Itinera Institute - Press releases

Energy Transition: fast track to a greener system?

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Can we radically change the global energy system? What tools do we have available for this purpose? Which results will we achieve if we mobilise forces worldwide in order to meet the transition goals? What lessons can be learned from the most complete technological studies? Does the current policy in the western world comply with these lessons?

Sick Funds: new roles in the long run?

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0100

François Daue explores a couple of ideas on possible new roles for the sick funds, to ensure a sustainable, accessible and affordable health system.

Obesity, at what price?

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0100

In the United States, one out of three adults is obese (BMI>30) and another third of the adult population is overweight (BMI>25). In Belgium, almost half of the adult population is either overweight or obese, compared to one out of five children. The healthcare costs for obesity are rising spectacularly. Obesity represents 10% of the American healthcare expenses or 1,6% of GDP. Budgetary obesity is more important than ageing, and until 2022 that will not change. Obesity is a difficult issue for policy makers. Given that obesity is mainly the consequence of technological developments; a policy that focuses on the food component only is doomed to fail. Experiments with local communities show that programs that intensively promote a healthy lifestyle (healthy food, a lot of physical exercise) can yield encouraging results. The cost of these campaigns could be financed by typical obesity taxes, such as a soft drink tax.

The state of the union is unsufficient!

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0100

The Van Rompuy government did the absolute minimum where the budget is concerned.This is not enough. The government. misses long term vision and political courage to achieve structural reform.

Budgetary priorities 2009: Let's get real!

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0100

In order to give the next generation a fair chance, it's time to get real.The Itinera Institute sends a clear message:let's do it right!

The day after: what are the regional policy priorities for 2009-2014?

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:00:00 +0100

The regional elections of 2009 should be a turning point. Due to the economic crisis, the budgetary crisis and the institutional crisis, Belgian’s regions are faced with new responsibilities. Now that the votes are counted, the multitude of electoral promises can make way for the reality of negotiations. The Itinera Institute determined 7 regional policy priorities and formulated concrete proposals.

Wy there are so few woman in science

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 12:00:00 +0100

The number of female IT specialists, scientists and engineers remains low. The Itinera Institute offers a platform to Carl Van Keirsbilck, who studied the causes, and formulates clear recommendations towards government and education.

New Years Memo 2009: Press Release

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:00:00 +0100

The Itinera Institute presents it's NEW YEAR's MEMO 2009, our vision of the policy priorities for the Van Rompuy I Government.We stress the importance of the current legislation, and formulate a list of recommendations for bold, proactive policy choises.

The future of Healthcare: diagnosis and remedies

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 12:00:00 +0100

The Itinera Institute is proud to present it's new book:"The future of Health Care: dariong the diagnosis & treaments" The Belgian Healthcare system possesses numerous assets, but is also seriously threatened by the new challenges of the 21st century.Even if these challenges are numerous,it is not too late to act. But if we do not react on time, we won’t be able to continue to assure the access to care, its quality, while mastering its costs. To guarantee the future of our healthcare system, we suggest a set of concrete and innovative actions for a sustainable system.

Beyond Copernicus: From Confusion to Consensus?: a scenario for an improved public sector

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0100

The 2000 Copernicus reform has faded away before flourishing. Belgium has the highest public spending and public employment in the OECD and still the relative quality and quantity of public services remain disappointing. With so many challenges ahead such as globalisation, population aging, the race for talents, the digital revolution, it is urgent to send a wake-up call for a government that is steering and not rowing. Jean Hindriks makes the diagnosis and suggests several “quick wins”.

Slender, obese or unconstrained? An analysis of public employment in Belgium between 2001 and 2007

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 12:00:00 +0100

Public employment did grow by 11.75% in Belgium while the growth of total employment was 6.1%. In Flanders, public employment is bigger than inFlanders How sustainable is this evolution?'

Exceptionally gifted children: A potential to be exploited in Belgium

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 12:00:00 +0100

At the moment, the attention paid to the wasted talents that are the exceptionally gifted children who got through the stitches of the net increases slightly. However, it is still very likely that a large number of them will drop out somehow during the school year 2008-2009. In this report, we develop solutions proposals which rest on a systematic and premature detection. We demonstrate besides that such an investment is profitable on the short run and that there is thus no place for delay on this topic. Even in period of budgetary illness.

Ivan Van de Cloot joins Itinera Institute as Chief Economist

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 12:00:00 +0100

Ivan Van de Cloot, the famous economist who comments regularly on the socioeconomic developments of Belgium, in the press and in diverse publications, has joined the Itinera Institute as chief economist.

Repensons nos pensions

Fri, 30 May 2008 12:00:00 +0100

This Press release is only available in French and Dutch.

How healthy is the Belgian healthcare system?

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 12:00:00 +0100

This Press release is only available in French and Dutch.

'My car, my fiscal contribution'

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 12:00:00 +0100

Not only visitors of the European Motor Show in Brussels but also the Belgian fisc is fond of cars. At the occasion of this two-yearly mass for car lovers, critics point towards unnecessarily powerful engines, the SUV-hype or the 'green propaganda' of the car industry. As a symbol of consumer society, cars are indeed important vehicles of fiscal solidarity. This explains why a radical reform of automobile taxation based upon use instead of power is not on the agenda.

Climate relativism

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 12:00:00 +0100

The future climate change seems the ultimate international theme today. This is the result of a succesful but selective communication strategy. Selectivity however comes at a price. The popular climate story neglects for example the end of the era of cheap fossile energy. A radical change of our energy system - an energy transition - is unavoidable. This transition can generate economic growth and ecological benefits if the government creates a stimulating environment for entrepreneurship in the field of intelligent energy technologies.

Richer but less equal? Is the recent rise in revenue inequalities a statistical construction?

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 12:00:00 +0100

Revenues inequalities are rising in Belgium. This finding is frequently coupled to globalization and the evolution through a knowledge economy in popular media. Is everything said or are there alternative explanations possible?

The report “Richer but less equal. Is the recent raise in revenue inequalities a statistical construction?” concludes that the rise in revenues inequalities seems mainly due to a strong social and fiscal dynamic. Given that the number of fiscal declaration continues rising in Belgium, revenues inequalities based on the Gini coefficient will continue rising without taking into account the classical corrections such as activation programs, bigger benefits or more fiscal progressiveness.

Are the Belgian universities threatened?

Tue, 09 Oct 2007 12:00:00 +0100

The start of the academic year was characterized by the publication of many universities ranking across the world underlying the weak position of Belgian universities. What is the real meaning of these rankings? Jean Hindriks and the Itinera Institute comment on the existing rankings and give perspectives in favour of an investment policy into Belgian universities.

Healthcare and mobility: two priorities for the next federal government

Thu, 16 Aug 2007 12:00:00 +0100

From Job Security to Employment Security on the Belgian labour Market.

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 12:00:00 +0100

Is Denmark the European Employment Champion?

Thu, 07 Dec 2006 12:00:00 +0100

With an official unemployment rate of 4.2%, Denmark apparently performs better than European growth champion Ireland. The low Danish unemployment figure is an essential part of the hyped 'Scandinavian Model'. When we however consider the number of participants in labour market programs as well as people in early retirement schemes, the real unemployment or inactivity in Denmark increases to 15%het ‘Scandinavische model’.

The Ranking of Local Government in Flanders and Wallonia

Fri, 22 Sep 2006 12:00:00 +0100

Belgium is on the eve of local elections. A citizen’s vote is often influenced by subjective factors whilst not being influenced by all objective factors. Moreover, at local level it is often difficult for the electorate to compare the performances of different cities or towns. The Itinera Institute offers a ranking which compares the performances of cities and towns through a string of objective parameters.

Supreme Belgium?

Fri, 04 Aug 2006 12:00:00 +0100

Belgian public opinion has recently been bombarded with victory declarations on the Belgian economy and employment. Marc De Vos and Jean Hindriks explain that the current growth figures appear to be more cyclical than structural. They offer little guarantee for the future and therefore cannot be an alibi to postpone necessary structural reforms. Read press release in French or Dutch.

The National Lottery As a Redistribution Mechanism: Who Are the Real Winners?

Thu, 01 Jun 2006 12:00:00 +0100

The Belgian government seeks to reform the National Lottery to ensure that “more people win more”. This charm offensive is associated with the socalled social image of the Lotto. However, in reality the impact of a national lottery is far from social. This Nota examines the adverse and antisocial effects of national lotteries and gambling.

Competitiveness: the Ultimate Economic Theme for 2006?

Fri, 19 May 2006 12:00:00 +0100

The competitiveness of the Belgian economy seems to be endangered. To safeguard our international competitiveness, the social partners want to elaborate control mechanisms securing that the evolution of the Belgian wage cost resembles the trends in our neighboring countries. This particular wage cost policy will probably not impact the Belgian unemployment rate of 12.3% because our fiscal system continues to price labor out of the market, and this observation also holds for labor that is not exposed to international competition. Our future welfare level will be determined by the successful integration in our economy of economically non-active groups and of the evolution of labor productivity. Therefore we need fundamental reforms. The focus on industrial wages in our neighboring countries risks crowding out concerns for essential reforms.

Launch of the Itinera Institute

Mon, 13 Mar 2006 12:00:00 +0100

The 13th of March 2006 will see the official launch of the Itinera Institute.

The Itinera Institute is a truly independent, professional and non-partisan think-tank that seeks to identify roads to policy reform that ensure sustained economic growth and social protection in this part of the world.