​CategoriesCategoriesEnglishECONOMY, SPORTS, TOURISMBelgium's Chaudfontaine chosen as official water of Paris Olympics23 July 2024 Water sourced and bottled in Chaudfontaine has been chosen as the official water of the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games The plant in Liège province has produced 7.2 million additional bottles for the venues which doesn’t normally distribute its products in France “We’re one of the closest sources of natural mineral water,” said plant manager Achmed Boumrah Chaudfontaine water will be distributed both to the public and to athletes and there will be 700 water fountains at the Olympic sites in addition to bottles sold in official shops The production site is also carbon-neutral an important factor in commitments made by the Olympic partners to reduce carbon emissions The aim is to halve the footprint of the London 2012 Games The bottles were transported to Paris in lorries powered by biogas or hydrogen is made from 100 per cent recycled plastic The brand is owned by the Coca-Cola group and the plant employs 150 people Illustration shows bottles of water on the production line at the Chaudfontaine plant Copy linkGet updates in your mailboxYour email addressSubscribeBy clicking "Subscribe" I confirm I have read and agree to the Privacy Policy rapid and high-quality information 24 hours a day from Belgium and abroad to all Belgian media not to mention entertainment and lifestyle our journalists and press photographers produce hundreds of photos and news stories Since the end of March 2022 English has been added as a language businesses and various organisations that need reliable information Belga News Agency also offers a comprehensive range of corporate services to meet all their communication needs www.belganewsagency.eu move and sell some of the world’s most loved drinks – you've probably heard of a few we give consumers a choice of great drinks whatever they’re doing and wherever they are profitable growth for our shareholders and create value for our customers We're taking action on the key social and environmental topics that are priorities for our stakeholders and where we know we can make a significant difference This programme is a key part of CCEP’s ambition to reach Net Zero by 2040 and to reduce its GHG emissions across its value chain by 30% by 2030 (vs. 2019). This reduction target focuses first on reducing its own value chain emissions before investing in verified carbon offset projects prioritising those that remove carbon from the atmosphere The site in Chaudfontaine has been taking action to reduce its emissions for a number of years; it has used 100% renewable electricity since 2018 and is heated by geothermic energy that uses the natural warmth of the Chaudfontaine mineral water spring to heat the buildings of the bottling facility The site has reduced its fuel energy consumption by more than 65% since 2006 To offset the remaining emissions at Chaufontaine CCEP has purchased Gold Standard certified carbon credits from a reforestation project in Orinoco This carbon sequestration project will support an area of savannah that has been damaged by agricultural activity through reforestation and the restoration of its ecosystem Learn more about CCEP Belgium and Luxembourg on its local website here (in French) or here (in Dutch) You can read this story on the local site here (in French) or here (in Dutch) [1] An internationally recognised certification for carbon neutrality, Read more here: https://www.bsigroup.com/en-IN/PAS-2060-Carbon-Neutrality/ Congratulations to Kwunnie Batike, Christine Bota, Kesley Guai, and Lorrain… We’re bringing the fun to the Port Moresby Show this weekend at the Nationa… [HAPPY TRAINEES 2025] 🏆 Nous sommes fiers d’annoncer que Coca-Cola Europaci… Han hoppet av universitetsstudier og begynte på Coca-Cola fabrikken. Last week, @Manatū Wāhine Ministry for Women, New Zealand, launched the Gen… On November 19th, CCEP PNG celebrated International Men’s Day with enthusia… A CCEP tem como objetivo alcançar a neutralidade carbónica em toda a sua ca… Exciting news from Wakefield 📢 As part of a £42.3m investment at our Wakefi… [Semaine de l’Industrie] Coca-Cola Europacific Partners réaffirme son engag… @Expansión nos ha reconocido por nuestro ‘Plan de Acción Climática NetZero … CCEP PNG proudly announced its gold sponsorship for the upcoming Port Mores… Our 2024 Annual Review and Transparency Report Malta Annual Review 2024 - Leading with integrity and innovation PwC's Short Reads a condensed list of our latest insights and Thought Leadership Malta Budget 2025 - How will it impact you and your business? Have you subscribed to our latest Thought leadership? the physical purchase of lottery tickets; and the participation in other forms of gambling as offered online.   The applicants offer their online gambling services from Belgium. These online gambling services were exempt from VAT in Belgium until 2016, however, this exemption was later repealed. The exemption on lotteries however continued to apply.   The principle of fiscal neutrality sets out that similar services which are considered to compete with each other from the point of view of the average consumer, cannot be afforded a different VAT treatment from one another. In this respect, the applicants challenged the repealing of the exemption on the grounds that the online gambling services that they offer competed with other similar services, but had a different VAT treatment.   In its decision the CJEU took note of cases C-259/10 and C-260/10 (the Rank Judgement). In the Rank Judgement, the VAT treatment of traditional gaming machines and fixed-odds betting terminals was different. Traditional gaming machines were subject to VAT whilst fixed-odds betting terminals were exempt from VAT. This difference in treatment was successfully challenged on the grounds of fiscal neutrality.   In the Rank Judgement, the Court ruled that similar gambling services must be treated equally for VAT purposes, regardless of differences in the types of machines used. The Court reasoned that the differences between the types of gambling machines did not significantly influence the average consumer’s choice, thus requiring equal VAT treatment to avoid unfair competition.  In this case C-73/23, on the other hand, the CJEU elaborated on the reasoning in the Rank judgement. The Court determined that to assess whether the services can be deemed to be similar, it is necessary to take account of:  These services are to be viewed together with the differences attributable to the context in which those services are offered. This may create a difference in the eyes of the average consumer and crucially a difference in terms of which needs of the consumer each service is fulfilling.   Accordingly, in our view, it can be broadly concluded that Member States are not precluded by the principles of fiscal neutrality from applying a different VAT treatment to different gambling and betting supplies to the extent that the different gambling and betting supplies (whether online or otherwise) fulfil different needs of the consumer.  If you or your business require further information or support, our team is fully equipped to provide any assistance you may need. At PwC, we pride ourselves on our team of experienced professionals who are dedicated to offering comprehensive solutions tailored to your specific needs. We are here to help guide you through any inquiries or challenges you may encounter. #comp-lvqlknop_r_comp-lwwdvtpl__item1 {aspect-ratio: 1;}The Plant BaseThe Plant Base is the go to B2B news platform for the plant-based food and beverage industry RefreshmentRefreshment is your ultimate resource for staying informed and up-to-date on the water cooler The Cell BaseThe Cell Base provides insights for professionals to stay informed exchange ideas and explore new cell-based opportunities SubscribeAccess more as a FoodBev subscriberSign up to FoodBev and unlock more insights from the international food and beverage industry. Subscribers have access to webinars, newsletters, publications and more... *The history of Chaudfontaine dates back many centuries with documented evidence on the water’s spring source found in a charter from the Bishop of Verdun in 1250 describing ‘Chauve-t-eau-Fontaine’ There are many other fascinating milestones in the history of Chaudfontaine such as the fact that in 1926 two different companies tapped the same water source later merging into a single business in 1938 the reason for the unique mineral taste of Chaudfontaine was explained in 1983 when hydrologists discovered that the water makes a 60 year journey through protecting and purifying rock layers from a depth of 1,600 metres before emerging at the surface at 37°C June 2003 stands out as being the most important recent landmark This was the moment when Coca-Cola Enterprises teamed up with The Coca-Cola Company to snap up the Chaudfontaine business for €31 million ($45 million) in cash and assumed debt from Iranian businessman Abbas Bayat Coca-Cola Belgium has poured significant levels of investment into production around €46 million ($67 million) has been spent on the Chaudfontaine plant; €20 million ($29 million) on new bottling lines from German company Krones; €16 million ($23 million) on new packaging and €10 million ($14.5 million) related to quality Support from the Coca-Cola sales force has also been a key factor in delivering success the plant participates in the overall Coca-Cola strategy to increase water and energy efficiency and decrease waste Belgium based operations increased water efficiency by 9.8% and energy efficiency by 2.3% per litre of product Over 97% of the solid waste of the Chaudfontaine plant is recycled as a result of the upgrading of the production site the greenhouse emissions of the plant have decreased to 63.7% of their 2003 level Coca-Cola in Belgium doesn’t blow its own bottles on site so the glass bottles are shipped through a Dutch supplier these bottles contain on average 60% recycled glass the Coca-Cola group has also importantly devoted considerable effort towards developing the brand in an innovative way Country Director Belux Gaëtan Van Maldegem told water innovation: “Since Coca-Cola acquired the Chaudfontaine brand our Belgian marketing team has completely rebuilt the brand based on values that relate to the uniqueness of the water.” a year in which the business celebrated its 80th anniversary Coca-Cola unveiled a logo for Chaudfontaine to enhance its brand identity a symbol expressing purity and emotional warmth takes pride of place on all product packaging beside the brand name The move demonstrated slick marketing as the brand was able to modernise while retaining strong messages to consumers about the product’s heritage and overall taste Concerning the orientation and taste profile of the brand water connoisseur Michael Mascha commented: “Chaudfontaine has a neutral pH and a nice bicarbonate level The low level of nitrate indicates an undisturbed source.” Chaudfontaine water is purified by nature,” observed Chaudfontaine Production Director Jean-Louis Cornet The brand’s marketing drive has been boosted by a robust screen advertising campaign since 2003 with TV spots looking at how the brand is associated with affection and friendship as well as an ad looking at the natural uniqueness of the brand the marketing for Chaudfontaine moved up a gear in 2006 Spadel’s leading brands had already captured the attention of young So it’s no coincidence that the screen campaign from Coca-Cola promoting Chaudfontaine in a PET bottle competed by featuring a male teenager listening to loud rock music in a comfortable kitchen setting Oscar bashes against his goldfish bowl in an attempt to move it closer to the bottle The boy eventually notices the fish’s antics and pours some of the bottled water into the goldfish bowl The ad cuts to a close-up of the brand and a new positioning statement: ‘Les connaisseurs préfèrent Chaudfontaine’ Oscar shows his approval and appreciation with an endearing burp Besides the excellent use of humour in the 2006 TV spot this well crafted film communicates core brand values in an engaging manner To make the brand even more distinctive to consumers in horeca channels Chaudfontaine became a pioneer in the Coke network in 2006 by offering a newly designed glass bottle range in three variants: still (blue label); sparkling (red label); mildly sparkling (green label) but are the three variants of water useful to consumers Director of Communications at Coca-Cola Belgium and Luxembourg most people ask for advice concerning the choice of wine but never ask for advice concerning the choice of water Water can have an important influence on the taste of your dish so it’s perfect as an aperitif and a great partner for dishes such as seafood Lightly sparkling water works well with subtle dishes such as Waldorf salad and wok dishes and is always the right choice when you’re not sure Still water is perfect at the end of the dinner and has a neutral taste so it perfectly suits dishes with a more explicit taste such as Chateaubriand or pheasant.” green and blue labelled waters are packaged in bold stability and exceptional quality through the structural design of the bottle and the labelling has been kept as transparent as possible to highlight the intrinsic quality of the water The company describes the design as “modern and timeless.” “The Chaudfontaine water is a unique thermal hot mineral water Our challenge was to build a brand that reflects this uniqueness This has been achieved by stressing the core values of the brand more using the dove in the logo as a symbol for purity by launching a new bottle with a design that reflects the purity and transparency of the water and by focusing our communication platform towards consumers making use of the ‘connoisseurs prefer Chaudfontaine’ tagline,” added Vermeulen Statistics obtained from Coca-Cola provide evidence to support such a view While the total bottled water market grew 2.8% in Belgium between 2001 to 2003 the Chaudfontaine brand registered 3.4% growth in the same period Category growth in Belgium between 2004 and 2006 was 1.4% but Chaudfontaine achieved 5.7% growth Chaudfontaine is sold in all major distribution channels including hotels bars and restaurants as well as retail outlets petrol stations and venues such as cinemas the availability of the 50cl PET bottle in supermarkets has improved significantly from 17% in 2003 to 64% in 2007 Chaudfontaine is also available in 1.5 litre PET bottles in still and sparkling (blue and red label) formats A 33cl PET bottle with sports cap is also available in the still range the brand is currently available in the Netherlands and France through the local Coca-Cola bottling partners There was market speculation last year that the Chaudfontaine brand could be introduced elsewhere in Western Europe including the UK but the company declined to comment further on these reports Zenith International Senior Analyst Karen Wells commented: “In volume terms Nestlé Waters and Neptune (with its Cristaline brand) share around 55% of the Belgian market with the remainder comprising both international and local manufacturers Danone and Coca-Cola hold similar market shares of around 7% each.” Despite the success of the brand revitalisation and the ambitions of Coca-Cola to continue to grow in Belgium Chaudfontaine is still less known than other major waters in the domestic market so it faces plenty of challenges as it attempts to steal more limelight away from the leading brands in the still and sparkling segments the firm’s Spa and Bru brands combined had over a 19% market share across retail and horeca channels Chaudfontaine held a market share of some 7% Although final data for 2007 has not yet been officially released analysts do not expect any significant changes in how the market is carved up but volumes declined because of a poor summer season Spa Marie-Henriette and Bru - have evolved and benefited from recent innovations and there’s more activity on the horizon also recently launched at Carrefour in Belgium This spells even more competition for Chaudfontaine beyond the threats faced from popular Nestlé brands Perrier Contrex and San Pellegrino as well as Danone’s Evian Only time will tell if Coca-Cola’s Chaudfontaine can continue to increase appeal following the promising momentum in product perception and customer loyalty it has built in the past few years As lessons in brand revitalisation in the bottled water industry go Chaudfontaine is a master class one cannot help but admire Get in touchWould you like to be interviewed by FoodBev Media or share a recent innovation with us?  Click here to contact us The examples of Casino de Spa and Chaudfontaine Loisirs highlight the EU’s thorough attitude to VAT in the gaming sector The CJEU’s most recent decisions revealed one noteworthy fact: EU Member States can establish varying VAT rates for online and offline gaming the concept of fiscal neutrality states that equivalent services should be charged equally For instance, whereas offline choices like lotteries make you wait longer and have less direct contact, internet gambling generally provides you with fast results and keeps you more involved. These variations in user experience make sense to have distinct VAT treatments for online and offline gaming. For a deeper understanding of how these distinctions impact operators, you can check out the Skyhills Casino review This implies that operators of gaming facilities should be cautious in the arrangement of their operations to ensure they satisfy their tax requirements Gaming companies are heavily affected by the EU VAT rulings Operators today must negotiate a more complex system whereby VAT exemptions and rates change based on the service and nation This can influence the company’s running policies and earnings Following these VAT guidelines is absolutely vital for businesses that provide both online and physical gaming to prevent fines Knowing the local VAT rules will also enable operators to set competitive rates Every Member State is accessible under the EU VAT Directive to define its own VAT rates and exemptions depending on its fiscal policies the taxation of gaming can differ significantly within the EU others levy VAT on other forms of gambling at absolutely none For VAT on gaming the UK does things differently from nations like Spain and Germany Even those in non-Gamstop gaming industries should maintain current with these regulations so they can adequately handle their tax policies in every area Value-added tax (VAT) exemptions in the gaming industry are implemented to fit its unique features Standard deductions from VAT include services like lotteries the details of these exemptions might vary significantly among nations While some countries might not include particular online gaming activities as an exemption Operators who want to maximise their tax planning must understand how these exemption policies apply in every country Knowing these variations will enable operators to arrange their products to maximise applicable exemptions allowing them to better control their tax liabilities Every country’s regulations should guide operators of gambling facilities to make sure they have systems in place to categorise activities and monitor them correctly This means creating strong VAT reporting systems and regularly engaging tax experts to avoid any potential compliance issues Regular audits assist find any places where compliance might perhaps be lacking keep in mind that applying technology to automatically compute VAT; will reduce chores and assist in ensuring correct VAT reporting The most recent EU VAT rulings provide casino owners with some beneficial advice One should first be aware of the VAT variances between online and offline companies This knowledge enables businesses to change their goods and services it is important to be updated on the VAT legislation in the country where you operate a company operators can save major taxes by applying pertinent VAT exemptions Strong VAT compliance rules are ultimately essential to avoid fines and preserve flawless functioning Maintaining good control and being proactive helps companies manage the VAT terrain more effectively therefore reducing risks and maximising their tax advantages Overall, the EU’s precise stance on VAT offers both possibilities and challenges for gaming firms. Businesses functioning in many EU markets must effectively manage their VAT responsibilities as they directly influence their competitiveness and profitability The CJEU’s latest decisions underline the importance of budgetary flexibility and inspire operators to be informed about legislative developments gaming fields may negotiate the complicated tax system with more confidence by giving compliance first priority and using VAT exemption This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" This entry remains in the Atlas as a record of its history but it is no longer accessible to visitors A giant clothespin sculpture that was constructed for the Festival of the Five Seasons in Chaudfontaine Park, resides on the outskirts of Liege, Belgium The clothespin seems to be holding onto a mound of dirt and grass Designed by Turkish artist Mehmet Ali Uysal a professor of art at the Middle East Technical University the giant sculpture is just one piece in a string of Uysal works that rely on flawless illusion Update April 2022: The statue is no longer in the park. Park is still very nice for walking, running, biking, dogs and nature viewing. It has other statues including an open parasol. A hidden garden of stones engraved with scriptures, a Joseph Smith Sphinx, all carved by one man. Bangkok celebrated its shifting monarchy with a militaristic homage to democracy. This temple, built by an eccentric religious leader before his death, sits guarded and in ruins. An entire town in Haiti memorializes one man and his historic revolution. César Baldaccini's iconic sculpture of a 40-foot thumb stands tall in La Défense. Sculpture garden of religious statues made it through Soviet rule. As if T-rex wasn't big enough, this Canadian monument is four times larger than the real thing. and Chaudfontaine expected to remove nearly 10,000 tons of virgin plastic in 2020 and Chaudfontaine brands will all be sold in bottles made from 100% recycled PET.Coca-Cola in partnership with Coca-Cola European Partners and Chaudfontaine brands will all be sold in bottles made from 100% recycled PET.They will transition between the end of 2019 and 2020 replacing 9,000 tonnes (9,920 tons) of virgin plastic per year across Western Europe* This move supports Coca-Cola’s commitment that at least half of the plastic used in its PET bottles across Western Europe will come from recycled sources Coca-Cola will use approximately 60,000 tonnes (66,139 tons) of recycled plastic in these markets removing the equivalent amount of virgin plastic Technical and Supply Chain Director for Coca-Cola Western Europe “This is a significant step for our business wherever you buy these brands in our Western European markets you will find them in a bottle that is entirely made from recycled plastic This is a clear signal of our ambition—we aim to meet and exceed our target of using 50 percent rPET across our total portfolio by 2025 “Both Honest and GlacéauSmartwater have a huge following in the U.S. whilst being relatively young brands in Europe We have ambitious growth plans for both of these brands as we continue to broaden our portfolio to offer people different drinks to meet changing tastes and lifestyles—and we want to grow them sustainably.” Coca-Cola is also announcing that it is transitioning Sprite from a green PET bottle to a clear PET package which can more easily be recycled bottle to bottle Chief Supply Chain Officer at Coca-Cola European Partners “We know people have high expectations of companies to make the products they love in a sustainable way and we’re committed to meeting those expectations our goal is to ensure that every bottle or can we sell is collected By moving Sprite from a green bottle to a clear bottle the material can easily be recycled and used again to make another bottle.” Coca-Cola began using recycled PET in its plastic bottles in the 1990s.More recently the company has invested in enhanced recycling technologies to improve the availability of food-grade rPET for use in its bottles This technology allows PET to be created from low-value plastic waste that previously couldn’t be recycled into bottles “These new technologies expand the types of plastic waste streams that can be recycled back into bottles allowing a broader range of collected materials to become part of the circular economy It also enables us to use collection streams that were normally going to incineration or landfill.Investments in scale-up technologies such as these help us accelerate our use of recycled plastic in our bottles.’ *All references to Western Europe refer to markets where Coca-Cola European Partners is active Neste has been a renewable fuel provider for Coca-Cola in the Netherlands by using HVO100 for the transport of all their drinks in close collaboration with its logistics partners HVO100 is a high-quality fuel produced 100% from renewable raw materials This concerns 50,000 journeys made annually for the transport of Coca-Cola, Fanta, Fuze Tea and Chaudfontaine, among others. The majority of the HVO100 fuel comes from Neste and is marketed as Neste MY Renewable Diesel™ These are extra-long trucks that can take more products at once We have also already switched to 30% biofuel with some trucks With the complete transition to HVO100 for the transport of all our drinks we are building on previous steps and taking another big step forward but the importance of our climate ambitions goes far” Associate Director of Country Logistics at Coca Cola Europacific Partners Netherlands Neste MY Renewable Diesel is a more sustainable alternative to fossil diesel diesel-powered vehicles around the world can start reducing greenhouse gas emissions significantly in an instant “We are very proud to work with Coca-Cola in the Netherlands'' says Peter Zonneveld “We are committed to supporting our customers to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20 million tons annually by 2030,” Peter Zonneveld continues Switching to Neste MY Renewable Diesel enables a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions Neste MY Renewable Diesel is produced from 100% renewable raw materials It helps reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 90%* on the average when emissions over the fuel's life cycle are compared with fossil diesel not requiring any modifications to the existing vehicles or fuel distribution infrastructures Public opinion backed by legislation is moving mountains – ofEU trash that is Coca-Cola brands announced that Honest Tea GlacéauSmartwater and Chaudfontaine brands as well as Swiss marketed HBC water will soon all be bottled in recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) The decision will replace nearly 10,000 metric tons of virgin plastic in the European Union countries* where these products are sold Glacéau and Honest Tea have a huge following in the U.S but “wherever you buy thesebrands in our Western European markets you will find them in a bottle that isentirely made from recycled plastic.” Coca-Cola estimates it will use 66,138 metric tons of recycledplastic in 2019 To expand the availability of plastic stock Sprite will nolonger be bottled in green PET Chief Supply Chain Officer at Coca-Cola EuropeanPartners said “We know people have high expectations of companies to make theproducts they love in a sustainable way and we’re committed to meeting thoseexpectations our goal is to ensure that every bottle or can wesell is collected By moving Sprite from a green bottleto a clear bottle the material can easily be recycled and used again to makeanother bottle.” Coca-Cola first began using recycled PET in the 1990s and hassince invested in enhanced recycling technologies to improve the availabilityof food-grade rPET for bottles The company aims to make all its consumerpackaging 100% recyclable by 2025 and ensure its packaging is made of at least50% recycled material by 2030 Technical and Supply Chain Director forCoca-Cola Western Europe said These new technologies expand the types ofplastic waste streams that can be recycled back into bottles allowing abroader range of collected materials to become part of the circular economy Italso enables us to use collection streams that were normally going toincineration or landfill Investments in scale-up technologies such as thesehelp us accelerate our use of recycled plastic in our bottles.’ group supply chain director at HBC said thecompany will soon increase its commitment to four brands in four countries:“clear evidence of concrete progress on the commitment we and our strategicpartner The Coca-Cola Company have made to be active and effective on thiscritical environmental issue.” “Clearly there is more work to do in building systems andapproaches that allow us to collect and recycle more of our packagingmaterials but this is a big step forward in ensuring that plastic already incirculation is reused and given more than one life,” he said the Valser brand ofsparkling water is pioneering methods of recovering CO2 directlyfrom air All PET bottles will consist of 100%recycled materials before the end of 2019 ';case"arrow-right-regular":return'\x3c!-- Font Awesome Pro 6.1.0 by @fontawesome - https://fontawesome.com License - https://fontawesome.com/license (Commercial License) Copyright 2022 Fonticons --\x3e';case"caret-right-solid":return'\x3c!-- Font Awesome Pro 6.0.0 by @fontawesome - https://fontawesome.com License - https://fontawesome.com/license (Commercial License) Copyright 2022 Fonticons --\x3e';case"caret-up-solid":return'\x3c!-- Font Awesome Pro 6.1.1 by @fontawesome - https://fontawesome.com License - https://fontawesome.com/license (Commercial License) Copyright 2022 Fonticons --\x3e';case"check-regular":return'\x3c!-- --\x3e';case"chevron-left-regular":return'\x3c!-- --\x3e';case"chevron-right-regular":return'\x3c!-- --\x3e';case"circle-chevron-down-light":return'\x3c!-- --\x3e';case"circle-chevron-right-light":return'\x3c!--!Font Awesome Pro 6.5.2 by @fontawesome - https://fontawesome.com License - https://fontawesome.com/license (Commercial License) Copyright 2024 Fonticons Inc.--\x3e';case"circle-info-regular":return'\x3c!-- --\x3e';case"facebook":return'';case"twitter":return'';case"X":return'\x3c!-- Font Awesome Pro 6.4.2 by @fontawesome - https://fontawesome.com License - https://fontawesome.com/license (Commercial License) Copyright 2023 Fonticons --\x3e\n';case"linkedin":return'';case"instagram":return'';case"envelope-regular":return'\x3c!-- --\x3e';case"list":return'\x3c!--!Font Awesome Pro 6.5.2 by @fontawesome -https://fontawesome.com License - https://fontawesome.com/license (Commercial License) Copyright 2024 Fonticons Inc.--\x3e';case"calendar-regular":return'\x3c!-- --\x3e';case"location-dot-regular":return'\x3c!-- --\x3e';case"share-regular":return'';case"search-regular":return'';case"grid-solid":return'\x3c!-- --\x3e';case"minus-regular":return'\x3c!-- --\x3e';case"print-regular":return'\x3c!-- --\x3e\n';case"plus-regular":return'\x3c!--!Font Awesome Free 6.5.1 by @fontawesome - https://fontawesome.com License - https://fontawesome.com/license/free Copyright 2024 Fonticons non-array objects must have a [Symbol.iterator]() method.")}()}function l(e){return function(e){if(Array.isArray(e))return c(e)}(e)||function(e){if("undefined"!=typeof Symbol&&null!=e[Symbol.iterator]||null!=e["@@iterator"])return Array.from(e)}(e)||u(e)||function(){throw new TypeError("Invalid attempt to spread non-iterable instance.\nIn order to be iterable non-array objects must have a [Symbol.iterator]() method.")}()}function a(e){return function(e){if(Array.isArray(e))return l(e)}(e)||function(e){if("undefined"!=typeof Symbol&&null!=e[Symbol.iterator]||null!=e["@@iterator"])return Array.from(e)}(e)||s(e)||function(){throw new TypeError("Invalid attempt to spread non-iterable instance.\nIn order to be iterable non-array objects must have a [Symbol.iterator]() method.")}()}function Le(e,t){var n="undefined"!=typeof Symbol&&e[Symbol.iterator]||e["@@iterator"];if(!n){if(Array.isArray(e)||(n=Ie(e))||t&&e&&"number"==typeof e.length){n&&(e=n);var r=0,i=function(){};return{s:i,n:function(){return r>=e.length?{done:!0}:{done:!1,value:e[r++]}},e:function(e){throw e},f:i}}throw new TypeError("Invalid attempt to iterate non-iterable instance.\nIn order to be iterable non-array objects must have a [Symbol.iterator]() method.")}()}function Nn(e,t){var n="undefined"!=typeof Symbol&&e[Symbol.iterator]||e["@@iterator"];if(!n){if(Array.isArray(e)||(n=Qn(e))||t&&e&&"number"==typeof e.length){n&&(e=n);var r=0,i=function(){};return{s:i,n:function(){return r>=e.length?{done:!0}:{done:!1,value:e[r++]}},e:function(e){throw e},f:i}}throw new TypeError("Invalid attempt to iterate non-iterable instance.\nIn order to be iterable `v-bind:".concat(e,".sync` should be changed to `v-model:").concat(e,"`.")},link:"https://v3-migration.vuejs.org/breaking-changes/v-model.html"}),"COMPILER_V_BIND_OBJECT_ORDER",{message:'v-bind="obj" usage is now order sensitive and behaves like JavaScript object spread: it will now overwrite an existing non-mergeable attribute that appears before v-bind in the case of conflict move v-bind to make it the first attribute The "|" symbol will be treated as native JavaScript bitwise OR operator Use '<' to print '<'."),13,"Attribute value was expected."),14,"End tag name was expected."),15,"Whitespace was expected."),16,"Unexpected '\x3c!--' in comment."),17,"Attribute name cannot contain U+0022 (\") and U+003C (<)."),18,"Unquoted attribute value cannot contain U+0022 (\") and U+0060 (`)."),19,"Attribute name cannot start with '='."),ju(ju(ju(ju(ju(ju(ju(ju(ju(ju(xu,21,"'0&&l()),e.filters&&e.filters.length&&(l(),hf(e.filters,"filter",n),l()),e.temps>0){i("let ");for(var m=0;m0?" Homes ripped apart by floods, floating cars and piles of rubble and debris are some of the scenes seen in the areas near the river Vesdre in Belgium ITV News flew a helicopter along the Belgian-German river to assess the damage wreaked by heavy floods across western Europe More than 190 people have died in the floods and searches remain underway for the missing Thousands in western Germany eastern Belgium and the Netherlands found themselves homeless after their dwellings were destroyed or deemed to be at risk dikes on swollen rivers were at risk of collapsing and crews raced to reinforce flood barriers ITV News flew along a river route in Belgium to assess the damage wreaked by heavy floods German officials defended their preparations for flooding but conceded they will need to learn lessons from the disaster The search for more victims and the clean-up of the mess left behind by the floods continued on Monday as floodwaters receded German economy minister Peter Altmaier told the Bild newspaper: “As soon as we have provided the immediate aid that stands at the forefront now we will have to look at whether there were things that didn’t go well “That isn’t about finger-pointing – it’s about improvements for the future.” the head of Germany’s civil protection agency said the country’s weather service had “forecast relatively well” and the country was well-prepared for flooding on its major rivers it is often not possible to say what place will be hit with what quantity” of water He said his agency sent 150 warning notices out via apps and media He promised to investigate where sirens sounded and where they did not officials said municipalities had been alerted and acted on the warnings of floods But the state’s interior minister, Roger Lewentz, who visited the hard-hit village of Schuld with Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday He said local authorities “tried very quickly to react" He continued: “But this was an explosion of the water in moments … You can have the very best preparations and warning situations (but) if warning equipment is destroyed and carried away with buildings Angela Merkel 'grieves' as at least 60 dead following major flooding in Germany Do you have a positive or negative outlook for the biofuels industry in 2025 View Results We use cookies to improve your experience on our site. Learn more. Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) will start using 30 electric trucks to make “last mile” deliveries to local customers in Belgium. The first five vehicles will go out today in the Antwerp area. Through a key partnership with Renault Trucks the beverage manufacturer is electrifying one-fifth of its truck fleet and creating the largest fleet of electric trucks in Belgium.1 The company will also reduce its CO2 emissions by 75% compared to diesel trucks “Our industry is facing difficulties that require rapid adaptation but we are also firmly committed to maintaining a long-term approach Investing in electric trucks will allow Coca-Cola Europacific Partners to cut CO2 emissions by 30% across the entire value chain by 2030 and become climate neutral by 2040,” says An Vermeulen VP & Country Director of Coca-Cola Europacific Partners for Belgium and Luxembourg Coca-Cola chose a configuration allowing Renault Truck’s electric vehicles to cover 200 km daily, which is more than enough for 40% of CCEP’s current local delivery routes. Each truck has an on-site charging station to fully recharge the battery overnight. These charging stations are powered by 100% green energy generated at the site. and the Netherlands has also been badly affected The Belgian city of Liège has urged all residents to leave Major rivers have burst their banks after record rainfall leader of Germany's North Rhine-Westphalia state blamed the extreme weather on global warming The German town of Schuld (pictured) is among the worst impacted We have been bringing you the latest news about deadly flooding and heavy rain impacting a number of countries in Europe You can continue to get the latest updates on this developing story here. Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRiver levels continue to rise in Belgiumpublished at 19:51 British Summer Time 15 July 202119:51 BST 15 July 2021This video can not be played Evacuation orders are in place for several towns Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingBelgian royals visit crisis centrepublished at 19:43 British Summer Time 15 July 202119:43 BST 15 July 2021Image source EPABelgium's King Philippe and Queen Mathilde were pictured visiting those sheltering from deadly flooding on Thursday The royal couple visited a crisis centre in Chaudfontaine - where hundreds have evacuated Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingNamur residents told to evacuatepublished at 19:35 British Summer Time 15 July 202119:35 BST 15 July 2021Image source AFP via Getty ImagesThe mayor of the central Belgian city of Namur has now asked residents of some low-lying areas along the river banks to evacuate their homes Maxime Prévot warned that water levels in the Meuse and Sambre rivers would rise further in the coming hours He urged people to find an "alternative accommodation" for the night Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingElderly evacuated by tractor in Dutch townpublished at 19:29 British Summer Time 15 July 202119:29 BST 15 July 2021The BBC's Anna Holligan who is en route to the flood-affected Dutch region of Limburg near the German and Belgian borders has tweeted these pictures of an elderly couple being evacuated by tractor in Valkenburg The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.Skip X postAllow X content This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’ The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.End of X postShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'We didn't know how fast the water would rise'published at 19:20 British Summer Time 15 July 202119:20 BST 15 July 2021Image source The district of Ahrweiler became deluged overnight "Around 01:30 there was a huge bang that woke us all up - and then we saw the water come up from below," Julia Krätz, a resident of Heimersheim in the Ahrweiler district, said in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper, external Ms Krätz said she became panicked as the water rose overnight and at one point witnessed a family up to their chests in water being rescued by the fire brigade in a boat We were panicked because we didn't know how fast the water would rise," she said She said she and others had to watch helplessly as their cars were carried away and crushed together by floodwaters Ms Krätz told the newspaper they have been left without electricity water and are still barricaded by flooding as firefighters and local farmers try to help Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingCurfew in Belgian city over looting fearspublished at 19:04 British Summer Time 15 July 202119:04 BST 15 July 2021Image source will have a curfew in place overnight on Thursday Officials have imposed the curfew from 21:00 to 06:00 local time (19:00-04:00 GMT) after some reports of looting Those unable to leave should move to the upper floors of their buildings At least six people are reported to have died in the country Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingHelicopter rescues residents from rooftopspublished at 18:56 British Summer Time 15 July 202118:56 BST 15 July 2021This video can not be played Germany floods: Helicopter rescues residents from rooftops Residents of Merzbach in North Rhine-Westphalia were rescued by helicopter after floods devastated the area Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingLatest pictures from flooded areaspublished at 18:45 British Summer Time 15 July 202118:45 BST 15 July 2021Here are some of the latest pictures from the affected areas in Germany Debris left strewn across the German town of Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler A number of buildings in Germany have been destroyed and the authorities warn that more are at risk of collapse the eastern town of Pepinster was devastated by the flooding ...and this is how the nearby city of Verviers looked on Thursday Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingWaters rising in Switzerlandpublished at 18:30 British Summer Time 15 July 202118:30 BST 15 July 2021Imogen FoulkesBBC News Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingGermans told to boil drinking waterpublished at 18:21 British Summer Time 15 July 202118:21 BST 15 July 2021Some residents living in the Ruhr area of Germany have been told to boil their drinking water because of issues with filtration due to the flooding The Mülheim health department has told people in the city Ratingen-Breitscheid as well as parts of Oberhausen and Bottrop to treat their water as a precaution "Serious changes in taste and smell are to be expected," water supplier RWW wrote on their website Residents have been told to boil the water for at least three minutes Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingDramatic footage from Belgiumpublished at 18:09 British Summer Time 15 July 202118:09 BST 15 July 2021The BBC's producer and video journalist in Belgium has been sharing some dramatic footage of the flooding in Belgium on social media The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.Skip X postAllow X content The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.End of X post 2Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingFlood alerts in Francepublished at 17:55 British Summer Time 15 July 202117:55 BST 15 July 2021Nine regions of France have been put under an orange weather alert - urging residents to be very vigilant - because of the risk of flooding In a bulletin issued on Thursday afternoon the French meteorological service warned that unusual heavy summer rainfall could hit already saturated ground The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.Skip X postAllow X content The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.End of X postParts of northeast France facing fresh weather warnings have already experienced heavy rainfall in recent days A number of campsites in Meuse prefecture had to evacuate holidaymakers and damage has been reported there at museums and libraries the L'Est Républicain newspaper reported on Thursday said roads were impacted and firefighters were among those responding to disruption Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingDeath toll in Germany rises to 43published at 17:44 British Summer Time 15 July 202117:44 BST 15 July 2021Authorities have said the number of deaths in northern Rhineland-Palatinate has risen to 19 bringing the total fatalities in Germany to 43 at least six people have lost their lives in the flooding Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingMap of the most severely affected areaspublished at 17:29 British Summer Time 15 July 202117:29 BST 15 July 2021Communities in Germany Belgium and the Netherlands have been badly hit by floods It follows record rainfall in parts of western Europe that has caused major rivers to burst their banks The map above shows some of the most severely affected areas Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'It's all gone Unimaginable'published at 17:20 British Summer Time 15 July 202117:20 BST 15 July 2021Image source EPAGerman survivors in the areas hit by deadly flooding have been speaking out about their experiences some homes were reduced to rubble in the deluge Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRescue workers help free trapped residentspublished at 17:10 British Summer Time 15 July 202117:10 BST 15 July 2021With many people trapped in their homes and dozens of others still missing emergency services in Germany are continuing to carry out rescue operations where this video of firefighters helping stranded residents was taken authorities successfully evacuated a local hospital The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.Skip X postAllow X content The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.End of X postBut rescue efforts in some of the worst-hit areas may take longer local authorities announced a three-phase evacuation of residents still trapped in the municipality of Swisstal beginning with helicopters and then using boats and eventually vehicles as the waters recede Those due to be evacuated have been told to prepare to spend up to four days in temporary accomodation and to bring only essential items with them Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingGerman army joins rescue operationspublished at 16:58 British Summer Time 15 July 202116:58 BST 15 July 2021Image source EPAAround 500 soldiers have been deployed to help the two worst-affected states Germany's defence ministry announced on Thursday "Today we think of all those who have been affected by the storms and flooding," Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingFloodwater leaves cars stacked on top of each otherpublished at 16:43 British Summer Time 15 July 202116:43 BST 15 July 2021Image source AFPFloodwater doesn't have to be deep to shift your car - one experiment found just 15 cm was needed to move the vehicle while 60 cm made it float away completely Motoring organisations advise against driving in to any moving floodwater if you needed proof here's what the waters did to cars in the Belgian city of Verviers Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingEU and UK among those to offer helppublished at 16:32 British Summer Time 15 July 202116:32 BST 15 July 2021German Chancellor Angela Merkel says many countries have offered support to those impacted by the deadly flooding European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the European Union was "ready to help" The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.Skip X postAllow X content The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.End of X postPrime Minister Boris Johnson has also offered UK support for rescue and recovery efforts describing the flooding as "devastating" The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.Skip X post 2Allow X content ERROR 404page not foundClick here to go to the home page