Central
The central government is responsible for:
European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)
- Economic policy matters that affect the economic and monetary union of Belgium;
- Managing authority for ERDF projects;
- The financial policy and protection of savings;
- The fiscal policy;
- Trade and company law, intellectual property rights;
- Setting the framework for public tenders;
- Prices and incomes policy, and
- Quotas and licenses.
Spatial planning
Spatial Planning has been transferred from the national level to the regional level in the state reforms of 1980 and 1988. There is no federal competency, no supervisory power on the regional competencies. However, some institutions like the State Council and the Court of Arbitration play a judicial and advisory role in spatial planning policy.
European Social Fund (ESF)
- The labour law, and
- Social security.
- Manging authority for ESF projects;
Regional
Regions
Regional authorities are responsible for:
European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)
- Regional development policy;
- Economic policy in a broad sense (innovation, restructuring policy and the public industrial initiative);
- Regional investment companies, subsidy policy;
- The regional aspect of credit policy;
- A series of taxes set out pursuant to a special law;
- The technological attraction poles, and
- The socio-economic permit which is needed for the implementation of commercial projects.
Spatial planning
Spatial planning is a regionalised competency with no federal supervision, which includes:
- The determination of spatial planning policy and spatial planning systems;
- The planning legislation and regulations;
- Issuing building permits for major infrastructure projects;
- The expropriation procedure (except those carried out by the federal authority);
European Social Fund (ESF)
- Employment support programmes.
Local
Provinces / Municipalities
Local authorities are responsible for:
European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)
- Local economic development policy in the context of the general competency of local self-administration;
- Local economic support, and
- The management of economic affairs of provincial or municipal importance.
Spatial planning
- The development and implementation of local land use plans;
- Municipal destination plans/ municipal structure plans;
- The granting of building permits;
- The organisation of policy-making and service provision on an inter-municipal basis.
European Social Fund (ESF)
- Support for local employment opportunities, and
- The management of employment policy measures of provincial or municipal importance.
Responsible ministries/bodies
Social Security FPS/FOD / Portal Website
Social Integration FPS/FOD
Employment, Labour and Social Dialogue FPS/FOD
Brussels Capital Region
Wallonia Region
Flanders Region
Sources
Constitution of Belgium (Constitution belge texte coordonné du 17 février 1994). In particular Art. 39, 139
Decree of the French Community (19 July 1993) relating to the transfer of the exercise of certain competences of the French Community to the Walloon Region (Décret de la Communauté française du 19 juillet 1993 relatif au transfert de l'exercice de certaines compétences de la Communauté française á la région wallonne et á la commission communautaire française).
Decree of the French Community (6 May 1999) relating to the transfer of the exercise of certain competences of the French Community to the Walloon Region (Décret de la Communauté française du 6 mai 1999 relatif au transfert de l'exercice de certaines compétences de la Communauté française á la région wallonne et á la commission communautaire française)
Special law of Institutional Reform (Loi Spéciale de réformes institutionnelles du 8 Août 1980). In particular Art. 6, paragraph 1, indent I, VI
The French Speaking Community (Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles)
“The ESF in Belgium", European Commission Website
European Cohesion Policy in Belgium, European Commission
