Europe Readies for Cross-Border Direct Debit Launch

By Agence France-Presse

Expatica.com

The Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) direct debit programme lets companies and individuals organise standardised monthly euro payments in 32 countries from a single bank account.

Brussels -- Europe steps up a drive to harmonise electronic payment systems with the launch of a cross-border direct debit programme on Monday but there remain notable gaps in the service.

The Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) direct debit programme lets companies and individuals organise standardised monthly euro payments in 32 countries from a single bank account.

The main beneficiaries will include the likes of mobile phone companies, energy or telecommunication suppliers.

For example, a Polish nurse working in Ireland could have a mobile operator in Warsaw debit a Dublin account each month to pay her elderly mother's cell phone.

Some 2,500 participating banks will offer the service in November and all European banks must make it available within a year, according to the European Central Bank.

However, cross-border direct debits are not available in France -- which is to delay implementation until November 2010, the deadline for the 16 countries that use the euro currency.

"It's also up to the banks at this stage," says the European Banking Federation (EBS) while insisting that "the majority" are ready to come on board.

The transformation of everyday financial transactions across Europe began with the arrival of euro notes and coins eight years ago and then the launch of European bank transfers.

The SEPA system covers the 27 European Union countries, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

It is based on BIC and IBAN identification numbers which follow a standardised format across Europe....(Original.)

Joe Biden in Poland & Czech Republic

US Vice President Seeks to Smooth Feathers in 'New Europe'

By Gregor Peter Schmitz
Spiegel

US Vice President Joe Biden heads to Eastern Europe on Tuesday, the first such trip by a high-ranking Washington official since President Barack Obama scaled back the missile shield program in September. Many are concerned that the US is turning its back on the region.

It's good to be the US vice president these days. Joe Biden gets to fill his days with such pleasant duties as speaking to Democratic campaigners in New Jersey, addressing a group of supporters in Pennsylvania and attending banquets with party allies. It seems that wherever he goes, President Barack Obama's deputy is greeted with applause.

But this week is likely to be different. On Tuesday, Biden begins a four day visit to Eastern Europe, stopping at Poland, the Czech Republic and Romania, where he is not very popular. Poland and Czech Republic are particularly unimpressed by the Obama administration because the US president recently put the missile shield -- that had been promoted by his predecessor George W. Bush as a defence against Iranian midrange and long-range missiles -- on ice. Instead of the complex system involving long-range rockets envisioned by Bush, Obama wants a system that uses more conventional SM-3 rockets based on ships or in Turkey, the Balkans and perhaps also in Eastern Europe.

It wasn't just the decision itself that angered the Poles and the Czechs as much as the way it was communicated. Obama first called his Eastern European counterparts in September via a phone call at around midnight European time -- after the first reports had appeared in the US media. The reaction in Poland was harsh. The Polish tabloid Fakt wrote "the US has sold us out to the Russians." Former Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek complained that Obama's decision demonstrated that the US "was no longer interested" in the region....(Remainder.)

Europe Concerned as Dollar Decline Continues

A number of European countries have embarked on a slow recovery following the economic collapse late last year. But with the euro now at a 14-month high against the dollar, euro zone officials worry exports could suffer.

By Spiegel
Photo: Reuters

The signs of a recovering global economy are everywhere. Global stocks are up 75 percent from the deep lows seen in the darkest days of the financial crisis, many banks and other financial institutions are reporting a return to profits and a number of countries have emerged from recession.

But one development has some in Europe concerned that the path to recovery in Europe's single currency zone could be riddled with obstacles: The dollar continues to weaken against the euro. The result is that European exports -- one of the primary engines behind Europe's fragile recovery -- are becoming more expensive in the United States and in a number of Asian countries that have pegged their currency to the dollar.

On Tuesday, a euro was going for $1.4976, just off its 14-month high of $1.4994 seen on Monday. Many, though, expect the dollar to continue its fall against the euro with a return to the $1.60 rate seen in the summer of 2008 a possibility.

'Excessive Volatility'

Finance ministers from countries belonging to the 16-member euro zone addressed the issue at a Monday meeting in Luxembourg. "It is a problem that we are working on," Jean-Claude Juncker, Luxembourg's finance minister and chairman of the euro group, told reporters. "We spent quite a long time discussing exchange rates."

Jean-Claude Trichet, head of the European Central Bank, said that Europe has "a vested interest in a solid and stable currency system" adding that "excessive volatility and disorderly movements on exchange markets are bad for economic and financial stability."...(Remainder.)

Václav Klaus, from Russia with love

He describes himself as "a European dissident" and the Russian media has welcomed him with open arms. On a state visit this week, the Czech President showed that he is keen to develop economic and personal ties with Moscow — a policy which Hospodářské Noviny remarks is not without its disadvantages.

By Ondřej Soukup and Vladimír Šnídl
Hospodářské Noviny
Photo:  AFP

Václav Klaus' state visit to Russia comes just a few days after he provoked an outcry in Europe by imposing yet another obstacle to his signing of the Lisbon Treaty. In Moscow he told his hosts that he was "seriously concerned by the plan to reinforce European integration."

Klaus is one Czech politician who is not afraid of adopting a strongly pro-Russian stance, unlike Mirek Topolánek's government, which backed a policy of stronger links with the United States until it collapsed in April.

On the occasion of a visit to the United States in September, Klaus declared that Moscow was much less of a threat to the Czech Republic than an over-regulated European Union. In a recent interview with [the neo-conservative American daily] the Washington Times, he averred that "the political system and freedom in Russia is now the highest and the best in the history of Russia in the last two millennia."

Russian media idol

When he was prime minister from 1992 to 1997, Václav Klaus generally adopted a pro-western line. It was only after he left the government that he began to explicitly criticize European integration and the United States. This change of course was later confirmed when he expressed his reservations about NATO's bombardment of Yugoslavia in 1999.

It was also during this period that the Russian media first took an interest in him. Today, many Russian journalists actively promote Klaus to the extent that he now occupies much more space in the Russian media than all of the other Eastern European leaders. His statements on "the gratuitous Russophobia" of the Western elites are especially popular with pro-Kremlin journalists, and also with the renowned Russian political analyst Mikhaïl Delyagin, who in a recent article on the Lisbon crisis presented an alleged quote from Klaus, which states that accession to the European Union has resulted in considerable financial losses for the Czech Republic....(Remainder.)

Constitutional Debate Erupts as Early Elections are Canceled

I'm interested in this for a number of reasons.  First, my other half is from the Czech Republic.  And, second, this election can have consequences for the EU and the geopolitical landscape.

---

The Czech Republic hashes out exactly what the judiciary can and can't do in its still fledgling democracy.

By Bruce I. Konviser
GlobalPost

PRAGUE, Czech Republic — When the Constitutional Court struck down a constitutional amendment last month, which was to pave the way for early elections, the political establishment was shocked that the court had asserted itself in such a manner.

Others supported the decision, saying the ruling was not only a breakthrough for the court but was also a watershed event for the country's still fledgling democracy.

Early elections seemed inevitable after the government collapsed in the spring following a vote of-no-confidence in parliament. In an effort to hasten the cumbersome process toward early elections, parliament passed a new amendment that the Constitutional Court subsequently nixed, ruling against what it called a retroactive and stop-gap measure.

The ruling has unleashed a constitutional debate about the fundamental duties and authority of the judiciary. As the Czech Republic’s democracy continues to develop, such a debate is both reflective of the country’s journey toward a strong democracy and integral to it.

Many political leaders could barely contain their rage at the ruling. President Vaclav Klaus went so far as to call the court's decision “wrong.” (By definition, of course, the Constitutional Court cannot be wrong. Regardless of what anyone thinks of a particular ruling the constitution means what the court says it means.)...(Remainder.)

Belgium to Rent Jail Space in the Netherlands

Strapped for space in its prisons, Belgium has decided to rent 500 jail cells from its neighbor the Netherlands until new ones can be built, the justice ministry said Friday.

By Agence France-Presse
Expatica.com

Brussels - Strapped for space in its prisons, Belgium has decided to rent 500 jail cells from its neighbour the Netherlands until new ones can be built, the justice ministry said Friday.

The move was approved Friday by the cabinet and is expected to be finalised in coming weeks in consultation with the Dutch government and once approved by the Belgian parliament, a ministry statement said.

"The aim is to use the cell space as quickly as possible" in the Tilburg prison in the southern Netherlands, said Justice Minister Stefan De Clerck.

"It is of course a temporary measure given that from 2012 the new Belgian prisons should be able to open," he added.

In an address to parliament Tuesday, Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy said that "urgent measures" were needed to overcome the problem with the kingdom's prisons....(Remainder.)

Why the Swiss Are Afraid of Minarets

By Michael Soukup
Spiegel

A poster featuring a Muslim woman in a chador surrounded by minaret towers that resemble missiles is causing outrage in Switzerland ahead of a referendum next month on whether to ban mosques from having minarets. The campaign is proving so controversial that even some die-hard members of the country's far right are uncomfortable with it.

Wangen bei Olten has already been lost. The small Swiss municipality at the foot of the Jura Mountains has become home to a minaret.

The Christians in the village fought hard to prevent it -- they collected signatures, lodged official complaints, spoke publicly against it and even the local Catholic and evangelical communities registered their opposition.

But nothing worked. Switzerland's highest court approved the building plans of the local Turkish cultural association and now a six meter (20 foot) tall minaret provides graphic proof of the victory won by the Olten Türk Kültür Ocagi.

"The minaret is only the first step," Daniel Zingg warns in appearances across the country. The former television repairman is a member of the Federal Democratic Union (EDU), a Christian party on the far right of Switzerland's political spectrum. Zingg, 53, sees minarets as symbols of Muslim victories over newly conquered lands -- as precursors to the introduction of Islamic Shariah law.

How times have changed in Switzerland. In the 1960s and 70s, politicians in Zürich and Geneva welcomed the construction of two mosques as symbols of the country's sophistication and open-mindedness. Nowadays, Switzerland's anti-minaret activists like to quote Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "Minarets are our bayonets," he said. "The domes are our helmets, the mosques our barracks and the believers our army."...(Remainder.)

A Price Too High, A Hand Too Bloody

By Abby Zimet
Common Dreams

Six-and-a-half years and too many deaths after Tony Blair sent British troops into Iraq, a commemorative service for those killed turned into a searing critique of the war after the Archbishop of Canterbury blasted policymakers who went to war "without really measuring the price" and the father of a dead soldier refused to shake Blair's hand, calling him "a war criminal." Peter Brierley, whose son Shaun died in 2003, has since become an anti-war activist.

"I'm not shaking your hand. You've got blood on it." – Peter Brierley to Tony Blair.

(Original.)

Greek Socialists Win in a Landslide

By Rachel Donadio and Anthee Carassava
The New York Times
Photo:  Simela Pantzarzi (European Pressphoto Agency)

ATHENS — Socialists won national elections in Greece on Sunday, trouncing a center-right government crippled by corruption scandals and a growing economic crisis.

With 88 percent of Greece’s 10 million votes counted, according to The Associated Press, the Socialist Pasok Party was leading with 44 percent of the vote to 34 percent for the center-right New Democracy Party, a margin expected to give the Socialists their largest victory ever and a comfortable majority in Parliament.

“Today we set off together to build the Greece we want and need. We have no time to waste,” the Socialist leader, George Papandreou, said in his victory speech. “We want it, we can do it, we will succeed.”

“Nothing will be easy,” he added. “But I will always be honest and upfront with the Greeks.”

In conceding defeat, Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis said he had failed to persuade Greeks to accept the two years of austerity measures he had called for to steer the country out of its economic crisis. “The voters did not approve of this policy. It was their choice, and I respect it,” he said.

Mr. Karamanlis also stepped down as leader of the New Democracy Party, which suffered its worst performance since the restoration of Greek democracy in 1974 after years of military dictatorship. He said he would call a party congress to elect a new leader within a month....(Remainder.)

Brussels Welcomes US Move Toward Global Governance of Internet

By Leigh Phillips
EU Observer

BRUSSELS - The body responsible for managing the development of the internet, Icann, has cut its umbilical cord to the US government, a move the European Union has been demanding for four years.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, which oversees domain names - the .com, .eu, .org and so on at the end of a web address - as of 30 September will no longer be subject to review by the US Department of Commerce.

Instead, independent review panels appointed by Icann Governmental Advisory Committee (Gac) and Icann itself with the involvement of governments around the world. will perform this task.

Since 2005, the EU has been calling for reform of the governance of the internet, saying that the internet is a global resource and should not be tied to one national government - a position echoed by many other countries and a number of companies.

In June of this year, the European Commission raised the volume on the issue, publishing a policy document that an independent judicial body be set up, which information society commissioner Viviane Reding described at the time as a "G12 for internet governance," which would serve as a "multilateral forum for governments to discuss general internet governance policy and security issues."

Wednesday's move comes close to satisfying the EU demands, and Ms Reding welcomed the development....(Remainder.)

“Unveil the Girls and Educate the Boys” say Belgian Protesters

By Expatica

A few hundred people took to the streets of Brussels on Saturday calling on the authorities to impose a ban on wearing the Muslim headscarf in Francophone schools.

The view, according to the organisers of the demonstration, is that politicians should ban all religious symbols from schools in Francophone education.

"Unveil the girls and educate the boys" is one of the slogans used by demonstrators.

According to one of the advocates of a headscarf ban, Karima, there is huge social pressure in schools to wear a headscarf.  "Those who don't wear a headscarf are cursed at and accused of not being religious or of being a prostitute."

Nadia Geerts of the organisation RAPPEL called on politicians to take a decision to protect young girls from the obligation of wearing a headscarf.

The debate over whether or not to allow religious symbols in schools has been in the spotlight over the last few months, both in Flanders as well as in Wallonia, where a number of schools have implemented a ban individually.

After a turbulent start to the school year, the network of Flemish Community schools decided to implement a ban on headscarves and other religious symbols in all schools.

The debate is still very much alive in Belgian schools around the country....(Remainder.)

375% Rise in Internet Infractions in Belgium

By La Dernière Heure
Expatica

One in five people risk falling victim to an internet fraudster, a risk even higher than being burgled at home.

Cyber-criminality has risen by 375%, according to Symantec, an American company specialised in internet security.
 
The likelihood of being victim of a burglary or being involved in a car-crash is much lower than being attacked on the internet, with risks of 1 in 31 cases and 1 in 3,000 cases respectively.

In Belgium, more than 13,000 infraction complaints were received by the eCops watchdog in 2008, which was 17% more than 2007 and 375% more than in the last six years.

Symantec observed 1.65 million viruses on the internet in 2008, a figure likely to have risen notably in their next observation....(Original.)

80 Arrested in Benelux Drugs Operation

By Agence France-Presse
Expatica

Police in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg arrested 80 people in a four-day cross-border drugs operation that ended on Sunday, a Dutch police statement said.

The operation that focused on shared border areas and transport routes netted 10 kilograms of cocaine, five grams of heroine, 22 grams of hashish and 277 grams of cannabis, it said.

Police officials from the three countries searched cars on busy highways, passengers of international trains and several buildings since Thursday.

Arrests were carried out mainly in the southern Dutch towns of Roosendaal and Maastricht, in Antwerp in northern Belgium and two in Paris on board the Thalys high-speed train en route from Brussels.

The operation was part of a broader project to tackle drug trafficking and drug tourism between the Benelux countries and France, said the police statement....(Original.)

Climate: Belgium Deplores Lack of Concrete Figures from USA

Belgian Foreign Minister Yves Leterme and Energy Minister Paul Magnette have deplored the failure of the U.S. President to put forward concrete figures regarding the reduction of green house gases.

By Expatica

The Belgian ministers are happy however with the new American attitude towards fighting climate change.

U.S. President Barack Obama said that the days when the United States "dragged its feet" in the fight against climate change are over.

He vowed to promote renewable energy and share green technology with countries around the world.

"We will press ahead with deep cuts in emissions to reach the goals that we set for 2020, and eventually 2050," Obama said in his maiden speech to the U.N. General Assembly.

"The threat from climate change is serious, it is urgent, and it is growing," Obama said, "And the time we have to reverse this tide is running out."

The Belgians had hoped that the U.S. President would come with some concrete plans or figures but he remained vague about how exactly the climate goals would be met.

The Belgian Energy Minister Magnette was reportedly disappointed with what he saw as a cautious American approach to tackling climate change.

The minister immediately added that he realises that it is not an easy issue for President Obama with some tough opponents in the House of Representatives....(Remainder.)

Unemployment in Belgium Continues to Climb

At the end of August, Belgium counted 467,718 unemployed people, 39,501 more than in July and 47,827 more than in August 2008, according to new figures from Onem.

By Le Soir
Expatica

The rise in the number of job seekers has been apparent in all regions: over 21,390 in a month in Flanders, over 11,468 in Wallonia, and over 6,643 in Brussels.
 
At the end of the month, Wallonia counted a total unemployment rate of 212,891, Flanders counted 176,660 and Brussels had 78,230 people out of a job.

73,602 unemployed people in the country are under-25, with the majority in Wallonia, with 38,525, followed by Flanders with 26,209, then Brussels with 8,868.

Wallonia still counts the highest number of people who have been unemployed for a long period of time, with 104,997 people in this category, which makes up nearly half the number of the total unemployed people in the region....(Original.)

Anti-Veil Protest in Brussels

By Euronews

Hundreds of women and their children demonstrated in Brussels on Saturday to calling for the veil and all other religious clothes or symbols to be banned from schools.

At the moment the veil is worn at the discretion of an individual school’s headmaster, or not. Now Belgium’s 40 percent French-speakers want the same law as passed in Belgium’s Flemish half, which bans the veil.

“I had long, braided hair, so they would take the lower part of my veil, and wound it into my braids.”
says one women’s rights worker.

But the women’s groups are split; some prefer to stress free choice, others the risk of indoctrination of the young;

“The Flemish are spot on, because their law preserves the ideas of diversity and equality among pupils, pupils who are the adults of tomorrow. So we are demanding that the French speaking community takes the same decision,” says another women’s representative....(Remainder.)

Right-Wing MR Party Against All Religious Symbols in Belgian Schools Until 16

By Le Soir
Via Expatica

The MR is proposing a ban on wearing any visible religious symbols to school until the age of 16.

The debate is hardening, according to Didier Reynders, leader of the right-wing Mouvement Réformateur (MR) party.
 
The controversial argument has run for a long time in the French community, and it is time that someone made a decision, the MR president, Didier Reynders, announced on Sunday to the television network RTL-TVi.

Many Belgian political parties want this issue solved, particularly in reference to the Muslim headscarf, but it is important to negotiate first, they have stated.

Representatives of the PS, Ecolo and CdH parties also took part in the televised debate but none showed a favourable attitude towards a total ban....(Original.)

Belgium Minister Says Social Security Must Tighten it's Belt

By Expatica

Budget Minister Guy Vanhengel (Flemish liberal) says that the government will not continue to fill the budget deficit in the social security system.

The social security system should also make an effort to fill the gap, said the federal budget minister in an interview with the financial daily De Tijd.

Until now the deficit in the social security system has always been covered for by other tax money. The Budget Minister Guy Vanhengel said that it is now time for this practice to stop.

According to Minister Vanhengel, the Stability Pact, which the government agreed to earlier in the week, will put an end to the automatic replenishment of social security.

It is not yet certain exactly how much the social security system will have to save.

The discussion with the federal government promises to be contentious. The Flemish liberals have always disliked the fact that the social security system swallows up an increasingly large chunk of tax income.

The Francophone socialists do not want to touch health care, unemployment benefits or pensions in the tightening of the budget belt....(Original.)

Belgium Justice Department Spent €21 Million on Phone Tapping in 2008

By Le Soir
Via Expatica.com

The justice department devoted EUR 21 million to listening to telephone conversations last year. According to Brice de Ruyver, professor of criminology, "police can no longer lead the struggle against crime without phone tapping".

The professor confirmed that it is an expensive process and that it requires specialised personnel.

Strictly speaking the actual phone tapping system only costs EUR 4 million.

Then EUR 17 million must be added for court costs, the recording of incoming and outgoing phone traffic, the activation of listening, observation and identification of suspect telephone numbers, and other administrative costs. EUR 3 million is spent on translation.

Professor Ruyver said that the considerable amount spent listening to telephone activity had often been discussed at the heart of the police force.

"But we have since arrived at the conclusion that we cannot do without this tool. Phone tapping is one of the most effective ways of dismantling rebel groups, fighting against drug trafficking and terrorism, and keeping an eye on extremist personalities," he added....(Original.)

Crisis Makes Europe the Richest Region in the World, Study Says

By Valentina Pop
EU Observer

Europe has emerged as the richest region in the world, pushing North America, where wealth has declined by more than 20 percent due to the economic crisis, off the top spot, a study has shown.

The world's richest also feel the recession biting, especially in North America, where the financial crisis first unfolded a year ago, reveals a survey on global wealth carried out by the Boston Consulting Group, a global management consulting firm.

North America's wealth, measured in assets under management, plummeted by 21.8 percent, the steepest decline in the world. A lesser fall was registered in Europe, where assets shrunk by 5.8 percent compared to last year, down to €22.2 trillion – a quarter of the globe's total wealth.

The number of millionaire households worldwide fell from 11 million to about 9 million - a drop of 17.8 percent. The decline was steepest in North America and Europe, at 22 percent in both regions, although the United States continues to have the most millionaire households - nearly 4 million.

The crisis also narrowed the gap between the wealthy and non-wealthy. Wealth owned by households with less than €90,000 in assets under management increased by two percent in 2008, but it declined in all other segments. Among households with more than €4.5 million in assets under management, wealth fell by 21.5 percent....(Remainder.)

US to Scrap Missile Shield in Eastern Europe

By Valentina Pop
EU Observer
Photo:  Wikipedia

US government officials are likely to tell the Polish and Czech governments on Thursday that Washington will scrap the planned missile defence shield in their countries, as the threat of long-range missiles from Iran is less imminent.

The Obama envoys are expected to brief lawmakers and government officials in Warsaw and Prague on the results of the seven-month review commissioned by President Barack Obama, unnamed sources in Washington told the Associated Press.

The Wall Street Journal also reported on Thursday that the White House is to shelve the Bush-era plan, "a move likely to cheer Moscow and roil the security debate in Europe."

The Obama administration's assessment concludes that long-range missile threat from Iran is a far lesser one than short and medium-range, making the case for the development of "regional missile defenses" for Europe, which are far less controversial for Russia, people familiar with the matter told the WSJ.

The multi-billion-dollar project agreed last year planned to install 10 interceptor missiles at a facility in Poland and a radar base in the Czech Republic.

Warsaw also managed to secure a US promise of a battery of Patriot missiles to be permanently based on Polish territory as a defence against possible Russian attack – a security guarantee Poland had sought ever since the breakup of the Soviet Union. Some 120 American soldiers would have been deployed at the interceptor base in northern Poland, and US soldiers would also have operated the Patriot missiles.

Now the plan seems to shift more towards "rotating" Patriot missiles, which would "tour" Europe and also be stationed at some point in Poland....(Remainder.)

Belgium Steps Up Opel ‘Protectionism’ Offensive

Belgium has stepped up its offensive against German state aid to auto manufacturer Opel's planned new owners, demanding that the slightest hint of protectionism be slapped down by Brussels.

By AFP
Expatica.com

BRUSSELS - The European Commission must approve 4.5 billion euros (6.5 billion dollars) of aid offered by German Chancellor Angela Merkel's government, currently less than two weeks away from a general election.

Amid fears shared by other European Union member states that plants elsewhere may be sacrificed to keep 25,000 German Opel staff in work, the head of Belgium's Flanders regional government took the case for an Antwerp factory threatened with closure to the EU's executive arm.

Seeking assurances that politics would play no part in Bussels' decision on whether or not to approve the aid and the takeover, Kris Peeters told EU Commission vice-president Guenter Verheugen of Germany that Antwerp would win out on purely economic and commercial considerations.

"For Commissioner (Verheugen), there can be no question of protectionism and he will keep a close eye on this to make sure economic parameters lie behind decisions on whether to close or keep sites open," the Flemish leader told reporters.

Peeters fears that the plant in northern Belgium, which employs around 2,700 people, is to be sacrificed by Canada's Magna and Russia's Sbersbank, who were on Thursday named by General Motors as the preferred buyers for its European division.

He said submissions on aid and on the comparative merits of the different plants within Europe which may be affected have yet to be submitted....(Remainder.)

Too Many Forged Belgian Passports

By Expatica.com

Belgian passports do not pass the stringent security tests required by international law, according to officials in the US and Britain.

The council of ministers has approved a proposal by Foreign Minister Yves Leterme (Flemish Christian Democrat) decreeing that, from next year, Belgian passports must contain a more detailed biometric photograph and it must display more finger print information .

The United States and the European Union have filed a number of complaints about  easily forged Belgian passports.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will make 700 cameras available to municipalities so they can take the detailed biometric photographs and accurate fingerprints.

It is still possible to employ a private photographer take the pictures so long as the photographer has the prescribed equipment to take the photograph.

The implementation of biometric passports is a European Union regulation designed to help combat identity fraud....(Original.)

Belgian Man Denies US Charges He Smuggled Arms to Iran

A suspected Belgian arms dealer pleaded not guilty in a federal courtroom here Thursday to charges he sought to smuggle fighter jet engines and parts to Iran.

By AFP
Expatica.com

MOBILE - Clad in a prison uniform, Jacques Monsieur, 56, spoke only once to confirm that his name had been pronounced correctly.

His lawyer Arthur Madden entered not guilty pleas to all the charges against him, including six counts of smuggling, conspiracy, money laundering, and violating weapons trafficking laws and export controls in relation to a US trade embargo on Iran.

Monsieur was indicted by a federal grand jury last month after being arrested in a New York airport. An alleged co-conspirator in the case, Dara Fotouhi, 54, is still at large, according to the Justice Department.

Both Monsieur and Fotouhi are French residents, and Fotouhi, an Iranian national, is suspected of working for the Iranian government.

The indictment against Monsieur says he contacted an undercover agent in February seeking to buy engines for the F-5 fighter or C-130 military transport aircraft to export to Iran.

The J85-21 model jet engines can be used to replace the motors in the F-5 fighter that was sold to Iran by the United States before the two countries cut ties after Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution.

Today, they are on a US list barring their export from the United States without a special permit. It is also illegal to export them to Iran without an additional license from the US Treasury Department....(Remainder.)

Belgium Shocked by Neo-Fascist Child Carer

By Radio Netherlands
Expatica.com

A woman who takes care of children at her home in Belgium has sparked an outcry after her extreme right-wing sympathies were uncovered by media.

A portrait of Adolf Hitler hangs in the living room of her Antwerp home, along with the flag of banned neo-fascist organisation the Flemish Militant Order, VMO.
 
A journalist from Flemish TV news programme Terzake filmed inside the woman's home with a hidden camera, pretending to be a father looking for after-school care for his daughter.
 
The care facility is accredited by Child and Family, a national childcare organisation.
 
The woman told the reporter, "I have nothing to hide. I don't agree with the child care policies of Child and Family. They want the children to decide by themselves when they want to sleep." She explained that she wanted "clear rules."
 
"My husband is an old-style Nazi. Not pro-German, but very conservative. He is very interested in WWII." The walls of the living room are lined with shelves filled with books on the Nazi occupation of Europe and fascist memorabilia. "Many parents don't understand us," the woman said. "They say, Heil Hitler, yuck!"
 
She told the reporter that Hitler's ideas were "phenomenal" and said that current trouble with Islamic immigrant families should be handled in the same way that Hitler handled the Jews. "We've got the same problem today. We're being overrun by them."
 
Children should be taught again to obey their parents, she added. "We should send all children to the Hitler Youth, then they will listen again."...(Remainder.)

Belgian Schools on Alert Following Online Threat

By AFP
Expatica.com

Schools and day care centres near Brussels were under police guard on Wednesday after an apparent threat was posted on a US Internet site, local authorities said.

Hundreds of police were deployed in Mechelen after the message was posted in January on the website www.4chan.org reading: "293 days to go until I strike at KTA Lyceum Mechelen, watch the news."

More than 330 police officers wearing bullet-proof vests were deployed early on Wednesday morning, the date believed to correspond to the threat and symbolic for its 09/09/09 formulation, authorities said.

A police helicopter also flew over Mechelen, some 30 kilometres north of the capital Brussels, Belga news agency reported.

No incident has been reported and the prosecutor’s office will launch further investigations into the threat.

The identity of the person responsible for the threat on the discussion website has not been discovered despite a number of arrests in recent days....(Remainder.)

Luxury Yacht Makes Waves for King in Cash-Strapped Belgium

By AFP
Expatica.com

A luxury yacht bought by King Albert II is causing controversy after it was revealed that the monarch had not paid VAT on it, as the state budget sinks deeper into the red.

Over the summer, Belgian media reported that the 75-year-old king had paid EUR 4.6 million (USD 6.7 million) for the 27-metre yacht and published pictures of him, wearing shorts, at the vessel's helm.

Newspapers said that the photos, snapped as the yacht entered the Sicilian port of Lipari, contradicted his warnings on Belgian National Day on July 21 about the "increasingly materialistic" nature of society.

National broadcaster RTBF said that the monarch had not paid VAT on the craft in Belgium because it was not registered in the country, or even in Italy, and because it is deemed a military vessel and is therefore exempt.

This means that the king can "retain a captain and two crew paid for by the army, and so by the Belgian taxpayer," said Flemish Greens lawmaker Luckas Vander Taelen.

In a break with media protocol, an RTBF reporter tried to question the royal couple about the yacht during a garden party at Laeken Palace at the end of last month....(Remainder.)

Taliban Making Profit from Belgian Antiques Dealers

Reporters working for the VRT's flagship current affairs programme Panorama have discovered that Belgian antique dealers are illegally offering stolen Afghan art for sale.

By Expatica.com

Many of the profits are channelled to the Taliban.

Belgian police and customs are aware of the problem, but little is being done about it.
 
“The traffic in antiquities from Afghanistan resembles the smuggling of diamonds from Africa that are used to finance conflicts. The sale of antiquities and heroine are an important source of funding for the Taliban,” said VRT reporter Peter Brems.

In order to make his report entitled "Blood Antiquities" Brems also travelled to Afghanistan.

Many Belgian dealers are aware that the art is smuggled out of Afghanistan illegally. Some buyers are also aware that they purchase this art.

The antiques are on sale in shops from Brussels to the prestigious resort of Knokke in West Flanders.

In Belgium no certificate to authenticate Afghan art is needed.

Quizzed about a possible investigation the Belgian police's Axel Poels told the VRT: "We first have to establish whether any crime has been committed. Maybe an investigation will be initiated next week."...(Original.)

Headscarf Ban: Eight Arrested Outside School in Antwerp

The unrest is due to the new rule banning the Muslim headscarf from being worn at school which came into effect on the 1 September this year.

By Expatica.com

The police of Antwerp arrested 8 youngsters at the Royal Athenaeum in Hoboken on Monday because they violated a ban on demonstrations.

A left wing student organisation gathered before school opening at the Royal Athenaeum in Hoboken to hand out pamphlets and urge students not to accept the headscarf ban.

Last Friday the mayor of Antwerp, Patrick Janssens (Flemish socialist), issued a ban on demonstrations at the school and the police quickly intervened.

"The police have detained 8 youngsters. A ninth person was detained during protests last week," says a police spokesman.

A group of Muslim women also gathered in front of the school, but retreated on to the surrounding streets when the police arrived at the scene. Calm returned to the school and surroundings at about 11am.

However, the protest against the Muslim headscarf ban at the school continues. Vandals broke into the school during Sunday night and spray painted slogans on doors of the school. They also threw school books out of the windows.

The vandals spray painted the slogan 'No headscarf, no school' onto the school’s entrance. They also smashed a window to get inside the school.

"They went in through the side door and went to the administrative offices," said headmaster Chris Weyers. "They sabotaged the internet and jammed some doors. They took some paper and flung it around the hallway. They threw books out of the window."...(Remainder.)

EU Warns on Proposed US Travel Fees

Who's the douche-nozzle that though this was a good idea?

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By Desmond Butler
Associated Press via WaPo

WASHINGTON -- The European Union is strongly criticizing a congressional proposal to charge a $10 fee to some visitors to the United States and suggesting it may carry a price for U.S. travelers.

If it passes, the EU says, some U.S. travelers to Europe could face retaliation.

The fee now under consideration in Congress would finance a new U.S. program to promote travel, a burden that the EU believes Americans should bear.

"Only in `Alice in Wonderland' could a penalty be seen as promoting the activity on which it is imposed," the European Commission's Ambassador to Washington, John Bruton, said in a statement Friday.

One of the bill's sponsors, Democratic  Rep. William Delahunt, said the EU was getting too worked up over what he called "a nominal fee."

But Europeans see the issue as yet another potential hassle that the United States is preparing to burden Europe's citizens with. Visitors from most European countries have long enjoyed the privilege of visa-free travel to the United States.

Early, this year, however, the United States began requiring people traveling to the United States under the visa waiver program to register online at least 72 hours before travel and renew their registration every two years. If the new proposal is passed by Congress and signed into law by the president, it would require all visitors to pay the fee when they register....(Remainder.)

Belgium Offers Asylum to Guantánamo Detainee

By Carol Rosenberg
The Miami Herald

Belgium on Friday became the latest European country to offer asylum to a Guantánamo Bay detainee, announcing that it would resettle a captive now at the prison camps who has been cleared of prosecution by a U.S. court.

The announcement follows similar deals between the Obama administration and France and Portugal, which last month took in two Syrians for resettlement. Ireland has also agreed to take two detainees seeking third-country asylum.

President Barack Obama has ordered the detention facility closed by early next year and the United States has been seeking new nations for dozens of the 226 captives now cleared for release but fearful of return to their native countries because of stigma or ill treatment.

A Belgium Foreign Ministry statement Friday did not identify the detainee who would be resettled, or specify his nationality.

It said "the individual in question is no longer facing prosecution,'' suggesting he was among 19 detainees still at the remote Navy base who have been ordered set free by federal judges hearing habeas corpus petitions.

Belgium said the man would be given a residency visa and work papers in Belgium.

It provided no timeline for the transfer but said, as host nation, the government of Belgium would take steps beforehand to ensure the man was successfully integrated into Belgian society.

Meantime, the Obama administration is obliged to file a classified report with Congress on the individual's transfer plan....(Remainder.)

Belgians Are Ready to Accept Salary Decrease

Four in ten employees are ready to accept a decrease in salary in exchange for other benefits, according to a study carried out on 1,665 workers by Executive Research and Kern Selection.

By Le Soir
Expatica

The study revealed that 44% of the participants would accept a salary decrease in exchange for benefits such as extra holiday, working closer to home or a more interesting position.
 
57% of people who took the survey said that they would prefer to work within 50km of their home, and more than seven in ten employees declared that they would not want to spend more than an hour commuting to their workplace.

35% of people who participated in the study were actively seeking another job. 28% were ready to change their job within this year and 25% would look for another job next year, according to the study. More than seven in ten of the employees questioned admitted to having applied for a vacant post in their current position.

Pharmaceutical and chemical companies, media, energy and communication were the main fields that the participants would have wanted to work in. One in five people also wanted to work in administration....(Original.)

MR Government Wants to Ban Burkha in Belgium

Christine Defraigne has announced a proposal to ban the burkha in Belgium almost five years after a similar text was brought by the MR to parliament, reported Le Soir on Thursday.

By La Dernière Heure
Via Expatica.com

The proposal suggests that wearing a burkha in public in a way that masks or hides the identity of the person under the veil should be prohibited. Violations of this law would result in a penalty charge of EUR 15 to 25 and/or imprisonment of between one and seven days.

Defraigne said that women were under no religious obligation to wear the burkha. “The Qur’an does not mention it. Banning women from wearing these items is not refusing Islam as a religion. The burkha and the niqab personify the subjugation of the individual and social dehumanisation.”

“For the anthropologist Dounia Bouzar, the burkha, which is already prohibited in some Muslim countries, is not a religious symbol but a uniform which signifies self-exclusion, as well as the exclusion of others.”...(Original.)

Fortis Under Investigation for Sudden Demise

Belgium's banking watchdog CBFA has ruled that there are sufficient grounds to warrant a thorough investigation into communication by the Fortis holding last June, when it decided to launch a capital enhancement.

By Expatia.com

At the time Fortis operations included Fortis bank which is now owned by BNP Paribas of France.

By creating new shares Fortis raised EUR 1.5 billion. It also decided not to pay a dividend.

Shareholders were surprised by these decisions, the possibility of which had always been denied.

The following day the Fortis share tumbled 20% on the stock market as confidence in the bank evaporated.

This development signalled the start of the demise of Belgium's largest bank.

The financial watchdog CBFA has now completed a preliminary investigation into this matter and says that there are sufficient grounds for a thorough investigation.

Fortis, if found guilty, could face a hefty fine.

The watchdog is also handing information over to the public prosecutor’s office which will decide whether or not to launch a criminal investigation....(Original.)

Adventures in Barcelona

Last week, Jan and I took a little vacation to Barcelona, Spain. What an amazing city! Full of history and culture from around the world, Barcelona is truly a global city.

Barcelona is the "capital" of Catalonia, an autonomous community in Spain, and is the second largest city in Spain. Contrary to what you might think, the predominant language in Barcelona is NOT Spanish, but rather Catalan. While everyone speaks Spanish, they choose not to when dealing with other Catalonians and when going about their day-to-day business.

The history of Barcelona (from Wikipedia):

The foundation of Barcelona is the subject of two different legends. The first attributes the founding of the city to Hercules 400 years before the building of Rome thus the name Βαρκινών; . The second legend attributes the foundation of the city directly to the Carthaginian Hamilcar Barca, father of Hannibal, who named the city Barcino after his family, in the 3rd century BC.

About 15 BC, the Romans redrew the town as a castrum (Roman military camp) centred on the "Mons Taber", a little hill near the contemporary city hall (Plaça de Sant Jaume). Under the Romans, it was a colony with the surname of Faventia, or, in full, Colonia Faventia Julia Augusta Pia Barcino or Colonia Julia Augusta Faventia Paterna Barcino. Mela mentions it among the small towns of the district, probably as it was eclipsed by its neighbour Tarraco (modern Tarragona); but it may be gathered from later writers that it gradually grew in wealth and consequence, favoured as it was with a beautiful situation and an excellent harbour. It enjoyed immunity from imperial burdens. The city minted its own coins; some from the era of Galba survive.

Some important Roman ruins are exposed under the Plaça del Rei, entrance by the city museum (Museu d'Història de la Ciutat), and the typically Roman grid-planning is still visible today in the layout of the historical centre, the Barri Gòtic ("Gothic Quarter"). Some remaining fragments of the Roman walls have been incorporated into the cathedral. The cathedral, also known as basilica La Seu is said to have been founded in 343. The city was conquered by the Visigoths in the early fifth century, by the Moors in the early eighth century, reconquered in 801 by Charlemagne's son Louis who made Barcelona the seat of Carolingian "Spanish Marches" (Marca Hispanica), a buffer zone ruled by the Count of Barcelona.

The Counts of Barcelona became increasingly independent and expanded their territory to include all of Catalonia. In 1137, Aragon and the County of Barcelona merged by dynastic union by the marriage of Ramon Berenguer IV and Petronilla of Aragon and their titles were finally borne by only one person when their son Alfonso II of Aragon ascended to the throne in 1162. His territories were later to be known as the Crown of Aragon which conquered many overseas possessions, ruling the western Mediterranean Sea with outlying territories in Naples and Sicily and as far as Athens in the thirteenth century. The forging of a dynastic link between the Crowns of Aragon and Castile marked the beginning of Barcelona's decline.

During our stay in Barcelona we were lucky to stay in a wonderful guess house called Casa de Billy. Owned by an American and Mexican gay couple, it was a thoroughly fabulous place. From the time we arrived, Billy was a font of information and advise. He gave us a map of the city, showed us where all the interesting things to see were, and most hardily welcomed us. Our room, as you can see by the picture, was very comfortable and clean. If you ever find yourself in Barcelona be sure to stay with Billy and Joaquin.

I'm going to post a slideshow of the photos becuase there are over 300 pictures, and it would be incredibly time consuming to post all the photos individually. With that said, as the slideshow plays, click on any photo you want to see, and you'll be taken to my Picasa website. If you have any questions about the photos please leave a comment and I'll respond. Thanks, and enjoy!

Raging Apartment Fire

Across the street from us, an apartment burst into flames. Ok, maybe not an inferno, but it was certainly dramatic.

Ivan is Going Crazy

Here's a fun video of our little Jack Russell going crazy. I forgot that I shot this video, and the quality is not that great (it was done with my cell phone); it's still funny. :-)

Summer in Antwerp (Zomer van Antwerpen)

The "Summer in Antwerp" is a season long celebration of cultural events in Antwerp. There are programs of music, art and theater.

One of the events was some kind of artistic trapeze performance. The performance was entitled "The Angular Horizon" performed by a Chilean troupe of acrobats. The synopsis, as stated on the website, says:

A delicate structure consisting of four pylons is the support for a metal construction. At the height of eight metres six trapezes have been attached.

Up there - in the bottomless "twilight-zone" of possible human relations - six apparently shapeless "bodies" are thrown into a "frozen" world.

Resembling puppets on a string they hang in the air - without motion.

Gently they begin to breathe. Everything up there starts to breathe - all is one and the unity moves. It is of one sound and one movement.

Individuals start to peel themselves out of this something. They begin to live.

Aware of themselves they discover their own abilities, their boundaries and conditions. They try to escape.

But escape is impossible - they depend on each other - they discover each other. Within this limited habitat they develop skills, options of playing and moving that open up their world. They use their skills for fighting and later on for playing games. Playing the games makes them lose their world. A disconnection that blossoms in the strange conditions of the "twilight-zone" and allows the creation of its very own world .

A world in its own conditions, always above the abyss and united in the smallest of space, on a tiny metal bar held by two ropes.

To be 100% honest, both Jan and I found this performance way too esoteric and 'artsy'. I had no idea what the purpose of the piece was, or what the overall theme was. Here are some pictures and a video (neither is the best quality due to the time of day) that will give you some indication of the show.

Guantanamo in Belgium: Tunisians Face Extradition

By Andy Worthington
The Public Record

In the Obama administration’s campaign to persuade other countries to rehouse prisoners from Guantánamo who have been cleared for release, but who cannot be repatriated because of fears that they will be tortured if returned to their home countries, progress has been slow.

Why European nations are reluctant to accept cleared Guantánamo prisoners

Despite an apparent accord being reached on June 15, when the European Union and the United States made a joint statement in Luxembourg on the closure of Guantánamo, which, as the Guardian described it, “cleared the last hurdles for up to 50 Guantánamo detainees to be accommodated in EU countries,” no one has been released in Europe in the last two months, and the number of prisoners welcomed into any European countries since Obama came to office is just two: Binyam Mohamed, the British resident, notoriously subjected to “extraordinary rendition” and torture, whose release in February appears to have been designed (not entirely successfully) to fend off further legal challenges and embarrassing revelations regarding his treatment; and Lakhdar Boumediene, an Algerian cleared by a US judge in his habeas corpus hearing last November, who was resettled in France in May....(Remainder.)

Controversial Advert Uses the Word 'Flamand' as an Insult

By Le Soir
Expatia.com

The publicity campaign for the online operator Mobile Vikings uses the word for Flemish people, ‘les Flamands’ alongside adjectives such as ‘cretin’, ‘pig’ and ‘bimbo’ and ‘moron’.

The jury for ethical advertising has called for the company to withdraw its ten advertisements.

On Mobile Vikings posters and beer mats, slogans such as “Free, its for the morons” or “Free, its for the Flemish” can be found. In the north of the country, the word ‘Flamands’ is replaced by ‘Hollandais’.

“The advert is controversial, but Mobile Vikings is unlike other mobile operators”, explained Koen Delvaux, head of the company. “Our image is a little bit more daring and our adverts reflect this.”

The company have since agreed to remove the more offensive slogans. “We respect the decision of the jury, but it is a shame that a single complaint has the power to block a whole advertising campaign such as ours. We have only received one complaint from a person in the Wallon region who felt discriminated against”, Delvaux added....(Original.)

Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.

Unemployment Continues to Soar in Europe

By Renata Goldirova
EU Observer

Jobs in the European Union continued to disappear in June, with unemployment reaching a four-year high and putting extra pressure of the bloc's coffers to help laid-off workers back into employment.

According to fresh data released by the EU's statistics office, Eurostat, on Friday (31 July), some 21.5 million people - or 8.9 percent - were out of work in the 27-nation EU in June. The figure was 9.4 percent in the 16-member euro area - the highest in 10 years.

Spain, hit hard by the collapse of its construction sector, recorded the highest jobless rates at 18.1 percent, followed by Baltic States, Latvia (17.2 percent) and Estonia (17 percent).

On the other hand, labour markets in the Netherlands and Austria seem to be in the best shape. The two countries have just 3.3 percent and 4.4 percent unemployed respectively.

The European Commission has tried to put a positive spin on the new unemployment numbers, saying that the pace of job losses in the EU as a whole is slowing down.

Compared with May, the number of people unemployed increased by 246,000. "This is much less than monthly increases that we recorded in previous months," commission spokesperson Amelia Torres told journalists (31 July).

She added that "the peak appeared to had been reached in March" when unemployment went up by 646,000....(Remainder.)

Brussels, Atomium, Mini-Europe and Gwen's Visit

It has taken me a while to get around to finally doing this post. Why? I can't really say, as I've nothing to do all day. Ho, hum.

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Our good friend Gwen came to visit us from the Prague last month for an extended weekend. It was GREAT seeing her again, as we haven't had a chance to "hang out" since Bangkok. While Gwen was here we decided that it would be great fun to take a little day-trip to Brussels.

While in Brussels we wanted to do somethings that none of us had done before. Jan and I have been to Brussels more than a few times. We settled on going to see the 'Atomium' and 'Mini-Europe'. The weather was nice, for the most part. We did have a 20 minute downpour, but it in no way ruined our day. We began our journey at Antwerp Central Station, catching the train to Brussels Nord station. the journey from Antwerp is a quick 30 minute jaunt via rail, and before you know it you're in, what seems like, a totally different country. The overwhelming majority of people in Brussels speak French, eventhough Brussels is technically in Dutch speaking Flanders. That being said, all signs in Brussels are in Dutch and French, and occasionally English.

Brussels is a typical European capital city. There are buildings dating back to the 1300s juxtaposed against the modernity of the EU Parliment.

I will try to explain what is in all the pictures where I can. If I don't know, well you'll just have to make your best guess along with me. So sit back and enjoy part 1! (As always, click on the thumbnail for a larger image.)

Our journey begins in Antwerp Central Station:

Antwerp, and all of Belgium for that matter, is a cycling city. As you can see from all the bikes under the station, many people prefer this mode of transport.

Many people who fancy themselves "experts" where it comes to architecture, consider the main hall of Central station to be one of the nicest in the world. I would have to agree.

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Many people back in the States, when they hear the term "Red Light District" automatically think of the notorius and infamous district in Amsterdame. However, Brussels has its own "red light district". These pictures were taken of the "district," more of a run down street really, from the train as we were pulling into Brussels Nord Station.

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Atomium

The Atomium was built for 'Expo '58', the 1958 Brussels World's Fair. Designed by Andre Waterkeyn, the structure rises 335 feet above the parkland below. The nine steel spheres are connected so as to represent a unit cell of an iron chrystal magnified 165 billion times.

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Mini-Europe

Mini-Europe has the reproductions of the most attractive monuments in the European Union on show, at a scale of 1:25. Roughly 80 cities and 350 buildings are represented. The park is renowned for the quality of its models, some of which cost as much as €350,000 to make (the Brussels Grand-Place). The park contains numerous live action models (train, mills, eruption of Mount Vesuvius, Airbus, cable cars, etc. A guide gives the details on all the monuments. At the end of the visit, the “Spirit of Europe” exhibition gives an interactive overview of the European Union in the form of multimedia games. The park is built on an area of 24,000 m². The initial investment was of €10 million in 1989, on its inauguration by Prince Philip of Belgium.


The Berlaymont, European Commission Headquarters.


Here we have an oil tanker, the P&O Ferry that crosses the English Channel, and a Total North Sea oil derrick. Mmmmm, what's that I smell? Corporatism?


Yes, I'm a Viking, and I'll take over your village! *Insert evil laugh here*


Trelleborg, Denmark


This is a miniature of a gay cruise on the canals of Copenhagen. I'm not kidding. Look closely at the pictures, and you'll be able to pick it out.


Copenhagen, Denmark


The Exchange in Copenhagen, Denmark


Amsterdam, Holland


Not really 100% on where this is. I think it's the Netherlands.


The town hall in Maastricht, Netherlands.


Hoensbroek Castle, Hoensbroek, Netherlands.


Dolelenkade Houses in Hoorn, the Netherlands


City Hall in Stockholm, Sweden


Olavinlinna Castle in Finland


The Fat Margareta in Tallinn, Estonia.


The Monument to Freedom in Riga, Latvia.


The University of Vilnius, Vilnius, Lithuania.


Veves Castle in Celles, Belgium


The Curtius House in Leige, Belgium.


Our Lady of Dinant, Dinant, Belgium




Grote Markt, Brussels, Belgium.


The town hall in Antwerp, Belgium


The town hall in Leuven, Belgium


Some randomness from Belgium.


The Commandery in Alden Biesen, Belgium.


Jan is gonna save the queen, or something to that affect.




Houses of Parliament, London, United Kingdom.


Longleat House, Bath, United Kingdom. The Longleat House is the country estate of the Marquis of Bath.



The Circus, Bath, United Kingdom.


St. Patricks Rock, Cashel, Ireland.


P&O Channel ferry which runs from Calais, France to Dover, England.


Dover Castle, Dover, England


Eiffel Tower, Paris, France.


Centre du Pompidu, Paris, France.


Arc du Triumph, Paris, France.


Sacre-Coeur, Paris, France.


The Chapel of Notre Dame du Haut, Ronchamp, France.


Clos Vougeot Castle, France.


Well clearly it's a port. Where? I'm not sure.


Castle of Chenonceaux, France


This is supposed to be a representation of the Chunnel (Channel Tunnel).


The Ocean Pavillion, Lisbon, Portugal.


Torre de Belem, Lisbon, Portugal.


Cais da Ribeira, Porto, Portugal.




El Escorial, Madrid, Spain.




Plaza de Toros, Seville, Spain


Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.




Campanile, aka "The Leaning Tower," Pisa, Italy. Also the obligitory holding up the tower shot. Also pictures, Piazza del Duomo.


Alberobello, Italy.


Palazzo Publico in the Piazza del Campo, Sienna, Italy. Just a note, the Atomium in the background is the real thing.


Palazzo Ducale, Venice, Italy.


Villa Rotunda, Venice, Italy


Holstentor, Lübeck, Germany




Brandenburg Gate & the Berlin Wall, Berlin, Germany.


Spire Cathedral, Spire, Germany.


Eltz Castle, Eltz, Germany


Porta Nigra, Trier, Germany


Artus Court, Gdansk, Poland.


Three Crosses (Memorial to Fallen Shipyard Workers), Gdansk, Poland




Astronomical Clock, Prague, Czech Republic.


The Blue Church, Bratislava, Slovakia


Ljubijana, Slovenia




The Szechenyi baths, Budapest, Hungary.


Monastary of Rila, Bulgaria


Melk, Austria


Temple of Mnajdra, Malta.


Kourion Theater, Limassol, Cyprus.


The Acropolis, Athens, Greece

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Along the tram route heading from Atomium back to Brussels, there is some pretty impressive "graphiti." I would tend to think of this more as art, as it was fully authorized by Brussels.