Belgium

This information will be updated periodically but it also includes some materials, for example the dual circulation periods, which are no longer relevant but have been retained for reference purposes. The date that this information was last updated is at the bottom of the page.

Belgian Government euro web site:
www.euro.fgov.be (EN pages)

Pricing

Banking

Business Preparations

Public Sector

General Public

Information Activities

Other Links and Sources

Pricing

Consumer Prices
The following table shows the annual percentage change on the same month in the previous year.

*on previous year

Source: HICP

Banking

National currency can be exchanged at retail banks at no limit until 28 February 2002 and notes and coin by deposit until 31 December 2002. Belgian franc notes can be exchanged for euros at national bank branches indefinitely, and Belgian franc coin until end 2004.

Central bank at:
www.bnb.be

Belgian Bankers' Association at:
www.abb-bvb.be/euro/

Business Preparations

The percentage of SMEs who had changed over to euro on 1 January 2002 for:

	accounting systems	98 per cent
	prices	98 per cent
	invoicing	99 per cent
	computer systems and IT	89 per cent

Overall SMEs considered that the changeover to the euro:

	had been easier or much easier than they planned	32 per cent
	proceeded as they planned	62 per cent
	had been more difficult than expected	6 per cent

14 per cent of SME's had encountered practical difficulties when changing over to the euro.

When converting prices from national currency to the euro the percentage of SMEs who had:

	converted prices some upwards and some downwards	20 per cent
	converted prices on a neutral basis	70 per cent
	converted prices upwards	6 per cent
	converted prices downwards	2 per cent

EB Eurobarometer Survey EB122

Federation of Belgian Companies at:
www.vbo-feb.be

Website aimed at helping SME's and other businesses to prepare www.eurochallenger.be

Public sector

Legislation: Three laws were published in July 2000 relating to the rounding of public amounts converted to euros, decimalisation necessary for public sector computer software and price displays on measurement devices. A first set of twenty four decrees implementing these laws was published in August 2000, followed by a further sixteen decrees signed on 13 July 2001 and published in August 2001. Conversions made were generally to the benefit of the general public.

General Public

	86 per cent felt that the introduction of the euro went well or fairly well.
	83 per cent felt that the changeover to the euro went without any difficulties or with some temporary difficulties for them personally and 80 per cent for everyone.
	50 per cent said that they found it easy to remember prices in euro, 48 per cent compare prices in euro and 63 per cent to understand bills in euro.
	91 per cent thought that dual pricing of goods was essential or fairly useful.
	For dual pricing in shops:

	12 per cent thought that prices when converted to euro had either not been rounded or had been rounded down.
	When asked which organisations had helped the most.
	44 per cent thought the media
	38 per cent thought shops and other retailers
	46 per cent thought the banks
	14 per cent thought consumer or other representative groups
	36 per cent thought family and friends

Information Activities

Other Links and Sources

European Commission:
www.europa.eu.int/index_en.htm (all EU languages for most documents)

European Central Bank:
www.ecb.int (All EU languages for most documents)

Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Embassy site:
www.british-embassy.be/

For information for travellers, including business travellers, click here to see the joint FCO/HMT/DTI Government leaflet "Euro notes and coins and how they will affect you" on this site.

Sources:

ECSR European Commission Second Report: 10 October 2001
Second report on the preparations for the introduction of euro notes and coins
EB Eurobarometer survey E121 January 2002
http://europa.eu.int/euro/html/dossiers/00716/00716-en.pdf
HICP. Harmonised Indices of Consumer Prices. Eurostat February 2002.
http://europa.eu.int/comm/eurostat/
EB Special Eurobarometer 171- May 2002 http://europa.eu.int/comm/public_opinion/archives/eb/ebs_171_tables_en.pdf