BELGIUM Commission d’Études des Biens Juifs [Study Commission on Jewish Assets] The Study Commission on Jewish Assets was established by Royal Decree on July 6, 1997, and extended by the Act of January 15, 1999. The commission investigated the ways in which looting took place during the German occupation of Belgium, as well as the measures taken by the government and the private sector after World War II to restore looted property to its owners and to pay compensation. The Study Commission submitted a full report to the Belgian government on July 12, 2001. The report suggested that a new commission be created to investigate the indemnification claims. The report can be found at http://www.combuysse.fgov.be/reporten.html Contact: M. Lucien Buysse, Chair R. Van Doorslaer, Director Services du Premier Ministre Boulevard Bischoffsheim 38 B-1000 Brussels Belgium Telephone: +32 2 214 09 10 Fax: +32 2 214 09 11 E-mail: jewassets@combuysse.fgov.be http://www.combuysse.fgov.be/ La Commission du dédommagement des membres de la Communauté juive de Belgique pour les biens dont ils ont été spoliés ou qu'ils ont délaissés pendant la guerre 1940–1945 [The Commission to Compensate the Members of the Belgian Jewish Community for Their Assets that Were Plundered or Abandoned during the Second World War, 1940—1945] The Belgian Parliament is in the process of setting up this new commission, which was recommended by the Commission d’Études des Biens Juifs. The commission will begin its work in the spring of 2002 and will establish a system for processing applications for wartime indemnification claims and a protocol for compensating the claimants. Contact: Marc De Trazegnies, Advisor Federal Public Service Chancellery of the Prime Minister Federal Public Department Chancellery and General Services Rue de la Loi, 16 – Westraat 16 B-1000 Brussels Belgium Telephone: +32 2 501 04 45 E-mail: marc.detrazegnies@premier.fed.be http://www.combuysse.fgov.be Services des Victimes de la Guerre [Department of War Victims] The Department of War Victims is responsible for paying annuities to political prisoners, deportees for forced labor, persons who refused forced labor, persons fighting against Nazism, Resistance members, wartime fishermen, or their rightful claimants. The application period for National Recognition Status and benefits has expired, with some exceptions. Contact: Claire Barette, Director Sophie Vandepontseele, Director of Archives and Documentation Square de l’Aviation, 31 B-1070 Brussels Belgium Telephone: +32 2 522 78 60 Fax: +32 2 522 76 22 E-mail: claire.barette@skynet.be or Sophie.vandepontseele@skynet.be http://war.fgov.be/ Conferences Belgium participated in the London Conference on Nazi Gold. Belgium participated in the Washington Conference on Holocaust-Era Assets. Proceedings of the Washington Conference can be found at http://www.state.gov/www/regions/eur/holocaust/heac.html Belgium participated in the Vilnius International Forum on Holocaust Era Looted Cultural Assets. Proceedings of the Vilnius Forum can be found at http://www.vilniusforum.lt/proceedings/index.htm