Belgium

‘Pro bono legal advice is a part of every Belgian lawyers’ training, and we are proud of our work particularly at an EU level, which has helped to progress the rights of children abducted by a parent, and of pensioners who retire in a different member state. Our work in a local school has also been a key feature of our community and pro bono programme. We look forward to these and our wider social and environmental programme going from strength to strength.’
Thomas Janssens, partner responsible for CSR in Brussels

The Brussels office, together with associates from other offices around the network in the EU, is involved in a pro bono project to assist the European Citizen Action Service (ECAS) in defending European citizens’ rights. ECAS provides European citizens with information on their rights when they move within the EU and helps them solve problems where their rights are not respected.

Working to support abducted children

We have been working with ECAS on a number of projects. A team has been working with Parents and Children Together on a project to help parents whose children have been abducted by their ex-partners, typically when a marriage between two people of different nationalities breaks up and one parent takes the child back to their home state without the consent of the other.

The team has been looking into possible remedies for parents who have been separated from their children, presenting the results in a report that examines the legal position of abducted children and their parents. European lawmakers are currently campaigning for EU legislation addressing the problem of cross-border abduction and the report has proved persuasive.

EU cross-border pension rights

In addition to our work on child abduction across member states of the EU, we have been involved with ECAS in assisting pensioners who retire in a different member state to their home country so that they are not disadvantaged through reductions in their pension rights as a result of exercising their free movement rights. This has involved liaison with the European Parliament and potential legal proceedings.

EU citizens’ rights

We have also participated in several conferences to raise awareness of the issues concerned and to contribute to progressing EU citizens’ rights. Themes have included legal developments in citizens’ rights, the enforcement of citizens’ rights and workers’ mobility. For example, in July 2007, the Brussels office hosted the three-day International Commission of Jurists Eminent Jurists Panel on Terrorism, Counter-terrorism and Human Rights.

Our Brussels office recently became involved in the new pro bono roundtable designed to encourage and promote more pro bono work.

Working in a local school

Volunteers from the Brussels office also visit a local school, Ecole Sainte Marie in Saint Gilles, twice a week to participate in a reading programme with pupils aged between two and four years old. Many of the children are from disadvantaged areas, and books and reading do not play a regular part in their day-to-day home lives. The Brussels office has been participating in this programme for a number of years.

We have organised other initiatives with this school, including donating second-hand books and toys last Christmas and collecting to help fund summer day trips for the pupils. The office has also donated €12,000 worth of computer equipment to schools in Brussels.

Community Challenge

As part of our first firm-wide community and pro bono initiative, Community Challenge 2007, our Brussels office organised a challenge at Ecole Sainte Marie. Volunteers took part in a day trip to a farm with 60 of the youngest children (three to five years old), as they rarely have enough adults to help take care of them on school trips.