US-funded contraceptives stuck in Belgium as destruction plan faces local ban

By Charlotte Van Campenhout and Ammu Kannampilly

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -U.S.-funded contraceptives and medicines valued at nearly $10 million, which Reuters reported are to be sent to France for incineration, remain stuck in a Belgian warehouse, with the local government saying it has not a received a request needed for their destruction.

Reuters in July quoted sources as saying the contraceptives would be burned after Washington rejected offers from the United Nations and family planning organisations to buy or ship the supplies to poor nations. A U.S. State Department spokesperson later confirmed a decision had been taken to destroy them.

The stock remains in a warehouse in Geel in the province of Antwerp, said a spokesperson for Flemish Environment Minister Jo Brouns, who is responsible for the matter.

Flanders, which has its own government, has a ban on incinerating medicines and medical devices that have been properly stored and are still usable, even if the destruction happens in another country. A request for incineration is required for such items to be destroyed.

"They cannot be sent for incineration unless a formal derogation from this ban has first been requested and granted... To date, we have not received any such request," the spokesperson said. "Destroying reusable medical supplies runs directly counter our policy."

The local authorities were "exploring the legal avenues" and are "open to engaging directly with the American authorities to jointly find a constructive and responsible solution," the spokesperson said.

A spokesperson for Belgian Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Prevot said diplomatic contacts with the U.S. authorities were "still under way" on the matter.

Washington did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

The supplies have been stuck for months in the warehouse in Geel following President Donald Trump's decision to freeze U.S. foreign aid in January.

They comprise contraceptive implants and pills as well as intrauterine devices to help prevent unwanted pregnancies, according to the sources who spoke to Reuters and a screengrab shared by a source confirming the planned destruction.

(Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout, Ammy Kannampilly, Editing by Timothy Heritage)