Liz Robinson, an EHO in Belgium for the past three years, shares her observations

Belgium is divided by language into two distinct areas, but most outsiders may not be aware of the intensity with which the areas are split. Each area has its own separate parliament, schools, place names and guards its language (French or Flemish) fiercely. With this strong attachment to local area, the local government system is robust, and works on a "commune" system similar to pre-1970s local government in England. Each commune consists of a nucleus of four or five villages, perhaps with a central town, and has its own rules. There are in excess of 500 communes.

It is necessary for all adults and children over 12 to register with the local commune in order to obtain the obligatory identity card. This system then ensures that the Rijkswacht (local police) are able to track inhabitants. I live in a Flemish commune some 10km outside Brussels (which is French speaking) and in my experience the commune is all important; Belgians live and abide by local rules and appear totally removed from what is going on at the EU. An example is noise control, where local rules dictate no use of noisy machinery on Sundays or bank holidays, or during lunchtime or after 8pm on any other day. Woe betide anyone who attempts to do a bit of illicit lawnmowing outside the set hours. A neighbour will be round to politely remind you of the rules and threaten to contact the Rijkswacht (local police). The system seems to be completely self regulated and Sundays are certainly very peaceful.

The refuse system is entirely locally determined. In my commune we have an excellent system run on a four-weekly cycle. General waste is the first collection every week in a special brown plastic sack; refuse in any other sack or container will not be removed. Then there is a second collection of either: PMD-plastic bottles, metal cans, and drinks cartons in a blue sack (every other week); paper and cardboard (once every four weeks); gros husvuil - (large household items) ie old toys and planks of wood, less than one metre (once every four weeks). Glass has to be taken by the householder to locally sited bottle banks.

Belgium has limited landfill capacity and so recycling is all-important. Locally people seems to recycle over half of their waste. The biggest incentive is the prohibitive cost of the brown sacks for general refuse. To help the commune finance the system, they sell rolls of 20 brown sacks for about £20 at the local supermarket; blue sacks for PMD are cheaper.

However, all the above goes completely out of the window as soon as you arrive in the Brussels communes. Refuse in Brussels is a free for all. Rubbish seems to be accepted in any container and varying quantities. The streets become piled with rubbish on collection day and an ad-hoc recycling takes place as members of the very disadvantaged immigrant population, sort, reuse or resell any thing that can be salvaged.

No hot water
Health and safety is utterly different here. I have seen supermarket assistants standing on shelves to reach objects above, wet floors left with no protection signs, unbelievably rickety scaffolding, in short, bad practices everywhere. Employment rules are draconian and there is a private health insurance system which fails the unemployed. Health standards may be better than in the UK but at a high price. Food hygiene inspections seem only to be carried out after a complaint is received. To date I have not yet found a washhand basin with a hot water supply, this applies to cloakrooms in private properties as well. The most off-putting thing as a customer however is the shared WC - a Brussels speciality.

Local markets are popular and thriving regular events, with fresh food and produce, flowers and plants alongside clothes and materials. The quality of the goods is usually very good. My local market, as well as the usual fresh fish, meat and vegetable stalls, often has a horse meat stall, a small stall where you can buy hot snail soup, a locally produced cheese stall and occasionally an elderly gentleman selling a few live chickens.

Disabled policy and dog mess schemes are far behind the UK. I have not come across many public places adapted for the disabled. Brussels is notorious for dog mess but then, as each building owner is responsible for the pavement outside, pavements are another contentious issue. Housing rules are predominantly in favour of the landlord. All rental income is free of tax, and as tax in Belgium is nearing 50 per cent this is a huge incentive. There is very little public authority housing as it is a Belgian pride and joy to buy or build your own house.

When renting a home the emphasis is on the tenant to return the property back to the landlord in the condition it was on the first day of letting. No account is taken of wear and tear and tenants all live in fear of the final Etat de Lieu (state of the place) inspection. I recently attended an inspection (lasting three hours) where the tenant was criticised for the uncleanliness of the inside of the window frames revealing spider cocoons once windows were opened.

Most homes are let without light fittings, so you have to move in with bare wires showing. It is also the tenants responsibility to have the boiler serviced and the chimney swept annually. Living in Belgium has given me the chance to look at everything from a different perspective. Seeing environmental health in a different country highlights that there are alternative ways of doing things, whether better or worse, and that preconceptions are there to be challenged.