy, while advocating for temporary, targeted assistance to households and businesses. #Energiecrisis #EUklimaatbeleid #Winterzorgen (translated)

The energy crisis of 2021-2022 has led to a lasting increase in the vulnerability of single individuals and single parents in Belgium, with nearly 12% of households in 2024 in a situation of energy poverty. #VulnérabilitéÉnergétique #FacturesDÉnergie #CriseÉnergétique (translated)

Michael van der Galien wrote that a household that burned about 1,000 cubic meters of gas annually would spend about 500 euros extra this winter. According to him, Minister Stientje van Veldhoven (D66) had lowered the filling target for gas storage from 74 to 64 percent at the request of Brussels. According to Van der Galien, the storage level was at just over 62 percent and would be empty around February 10 if a winter like that of 2024 occurred. He added that there was still about 550 billion cubic meters of gas beneath Groningen, while the field remained closed. According to him, FVD had been pointing to gas extraction as a solution for years. Van der Galien described the policy as a risk for the heating of households. https://t.co/NcofsYy1Dr #gasprijs #energiecrisis #verwarming (translated)

Geert Noels stated that a study by Vooruit estimated the annual cost of corporate taxation at 4.2 to 4.7 billion euros, but according to him, due to significant errors, it actually amounted to about 1 billion euros. He argued that this cost could not be offset by higher taxes, which he believed would cause more harm than benefit; he advocated for better oversight of bogus self-employment. Noels identified the main mistake as the comparison between directors via a management company and employees. According to him, directors were legally self-employed and paid contributions up to a ceiling. This comparison would overestimate the estimate by more than 1 billion euros. Moreover, employer contributions were calculated based on the total labor cost instead of the gross salary, resulting in a calculation of 33 percent instead of 25 percent. Noels also disputed that there were four independent estimates: according to him, they used the same rates and distribution keys. He pointed out that estimate C assumed 24 billion euros in shifted profits, compared to about 15 billion euros in total profits in estimate A. Furthermore, factors such as the tax shift, energy crisis, inflation, the reform of corporate tax in 2017, and Pillar 2 were not included as explanations for the macro figures. Also, liquidation reserves of ordinary SMEs would have been counted as leaks. According to Noels, the study also did not take behavior effects into account, such as substitution, cessation, moving abroad, losses, or bankruptcies, and only included companies with profits. He therefore labeled the note as an unreliable basis for policy and believed that bogus self-employment should be addressed directly. Finally, he urged academics, journalists, and politicians to respect the facts when it came to entrepreneurs and risk-takers. #Vennootschapsbelasting #Economie #Belastingen (translated)

Europe will bring more diesel to the market now that American President Donald Trump has announced that there will be no export ban on American diesel, despite the pressure from high fuel prices and previous considerations for a ban. #diesel #Energiecrisis #brandstofprijzen (translated)