European sustainable development rural actor database


Belgium

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Coordinate
Language:
French, Dutch

Currency:
Euro
Area:
30,158.00

Population:
10.50

Density:
343.60

GIP:
298

GIP per cap.:
28,471.00

Political regime:
Parliamentary monarchy

Head of State:
His Majesty the King Albert the IInd
Head of governement:
M. Guy Verhofstadt (Flemish Liberal and Democrat Party – VLD)
Eutropean Union Membership:
Founder member
National anthem:
The Brabançonne
Generals Informations


Administrative organization
Rural life
Sustainability


Administrative organization

Form of State: federal State.
The Federation has exclusive legislative powers on a very limited number of subjects:

  • Defence
  • The legal system
  • Social security
  • Monetary policy

However, it shares a large number of responsibilities with the regions and/or the communities:

  • Economic policy
  • Energy
  • Finance
  • External trade
  • Agriculture
  • Public health
  • Employment
  • Transport
  • International relations
  • Language use
  • Taxation
  • Aid to developing countries

Interesting ministries:

  • Ministry of Budget and Consumer Protection. Minister and Deputy Prime Minister: Mrs Freya Van den Bossche. A Secretary of State for Sustainable Development and Social Economy is attached to this Ministry.
  • Ministry of Middle-Class and Agriculture. Minister: Mrs Sabine Laruelle. No mention of rural development.
  • Ministry of the Environment and Pensions. Minister: M. Bruno Tobback. No mention of sustainable development.

Administrative units

Name

Number

Competences

NUTS 1

Regions and communities

The 3 regions are: the Walloon, Flemish and Brussels-capital regions.

The 3 communities are: the French, Flemish, and German-speaking communities.

We can note here that the Flemish region and community are now merged.

3+3

Responsibilities of the communities:

- Use of languages*

- Protection of public health and young people

- Culture

- Education and training

- International relations*

- The media, including radio and TV

- Social assistance

- Research and development is the exclusive responsibility of the communities, as is foreign policy on such matters

Responsibilities of the regions:

- Urban policy and spatial planning

- Energy*

- Public housing

- Environment

- Economy policy*

- Public works (infrastructure)

- International relations*

- Taxation*

- Supervision of municipal and provincial law

- Transport*

- Employment*

- External trade*

- Agriculture*

- Research and development is the exclusive responsibility of the regions, as is foreign policy on such matters and the import, export and transit of arms.

(* Shared responsibilities)

NUTS 2

Provinces

11

(5 Flemish ones + 5 Walloon ones + Brussels)

Urban planning

Maintenance of infrastructure

Initiative powers in education, culture and sport

Responsible for implementing all federal, community and regional legislations and regulations

General affairs of the provinces

NUTS 3

Arrondissements

43

LAU 1

LAU 2

Communes

589

(262 Walloon ones + 19 Brussels ones + 308 Flemish ones)

Maintenance of public order

Organisation of elections

Registry of birth, marriage and deaths, issuing administrative documents

Planning permission

Maintenance of road infrastructures

Social welfare

General affairs of the municipalities

NB: the regions and the communities may issue regional and community decrees which have the force of law; there is no hierarchical relationship between the regions or communities and the federal authority
Total public expenditure : € 149.1 billions = 50% GDP.
Sub-national public expenditure without the regions and communities: € 20.8 billions = 7.0% GDP = 13.9% total public expenditure.
Sub-national public expenditure including the regions and communities: € 62.9 billions = 21.1% GDP = 42.2% total public expenditure.

Rural life

Utilized agricultural area: 45.4% total area, i.e. about 13,691 km2.
Rural population: 2.8% total population.
Labour force in agriculture: 71,000 Annual Work Units (AWU).
Unemployment rate by degree of urbanisation:

  • Densely populated areas: 10.5%
  • Intermediate areas: 5.9%
  • Thinly populated areas: 8.4%

Employment rate by degree of urbanisation:

  • Densely populated areas: 58.9%
  • Intermediate areas: 63.9%
  • Thinly populated areas: 61.3%

Youth unemployment ratio by degree of urbanisation:

  • Densely populated areas: 8.1%
  • Intermediate areas: 6.3%
  • Thinly populated areas: 10.2%
  • Total: 7.5%

Share of organic area in total utilised agricultural area: 1.7%.

Sustainability

Belgium is a Federal state composed of three regions and three Communities. The Federal Level has developed a consistent strategy for sustainable development. The Regional authorities have so far mainly focused their attention on the development of strategies to enhance the environmental dimension of SD. More recently, however, the regions have also started preparing regional strategies for SD. Because these are only in a preliminary phase, this review will concentrate on describing the federal framework.
Two federal plans have been published so far, complementing each other. The first one (2000-2004) aimed at:

  • combating poverty
  • changing consumption patterns
  • protecting and promoting human health conditions,
  • protecting the atmosphere
  • promoting sustainable agriculture and rural development
  • conservation of biodiversity
  • protection and management of the marine environment

While the second one (2004-2008) adresses the following priorities:

  • combating poverty
  • ageing population
  • public health
  • natural resources
  • climate change
  • mobility

Environmental protection expenditure in the public sector: 0.5 % of GDP, i.e. 135 € per capita.
Government expenditure on environment protection, in % of GDP: 0.7%.
Government expenditure on environment protection, in % of total government expenditure: 1.4%.
Area protected under the Habitats Directive as a percentage of total area: 10%.