State aid: Commission authorises alternative income tax regime for wholesale diamond sector in Belgium

On the 29 July 2016, the European Commission found that Belgian corporate tax provisions applicable to the wholesale diamond sector were in line with EU State aid rules.

In May 2015, Belgium had notified to the European Commission plans to introduce a specific income tax regime for diamond traders to address specific difficulties in the application of the general income tax regime to the sector. The Commission's assessment showed that the measure, as amended by the Belgian authorities in the meantime, is designed in such a way that it minimises the possibility of selective advantages to certain companies in the wholesale diamond sector.