This study documents self-selection on human capital for Ukrainian refugees. We compare the socio-demographic characteristics of a representative sample of Ukrainian refugees who registered in Belgium in the fall of 2022 with those of the Ukrainian population before the war. Contrarily to...

This paper is an institutional study of the patent systems of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and its successor states Belgium and the Netherlands in the nineteenth century. The patent law of 1817 gave the state wide discretion to accept or refuse patents and to customise their duration,...

Regional mobility is crucial for addressing labour shortages, as jobseekers from one region may fill vacancies in another region with few local candidates. However, this requires a willingness amongst employers to consider candidates from across regional borders. This study examines the...

This unique insight into the corporate investment in Belgium examines companies' finance needs and the constraints they face. The 2024 edition also provides insight into the pressing issues facing firms, such as climate change, high energy costs and the green transition. The survey, which has...

The VAT Gap represents the difference between expected VAT revenues and those actually collected, reflecting compliance challenges, policy inefficiencies, and enforcement gaps. As part of the European Commission's ongoing efforts to improve VAT compliance and revenue collection, these 27 country...

This report is an analysis of the labour market in the cross-border territory at the Flemish-Dutch border, in particular the geographical territory of the EURES network Scheldemond, that was established in 2003 and officially came to an end in 2023. The territory comprises the Belgian Provinces...

Global catches of sole species reached 20.779 tonnes in 20221, consisting almost entirely of the common sole. Catches decreased by 43% compared to 2013. In 2022, the EU accounted for 66% of total catches with the Netherlands, France and Belgium as the main producing countries. Main non-EU...

In 2023, Belgium's score on the World Bank's Government Effectiveness Index increased to 1.23, compared to a pre‑COVID‑19 score of 1.11 in 2019. The score has now almost returned to the 2017 level (1.24). Belgium also gained two places in the ranking of European Union (EU) Member States,...