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The Walloon government has approved a preliminary draft decree and a draft order aimed at simplifying the organisation of itinerant and fairground activities in Wallonia. This decision is part of the region's drive to reduce the administrative burden on the self-employed.
This reform eliminates the need to obtain an "itinerant" or "fairground" card for these activities. This approach is considered superfluous (other inspections coexist with this one) and costly. Until now, itinerant traders and fairground stallholders have had to obtain these authorisations from accredited business counters, at significant cost: €150 for employer authorisations and €100 for employees.
The self-employed will soon be able to carry out these activities simply by registering with the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises. This means that the other inspection authorities will still be able to check compliance quickly and efficiently.
This administrative simplification will result in savings for the self-employed concerned, while freeing up resources within the Walloon administration, which will be able to concentrate on priority missions such as the fight against social fraud, for example.
It should also be remembered that the Code of Economic Law already contains a number of provisions protecting consumers, particularly with regard to itinerant activities.
The text follows similar reforms adopted in Flanders and Brussels a few months ago.
These measures will not affect the ability of municipalities to manage their markets and fairs using existing municipal regulations.
Update to 20 December 2024
The reform came into force on 20 December 2024