Belgium Legislation

[Jos Cuypers]

Belgium is going n u t s ...

From this year onwards, all tractors will be splitted in 2 categories :

1) Agricultural usage : They will get a new numberplate : White letters on red background. and will be able to drive on RED diesel.
The owner has to proove that he is using this tractor for real agricultural purposes by the so called "contingent"

2) Other usage : These tractors will keep the current numberplate : red letter on white background. These tractors will have to drive on WHITE diesel (so you pay full taxes like with the cars) and will have to go to technical inspection every year.

This was done to eliminate the unfair competition for road-working and other construction companies, who were using tractors instead of trucks to avoid the "fuel tax" and "yearly technical inspection"


All nice and clean you would say, but as I am not agriculting as main profession (just hobby) and I do not have that "contingent". I'll not be able to get the new "white letter and red background" plates.

So I'll have to drive on white diesel from now onwards and go yearly to technical inspection....

Just to let you know.

Jos

[peter2]

Hi Jos,

similar in Germany. But red Diesel (Heizöl, for heating) is never allowed in any vehicules. It's controlled by customs, even far away from any border in the middle of your field.
But we have an advantage: technical control is every two years.

What about taxes? Argicultural tractors in Germany have a green numberplate (green letters on white ground) and pay no taxes. If you use it for other purposes as farming, you brake tax laws.
My tractor has a black (letters on white ground) numberplate and pays taxes according to his maximum weight. Super Major has 4000kg, that's 236 Euros a year. Historical number is possible after 30 years, tax is 191 Euros. But you are not allowed to do all work you want with your tractor then.

Insurance is the next restriction here. If you have an oldtimer insurance you are only allowed to go to meetings. Fetching wood from a forest or ploughing is not allowed. Cost is around 40 Euros a year.
Normal insurance with black numberplate for all work you want is about 190 Euros and more.

Peter

[Jos Cuypers]

S h i t ... do not tell that to our government ... that would bring them to even worse ideas....

PS : Insurance is same here : Agricultural or not : about 250 Euro / Old Timer : must be about 150 Euro (but I'm not sure about that)

[Bensdexta]

..similar in Germany. But red Diesel (Heizöl, for heating) is never allowed in any vehicules. It's controlled by customs, even far away from any border in the middle of your field.

So red diesel is for stationary engines only?

If you use red diesel in an old tractor far from any public road, how would anyone know?

Only good news I guess is that if you're a farmer you can reclaim the VAT.

[peter2]

Hi,

If you use red diesel in an old tractor far from any public road, how would anyone know?

Only good news I guess is that if you're a farmer you can reclaim the VAT.

Customs take probes from the tractor (if necessary in the middle of field work) and the red color lasts very long in the fuel system, even if you used it only a few times. An old tractor might not be their first target, but you never know. They control cars, too.
My Super Major is from France, where red Diesel is allowed in tractors. My tank was full with red Diesel, so it will be detectable for a long time, I think.

Our farmers get taxes back for white DIesel, about 215 Euros per 1000l (says wikipedia). Normal fuel tax on Diesel is about 47 Euro per 1000l in Germany.

Peter

[Brian]

Hi Jos,

Long time no hear! How are the girls? Sara must be quite a young lady by now.

We too have the fuel regulations and our Customs made a right "Pigs Ear" of the restrictions. Dealers could not use red diesel to deliver a tractor by road or on demonstration and farmers could not (officially) use red diesel in tractors, to tow its cutter bar behind the combine. They confiscated a couple of tractors and took dealers to court when they caught them using red diesel on show grounds.

For vintage tractors you need to use white diesel here. Even if you use your tractor to cut your horse paddock there is no exemption, it is not an "agricultural operation".

At least with a PETROL Dexta you have to pay fuel duty and the powers that be cannot "get" you. (No red petrol over here).

We also have to have different insurance for a "show" tractor and a "working" tractor even if it is only used for wood carting however, as yet, we do not have to have the tractors tested. We also have to have insurance cover for shows and public appearances on top of the road insurance. Also, every tractor (or car) has to be insured for the road even if it does not go on the road and just stands in your yard, once it is registered.

[Dandy Dave]

Seems like things are nuts all over the world. What It really is all about is how much they can legally steal from the working man and give to the bums that do not work but are capable. What we need here is a new revolution to rid us of the bums in DC. They can't even agree on keeping the goobermint open here. We are becomming a third word nation because of it. Dandy Dave!

[ford5000y]

That reminds me of those things about driving tractors on highways/ roads here in the Philippines...

Back then, (well, as far as I know) the only place where tractors can't go is the tollways, where the minimum speed, as I know, is 60 kph. But now, Ive heard of someone being pulled over by the police while driving a Ford 5000 (with a trailed disc harrow at the rear) in a highway. It is, because the police says that every self-propelled motor vehicle running down the road must be registered!

Also, the tractor operator was extremely confused after hearing that from the police!

[Bensdexta]

Also, every tractor (or car) has to be insured for the road even if it does not go on the road and just stands in your yard, once it is registered.

Surely you can SORN (Statutory Off Road Notice) it?

[Les bryant]

Good old NZ no red fuel here trucks run hub meters for road tax.
Cheers Les.

[Brian]

SORN only affects the licence not the insurance. As far as I understand it the vehicle still has to be insured. They brought that in about eighteen months ago. a lot of people were SORNing vehicles and keeping them on the road where they had no parking off road.

[The Swanndri Guy]

Good old NZ no red fuel here trucks run hub meters for road tax.
Cheers Les.

True Les, but from 1 March 2013, if you drive your tractor on the road it must have an amber flashing idiot light on it
At least our insurance and rego are cheap,

[Les bryant]

Only brand new tractors .cheers Les.

[Bensdexta]

SORN only affects the licence not the insurance. As far as I understand it the vehicle still has to be insured. They brought that in about eighteen months ago. A lot of people were SORNing vehicles and keeping them on the road where they had no parking off road.

If it's SORNed and kept off the road, don't think insurance is required. https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-insurance/uninsured-vehicles

But remember SORN has to be renewed every year (but it's free). If you never plan to use your oldie on the roads, there's advantages to not telling the authorities about it. Perfectly legal if it has been untaxed since 31/1/1998 - no SORN is req'd.

[Jos Cuypers]

Hy Brian, (and all)

Far too bussy.. + I started making my own kitchen (all the woodworking) and bussy at work due to the reorganisation at our company (T e n n e c o) ...

Sara has grown up. She became 12 last week friday.
Do you recognise her ?





if not, that's my lady (here she just ended a Basket ball game) ?

[Brian]

That is a great picture Jos and no, neither Ann nor I recognised her but it is a few years since we saw her. Love to her and Greta from us.

[frode]

They were talking about this in Norway too, but choose not to. One of the few things coming from Brüssel that we didnt follow

So I still get to run my tractors on red diesel, and no tech inspections