The full text:

In this collective complaint, ClientEarth submits that Belgium has violated Article 11(1) and (3) of the Revised European Social Charter (the Charter) due to its failure to protect its population from the serious health impacts associated with exposure to Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) pollution. Additionally, ClientEarth submits that Belgium is in violation of Article 11(2) of the Charter, because it has failed to provide appropriate health education and information on the health risks associated with PFAS.

I suppose a private company can do what they want and perhaps fair enough if they don’t want mail from me.

But I was recently told by a government office that they do not accept mail from individuals. Only companies. They said: use bPost. This means paying for slower delivery. I can deliver a letter the same day I write it and it costs me nothing. It’s obviously an injustice to be forced by a government to spend money to hire a company with delivery competency issues -- who takes a week to move a letter 100m away if you are lucky enough to have a successful delivery.

Some gov offices will accept delivery from an individual but will not sign for it.

I recently encountered an mailbox for a company that was behind a locked door. This is common in some parts of Germany. The postal service gets exclusive access to the lobby with mailboxes.

cross-posted from: https://belgae.social/post/2106698

They put the registered letter (recommendee) slip in your box without buzzing now. And if you catch them, they don‘t even bother carrying the letter with them. So even if you are home, you have to go to bPost the next day to pick it up.

Is this legal? Don’t they have to at least make one delivery attempt?

They put the registered letter (recommendee) slip in your box without buzzing now. And if you catch them, they don‘t even bother carrying the letter with them. So even if you are home, you have to go to bPost the next day to pick it up.

Is this legal? Don’t they have to at least make one delivery attempt?

cross-posted from: https://belgae.social/post/2046140

What’s the point of allowing money to expire? If you buy a top-up for a GSM account, what legit reason could there be for allowing carriers to screw over consumers on such an arbitrary basis? Indeed, if you buy phone credit in Belgium, it expires. I just bought a top-up card that had already expired because I did not notice the expiration date in tiny print.

Interesting to notice that some US states have banned gift cards that expire.

I cross-post this in [email protected] with a question: do any member states ban expiring gift cards?

cross-posted from: https://belgae.social/post/2046140

What’s the point of allowing money to expire? If you buy a top-up for a GSM account, what legit reason could there be for allowing carriers to screw over consumers on such an arbitrary basis? Indeed, if you buy phone credit in Belgium, it expires. I just bought a top-up card that had already expired because I did not notice the expiration date in tiny print.

Interesting to notice that some US states have banned gift cards that expire.

What’s the point of allowing money to expire? If you buy a top-up for a GSM account, what legit reason could there be for allowing carriers to screw over consumers on such an arbitrary basis? Indeed, if you buy phone credit in Belgium, it expires. I just bought a top-up card that had already expired because I did not notice the expiration date in tiny print.

Interesting to notice that some US states have banned gift cards that expire.

cross-posted from: https://belgae.social/post/2039832

I need a round nose/cove or ball router bit, ø22mm with 8mm shank. I have checked these places:

• CIPAC (only has CMT Orange tools). Over €60 to order a single CMT bit.
• Lecot (only has CMT Orange tools and a Bosch kit). Over €60 to order a single CMT bit.
• Clabots Tools (only has CMT Orange tools and a Bosch kit).
• BMK (only has ENT bits and some Bosch kits). Over €60 to order a single ENT bit.
• Djoser: (only has a Dewalt kit)

Indeed there is a pattern. The kits never include this bit. And the diy shops are useless:

• Brico: even the big ones have only a tiny selection of router bits. A kit by Base and another small kit.
• Hubo: small kit by Kreator (IIRC)

Klein and Fraiser also make bits of the same geometry bit but no shop in Brussels seems to carry it.

Amazon has the bit I need and it’s /cheap/. A kit of 4-9 bits goes for 20-30. But if we boycott US tech giants like Amazon and Clouldflare, we are fucked.

Or am I missing something?

I need a round nose/cove or ball router bit, ø22mm with 8mm shank. I have checked these places:

• CIPAC (only has CMT Orange tools). Over €60 to order a single CMT bit.
• Lecot (only has CMT Orange tools and a Bosch kit). Over €60 to order a single CMT bit.
• Clabots Tools (only has CMT Orange tools and a Bosch kit).
• BMK (only has ENT bits and some Bosch kits). Over €60 to order a single ENT bit.
• Djoser: (only has a Dewalt kit)

Indeed there is a pattern. The kits never include this bit. And the diy shops are useless:

• Brico: even the big ones have only a tiny selection of router bits. A kit by Base and another small kit.
• Hubo: small kit by Kreator (IIRC)

Klein and Fraiser also make bits of the same geometry bit but no shop in Brussels seems to carry it.

Amazon has the bit I need and it’s /cheap/. A kit of 4-9 bits goes for 20-30. But if we boycott US tech giants like Amazon and Clouldflare, we are fucked.

Or am I missing something?

I’m most bummed out about not knowing about it, so I missed the big (80% off?) liquidation.

Is there is a way to be informed about shops that are liquidating without being in the social networks of surveillance advertisers like Facebook?

ATM machines outside Belgium often have a balance check option, or they at least give your account/credit balance on the receipt when making a withdrawal. It does not matter if the ATM operator has ties to the card issuer.

Belgian ATMs never have this capability. I have checked all except ATMs by the Betopin cartel. I never use ATMs by a cartel. Has anyone noticed wither Betopin machines give balance info?

I would like to take a cheap day trip to another country. The destination does not matter but the route must go through Antwerp’s south station. I need to hop off there for a visit before continuing on.

I recall an EU rule that if a train ticket crosses a national border, then passengers have an automatic right to get off the train at any stop along the way and hang out before continuing on the same route with another train.

Of course I can buy a ticket to Antwerp South and then buy a separate ticket elsewhere, like Rotterdam for example. But that costs more. In principle it should be possible to specify origin and a “via” waypoint, and not specify the ultimate destination. I want to be told what destinations naturally happen to traverse Antwerp South.

Are there any search tools that can handle this?

Normally Jam broadcasts on DAB 187.072 MHz. It has been dead for weeks now, as well as a few other stations like Victoria and Radio Onda. What happened?

The rumor is that domainepublic.net treats Microsoft’s mail server with the same reciprocity of Microsoft’s treatment of other mail servers and thus blocks MS.

IIRC, small email services are forced to solve a CAPTCHA to prove to MS that their server has a human administrator before the server can connect to MS’s server. Is that true?

Can anyone confirm or deny the rumor as well as whether MS forces other ESPs to solve CAPTCHAs? I would be quite interested in having an email account that blocks MS until an MS admin solves a CAPTCHA (which I assume would not happen).

The rumor is that domainepublic.net treats Microsoft’s mail server with the same reciprocity of Microsoft’s treatment of other mail servers and thus effectively blocks MS.

IIRC, small email services are forced to solve a CAPTCHA to prove to MS that their server has a human administrator before the server can connect to MS’s server. Is that true?

Can anyone confirm or deny the rumor as well as whether MS forces other ESPs to solve CAPTCHAs? I would be quite interested in having an email account that blocks MS until an MS admin solves a CAPTCHA (which I assume would not happen).

cross-posted from: https://belgae.social/post/1726366

Article 41 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (CFREU) entitles people to “good administration”. What does that mean exactly -- you might ask. It is up to every administration to define what that means. The EU has their own “European Code of Good Administrative Behaviour” but that is just for EU agencies (i.e. excluding member states).

Belgium has a standards of good administrative behaviour just for Belgian administrations at the federal level.

I see that Germany answered a survey about good administration. It’a a good sign. But what do they have? A German agency ignored my request for standards of good administration that they are expected to adhere to. Ignoring that request in itself likely undermines the right to good administration.

So, my question: can anyone point to a code of good administrative conduct for German administrations? Preferably in English if it exists but of course I would be satisfied with German if needed.

cross-posted from: https://belgae.social/post/1726366

Article 41 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (CFREU) entitles people to “good administration”. What does that mean exactly -- you might ask. It is up to every administration to define what that means. The EU has their own “European Code of Good Administrative Behaviour” but that is just for EU agencies (i.e. excluding member states).

Belgium has a standards of good administrative behaviour just for Belgian administrations at the federal level.

I see that Germany answered a survey about good administration. It’a a good sign. But what do they have? A German agency ignored my request for standards of good administration that they are expected to adhere to. Ignoring that request in itself likely undermines the right to good administration.

So, my question: can anyone point to a code of good administrative conduct for German administrations? Preferably in English if it exists but of course I would be satisfied with German if needed.

Article 41 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (CFREU) entitles people to “good administration”. What does that mean exactly -- you might ask. It is up to every administration to define what that means. The EU has their own “European Code of Good Administrative Behaviour” but that is just for EU agencies (i.e. excluding member states).

Belgium has a standards of good administrative behaviour just for Belgian administrations at the federal level.

I see that Germany answered a survey about good administration. It’a a good sign. But what do they have? A German agency ignored my request for standards of good administration that they are expected to adhere to. Ignoring that request in itself likely undermines the right to good administration.

So, my question: can anyone point to a code of good administrative conduct for German administrations? Preferably in English if it exists but of course I would be satisfied with German if needed.

cross-posted from: https://belgae.social/post/1544695

SNCB has a discount club called “Train+”. Membership gives discounted prices on off-peak travel. Found this in the terms and conditions:

1. Reimbursement of Train+

• Refund is possible if you have become Train+ via sncb.be or in the SNCB app, and provided you have not yet used Train+. The refund application must be submitted in writing to the Customer Service within 14 calendar days of purchase.
• In any other case, Train+ is not refundable.

:::spoiler (Original French text) 9. Remboursement de Train+

• Le remboursement est possible si vous êtes devenu Train+ via sncb.be ou dans l’app SNCB, et à condition de ne pas encore avoir utilisé Train+. La demande de remboursement doit être introduite par écrit au Service Clientèle endéans les 14 jours calendaires suivant l’achat.
• Dans tout autre cas, Train+ n’est pas remboursable. :::

The app is exclusively limited to people with smartphones and a will to lick the boots of either Google or Apple. The website is also exclusive due to shitty anti-bot challenges and deceptive gatekeeping (e.g. Tor users perpetually get a false error msg: “website under maintenance”).

Is it legal?

EU Regulation 2021⧸782 has this:

“In light of the development of online platforms selling passenger transport tickets, Member States should pay special attention to ensuring that no discrimination occurs during the process of accessing online interfaces or purchasing tickets.”

That is written in a recital, not an enactment. So IIUC it has no force. It’s merely the sentiment of the lawmakers.

SNCB has converted into a privatised profit-driven corporation that no longer receives government subsidies (supposedly). There is apparently less pressure on them to be fair and free from various forms of discrimination, so they can take the piss. It’s all about the bottom line.

SNCB has a discount club called “Train+”. Membership gives discounted prices on off-peak travel. Found this in the terms and conditions:

1. Reimbursement of Train+

• Refund is possible if you have become Train+ via sncb.be or in the SNCB app, and provided you have not yet used Train+. The refund application must be submitted in writing to the Customer Service within 14 calendar days of purchase.
• In any other case, Train+ is not refundable.

:::spoiler (Original French text) 9. Remboursement de Train+

• Le remboursement est possible si vous êtes devenu Train+ via sncb.be ou dans l’app SNCB, et à condition de ne pas encore avoir utilisé Train+. La demande de remboursement doit être introduite par écrit au Service Clientèle endéans les 14 jours calendaires suivant l’achat.
• Dans tout autre cas, Train+ n’est pas remboursable. :::

The app is exclusively limited to people with smartphones and a will to lick the boots of either Google or Apple. The website is also exclusive due to shitty anti-bot challenges and deceptive gatekeeping (e.g. Tor users perpetually get a false error msg: “website under maintenance”).

Is it legal?

EU Regulation 2021⧸782 has this:

“In light of the development of online platforms selling passenger transport tickets, Member States should pay special attention to ensuring that no discrimination occurs during the process of accessing online interfaces or purchasing tickets.”

That is written in a recital, not an enactment. So IIUC it has no force. It’s merely the sentiment of the lawmakers.

SNCB has converted into a privatised profit-driven corporation that no longer receives government subsidies (supposedly). There is apparently less pressure on them to be fair and free from various forms of discrimination, so they can take the piss. It’s all about the bottom line.