- The Council of State has approved amendments to the government’s asteroid mining bill. The council, the country’s quasi-upper legislative body, had expressed concerns about the feasibility of the space resources legislation, forcing Étienne Schneider, the LSAP deputy prime minister, to submit a revised draft. Bill 7093 is expected to face a final vote in the Chamber of Deputies shortly.
- Doctena, the medical appointment booking site, has acquired Sanmax, which offers appointments for roughly 3,500 doctors in Belgium. Doctena already provided booking services for 9,000 doctors in Luxembourg, Germany and Switzerland.
- Parliament has approved a law that would reduce the rate of state aid for continued professional training, from 20% to 15%.
- Camille Seillès has been named secretary general of the banking trade group ABBL.
- Eight firms have been approved to participate in the government’s short-time working scheme in July.
Étienne Schneider’s space mining law is expected to receive a final parliamentary vote soon, after the Council of State accepted revisions to the bill. Schneider is pictured here speaking at the Chamber of Deputies on 26 April 2017. Photo: Chambre des Députés