Eléonore Simonet strengthens the Supplementary Pension for Self-Employed Workers (PLCI) On a proposal by the Minister for Self-Employed Workers and SMEs, Eléonore SIMONET, Parliament voted this Thursday in plenary session on a reform of the Supplementary Pension for Self-Employed Workers... Federal Pensions Self-employed and SMEs 16 Jul 2026
Shops will be able to open 7 days a week and until 9pm On a proposal by the Minister for SMEs, Self-Employed Workers and the Middle Classes, Eléonore SIMONET, Parliament approved this Thursday in plenary session the abolition of the compulsory weekly clos... Federal Press releases Self-employed and SMEs 16 Jul 2026
Democratisation of the structures of the Order of Architects and optimisation of its functioning On a proposal by the Minister for the Self-Employed, Eléonore SIMONET, Parliament approved a bill this Thursday in plenary session aimed at greater democratisation of the structures of the Order of Ar... Federal Press releases Self-employed and SMEs 16 Jul 2026
A new law makes Defence the engine of innovation This legal framework lays the foundations for long-term investment in innovation, research and production. The federal Government is backing its defence industry and fully committing to innovation. It... Defence Federal Industry Press releases 14 Jul 2026
David Clarinval and Eléonore Simonet extend the minimum validity period of gift vouchers Who hasn't found a forgotten gift voucher at the bottom of a drawer, only to discover it had already expired? This frustrating situation is experienced every year by many consumers, who thereby lose p... Federal In the media Taxation and economy 10 Jul 2026
New tools to track trade tariffs between Belgium and the United States David Clarinval, Minister for the Economy, and Eléonore Simonet, Minister for the Middle Classes, Self-Employed and SMEs, present two initiatives designed to strengthen information for Belgian compani... Europe and international affairs Federal Press releases Self-employed and SMEs 3 Jul 2026
Maternity leave for self-employed women now aligned with that of employees: the end of unequal treatment Since 1 st July, maternity leave for self-employed women has increased from 12 to 15 weeks for those who wish it. If they want, they can now benefit from the same leave duration as employees. Previous... Equal opportunities Federal Self-employed and SMEs 1 Jul 2026
Business creation: +28% in Wallonia, the MR's reforms are paying off The figures speak for themselves: thanks to the MR's momentum, Wallonia is seeing a sharp rise in business creation. In the first quarter of 2026, 7,430 new companies were founded, a 28% increase comp... Administrative simplification Federal Self-employed and SMEs Wallonia 16 Jun 2026
Eléonore Simonet on Bel RTL: cutting spending rather than raising taxes A guest on Bel RTL this week, the Minister for the Self-Employed and SMEs Eléonore Simonet reaffirmed the need to put public finances back on a sound footing, while opposing any tax increase. Respondi... Budget Federal In the media Pensions 4 Jun 2026
“ I’m improving my Dutch by listening to Joe FM ” Eléonore Simonet guest on Joe FM The Federal Minister for the Self-Employed, SMEs and the Middle Classes, Eléonore Simonet, was recently a guest on the Joe FM morning show alongside Sven Ornelis and Anke Buckinx. This segment was als... Federal Media Press releases 3 Jun 2026
Eléonore SIMONET: “Within the working population, more than 1 in 5 people is self-employed” 2025 confirms the central role of the self-employed in the Belgian economy. This is shown by INASTI figures. On 31 December 2025, their number reached 1,327,994 (851,412 men and 476,582 women), a rise... Federal Self-employed and SMEs 19 May 2026
End of an obstacle to women's participation in societal engagement The Minister for the Self-Employed and SMEs, Eléonore SIMONET, has decided to abolish the current ban on combining maternity leave with holding a local political mandate and other forms of volunteerin... Equal opportunities Federal Self-employed and SMEs 8 May 2026
