Since 1970, the unitarian Belgium has been
converted, in five reforms, into a federal State with a multi-layered
structure of government. At each step, more autonomy was devolved to the
communities and regions, with the aim of bringing policy-making closer
to the citizens and enabling better governance at all levels of power.
In recent months, the idea that a new phase in
the reform of our institutions would be advisable has gained ground.
Indeed, the current distribution of competences and financing
arrangements have clearly proved to be inadequate for all levels of
government to be able to respond to the future challenges. This is why
any new institutional reform will have to strengthen the various levels
of power. A new balance between the different authorities needs to be
sought, so that they support each other more and cooperate more
efficiently.
A proposal for an extraordinary law has been put
before the Senate envisaging a first step in this new reform. More
specifically, this draft law provides for a series of packages of
competences in the field of economic and industrial policy, housing
policy and mobility to be transferred to the federate bodies. These
concern, for example, competence for granting business start-up permits,
for the social economy, for the Participation Fund and the agricultural
disaster fund, etc.
Expanding on this first stage, between now and
mid-July, the government will make a statement to the Chamber of
Representatives on the content of a second package of reform proposals.
Both the first and the second packages are structured around three main
themes:
-
homogenisation and coherence of competences;
-
more efficient functioning of the federation;
-
adapted financing of the federate bodies, the
federal State and the Brussels-Capital Region.
