Belgian prosecutors have advised against giving citizenship to Bernard Arnault, France's richest man and chief executive of luxury group LVMH, whom critics accuse of seeking to avoid French taxes, reports Reuters.
Arnault had not shown he had principally been living in Belgium for the required period of at least three years, a spokesman for the prosecutors said.
"There is also a preliminary examination of his businesses in Belgium," he added.
An LVMH spokesman in Paris said the prosecutors' decision was no more than "a stage in the process of seeking a double-nationality which won't prejudice its final outcome."
Arnault's bid for Belgian citizenship in September caused uproar in France. Critics believed the move was a bid to avoid a then planned 75 percent supertax on income over 1 million euros and duties on wealth. Arnault has denied this is the reason.
Belgian citizenship is granted by a parliamentary committee, which takes advice from prosecutors, the state security agency and the immigration office. The latter also gave negative advice last month, Belgian media reported.
Read more of this report from Reuters.