Order in Council O.C. 200-2025 ratifies the Agreement between Québec and the Kingdom of Belgium, amending the existing Agreement on Social Security. The purpose of the agreement is to ensure that individuals who are subject to the social security legislation of either Québec or Belgium continue to receive the benefits provided by both countries, particularly in the areas of retirement, disability, death benefits, industrial accidents, health insurance, and other related services. To support the implementation of this agreement, a new regulation, the Regulation respecting the implementation of the Agreement was made.

It aligns with multiple pieces of legislation, including the Tax Administration Act, the Act respecting the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux, and the Act respecting the Québec Pension Plan. The agreement outlines a system of coordination between Québec and Belgium to ensure that individuals moving between the two regions can continue to access health services, social services, and pension benefits as they would in their home country, based on the principle of reciprocity.

The Agreement also includes provisions for various technical aspects, such as defining terms like “benefits,” “family members,” “residence,” and “stay” in both countries’ contexts. It establishes that persons covered by the agreement will receive benefits as if they were residents of the respective countries and clarifies how these benefits will apply across both health insurance and pension schemes.

Importantly, the regulations also set out guidelines for the totalization of insurance periods between the two countries, which ensures that periods of insurance from both countries are counted towards the entitlement to benefits, even if they do not overlap. The regulation goes further to address specific cases, such as pension beneficiaries, and provides details on how periods of insurance under the laws of other countries may be considered in the totalization process. The regulation also ensures that pension beneficiaries will receive benefits in kind, including prescription drug coverage, in the country where they reside.

The regulations also address the administration of benefits, establishing clear guidelines on how the costs of benefits will be apportioned between the two parties. This includes provisions for the reimbursement between bodies responsible for providing benefits under the Agreement. The competent authorities of both parties are also tasked with concluding an administrative arrangement to oversee the implementation of the Agreement, including measures for communicating updates on legislation or other issues that might affect the agreement’s application.

This updated agreement is aimed at the continued commitment of both Québec and Belgium to protect the social security rights of their citizens and residents and improve the coordination between their respective systems.

Quebec (200-2025) March 5, 2025