BRUSSELS – The night flight controversy in Belgiumis set to continue despite Wednesday’s government agreement on implementing Transport Minister Bert Anciaux’s plan of spreading flights across certain suburbs.

The Brussels government remains opposed to the idea, with Brussels Minister for the Environment Didier Gosuin and premier Daniel Ducarme announcing new plans to reduce noise levels to the World Health Organisation norms by putting a complete stop to night flights.

Anciaux has insisted however that the agreement concluded this week would nevertheless be implemented, and that the Brussels government had yet to deliver a coherent decision on stricter noise regulations.

The issue of francophone communes being victim to less noise than their Flemish neighbours has dogged both this administration and the previous rainbow coalition.

Under an earlier agreement, flights had been concentrated above the Flemish area northwest of Brussels, leading local residents to take the matter to court because of excessive noise levels. 

The court ordered that all flights should be spread fairly across the entire area and imposed a daily fine of EUR 50,000 if its decision was not implemented.  

[Copyright Expatica News 2003]

Subject: Belgian news