12 DECEMBER 1997. An Act to confirm royal decrees under the Act of 26 July 1996 on the Modernization of Social Security and to ensure the viability of legal pension schemes, and the Act of 26 July 1996 to fulfil the budgetary conditions of Belgium's participation in the European Economic and Monetary Union (1)

ALBERT II, King of the Belgians,
To all, present and to come, Hi.
The Chambers adopted and We sanction the following:
TITLE I. - General provision
Article 1^er. This Act regulates a matter referred to in Article 78 of the Constitution.
PART II. - Pensions
Art. 2. Confirmed with effect on the date of their entry into force:
1° Royal Decree of 23 April 1997 enforcing section 18 of the Act of 26 July 1996 on social security modernization and ensuring the viability of legal pension schemes;
2° Royal Decree of 23 April 1997 amending Royal Decree No. 50 of 24 October 1967 concerning the retirement and survival pension of employed workers, and the Royal Decree of 23 December 1996 implementing articles 15, 16 and 17 of the Act of 26 July 1996 on the modernization of social security and ensuring the viability of legal pension schemes;
3° Royal Decree of 25 April 1997 amending Royal Decree No. 72 of 10 November 1967 concerning the retirement and survival pension of independent workers, and the Royal Decree of 30 January 1997 on the pension plan of independent workers, pursuant to Articles 15 and 27 of the Act of 26 July 1996 on the modernization of social security and ensuring the viability of the legal pension schemes, and Article 3, § 1^er, 4°, of the Act of 26 July 1996 to fulfil the budgetary conditions of Belgium's participation in the European Economic and Monetary Union, pursuant to Article 15 of the Act of 26 July 1996 concerning the modernization of social security and ensuring the viability of legal pension schemes;
4° Royal Decree of 25 April 1997 establishing a "Service Info-Pensions", pursuant to Article 15, 5°, of the Act of 26 July 1996 on social security modernization and ensuring the viability of legal pension schemes;
5° Royal Decree of 27 April 1997 establishing a Mediation Service Pensions, pursuant to Article 15, 5°, of the Act of 26 July 1996 on social security modernization and ensuring the viability of legal pension schemes;
6° Royal Decree of 25 April 1997 amending the Act of 6 April 1995 on supplementary pension schemes, pursuant to section 19 of the Act of 26 July 1996 on social security modernization and ensuring the viability of legal pension schemes.
PART III. - Accountability
Public social security institutions
Art. 3. Is confirmed with effect on the date of its entry into force:
The Royal Decree of 3 April 1997 on measures for the accountability of public social security institutions, pursuant to section 47 of the Act of 26 July 1996 on social security modernization and ensuring the viability of legal pension schemes.
TITRE IV Expenditure Mastery in Health Care
Art. 4. Confirmed with effect on the date of their entry into force:
1° Royal Decree of 16 April 1997 on measures to insert a Section 3bis in Chapter III of Part IV, containing an article 139bis, in the Hospital Act, coordinated on 7 August 1987, pursuant to Article 13, 3°, of the Act of 26 July 1996 on social security modernization and ensuring the viability of legal pension schemes;
2° Royal Decree of 25 April 1997 on measures relating to the control of health care expenses, pursuant to Article 12, 3°, of the Act of 26 July 1996 on social security modernization and ensuring the viability of the legal pension plans, with regard to the assistance provided to the medical consultants of the insurers by certain paramedical auxiliaries.
PART V
Better organization of health care
Art. 5. Confirmed with effect on the date of their entry into force:
1° Royal Decree of 13 April 1997 amending section 22 of the Compulsory Health Care and Compensation Insurance Act, coordinated on 14 July 1994, pursuant to section 12, 4°, of the Act of 26 July 1996 on the Modernization of Social Security and the Sustainability of Legal Pension Plans;
2° Royal Decree of 25 April 1997 concerning the reorganization of health care, pursuant to Article 3, § 1st, 4th, of the Act of 26 July 1996 to realize the budgetary conditions of Belgium's participation in the European Economic and Monetary Union, and Article 12, 2°, and 13, 1°, of the Act of 26 July 1996 on the modernization of social security and ensuring the viability of legal pension schemes;
3° Royal Decree of 25 April 1997 amending the resources of compulsory health care insurance and allowances, pursuant to Article 10, 4°, of the Act of 26 July 1996 on social security modernization and ensuring the viability of the legal pension plans;
4° Royal Decree of 25 April 1997 amending the Health Care and Compensation Insurance Act, coordinated on 14 July 1994, pursuant to section 10, 1 and 2 of the Act of 26 July 1996 on the Modernization of Social Security and ensuring the viability of the legal pension plans.
PART VI. - Extension of the law
the increased intervention of health care insurance
Art. 6. Is confirmed with effect on the date of its entry into force:
The Royal Decree of 16 April 1997 on measures to extend the right to a greater intervention of health care insurance to other categories of eligible persons, pursuant to articles 11, 1°, and 49 of the Act of 26 July 1996 on the modernization of social security and the sustainability of legal pension schemes.
PART VII. - Residual regimes
Art. 7. Is confirmed with effect on the date of its entry into force:
The Royal Decree of 25 April 1997 on measures to generalize and ease access to the health care insurance regime, in particular for disadvantaged socio-economic groups, pursuant to articles 11, 2°, 41 and 49 of the Act of 26 July 1996 on the modernization of social security and ensuring the viability of legal pension schemes.
PART VIII. - Family benefits
Art. 8. Is confirmed with effect on the date of its entry into force:
The Royal Decree of 21 April 1997 on certain provisions relating to family benefits, pursuant to Article 21 of the Act of 26 July 1996 on social security modernization and ensuring the viability of legal pension schemes.
PART IX. - Final provision and entry into force
Art. 9. The decrees referred to in Article 2, 1°, 4°, 5° and 6°, and Articles 3, 4 and 5, cease, in derogation from Article 51, § 1st, paragraph 1st, of the Act of 26 July 1996 on the modernization of social security and ensuring the viability of legal pension schemes, to produce their effects on 31 December 1997, if they are not confirmed by law before that date.
Art. 10. This Act comes into force on the day of its publication to the Belgian Monitor, with the exception of Article 9, which produces its effects on 30 October 1997.
Promulgate this law, order that it be clothed with the seal of the State and published by the Belgian Monitor.
Given in Brussels on 12 December 1997.
ALBERT
By the King:
The Prime Minister,
J.-L. DEHAENE
The Minister of the Interior,
J. VANDE LANOTTE
Minister of Finance,
Ph. MAYSTADT
The Minister of Budget,
H. VAN ROMPUY
Minister of Public Health and Pensions,
Mr. COLLA
Minister of Employment and Labour,
Ms. M. SMET
The Minister of Social Affairs,
Mme DE GALAN
Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises,
K. PINXTEN
Minister of Public Service,
A. FLAHAUT
Seal of the state seal:
Minister of Justice,
S. DE CLERCK
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