table1overviewofspatialplanningsystem-espaceproject.docVIP

APPENDIX 3C: SUMMARY OF SPATIAL PLANNING SYSTEMS: BELGIUM Topic Response Responsibilities for spatial planning at the national, regional and local level, including the policy themes covered at each level Belgium is a constitutional monarchy that, as the result of four successive revisions of the Constitution (in 1970, 1980, 1988-89 and 1993), has become a Federal state. Belgium is composed of three communities (the Flemish Community, the Wallonia-Brussels Community, the German-speaking Community) and three regions (the Flemish Region, the Walloon Region and the Region of Brussels-Capital). The communities correspond to population groupings, based on their language (Dutch, French and German, all three recognised as official languages) and their cultural identity. Therefore the Dutch speaking people of Brussels belong to the Flemish Community and the French speaking people belong to the Wallonian Community. The regions are defined on a territorial basis. The power to make decisions is shared between the Federal State, the Communities and the Regions, who take action on an even footing, but are distinguished by their spheres of competence. The Federal State is responsible for justice (including the Federal police), social security (including pensions), finance, foreign policy, national defence, certain areas of the economy such as the prices and incomes policy, together with an important part of the public health, internal affairs, co-operation for development. The Federal State is also responsible for everything that does not expressly come under the authority of Communities and the Regions. Finally, the Federal State assumes all Belgium’s responsibilities and those of its federated entities with regard to the European Union, NATO and the UN. The Federal State has no explicit power over the spatial planning system. Spatial planning is controlled through the regional levels, however, the basic principles of the 1962 Spatial Organisation and Town Planning Ac