BGM DigestBGM Digest — Week 17 (20-26 April 2026)
Railway accessibility : €57.8 million for 7 Brussels stations
The Federal Council of Ministers approved, on 24 April, €57.8 million to make seven Brussels stations accessible : Brussels-South, Etterbeek, Schaerbeek, Haren-South, Uccle-Stalle, Forest-East and Bordet. Work includes raising platforms (level access) and improving access pathways. This amendment to Infrabel's 2023-2032 multi-year plan, proposed by Mobility Minister Jean-Luc Crucke (Les Engagés), is funded by deferring two major railway projects.
Metro 3 : tunnel section under North Station is compromised
The Brussels Parliament's special Metro 3 commission heard, on 23 April, Henri Ernst (Galère / SM Progrès), a member of the project consortium. His assessment : "We are operating on the assumption that there is little chance that the project [under the North Station] will succeed." Beliris has asked the consortium to complete only the urban planning improvements around the station. A new technique (V.E.R.T.) would require €75.119 million in additional costs beyond the €22.56 million already committed, with no guarantee of feasibility. The project has been at a standstill for several years.
Housing : mortgage credit resumption on 1 July
State Secretary Karine Lalieux (PS) confirmed, on 23 April in Brussels Parliament commission, that the Housing Fund's mortgage loans — suspended since summer 2025 — will resume on 1 July 2026. Resumption is conditional on obtaining regional guarantee on financial markets. Ecoreno loans had already resumed on 1 January 2026. Twenty-five employees had been placed on economic unemployment during the suspension.
Police zone merger : second reading passed in Chamber
The Chamber's Interior Commission approved, on 21 April, in second reading the bills on merging six Brussels police zones. Vote : 9 in favour (Arizona majority), 3 against (PS + PVDA), 3 abstentions (Vlaams Belang + Groen-Ecolo). The text moves to the full Chamber sitting. Within at most 18 months of the law's publication, Brussels will have a single police zone.
View the police merger dossier →
Evere joins action against aircraft noise
Evere's municipal council unanimously adopted a motion against aircraft noise nuisance from Brussels Airport and approved an amendment to join legal action already taken by Schaerbeek, Koekelberg and Molenbeek against certain flight routes, particularly RNP 07L (approximately 200 movements daily).
See the affected municipalities →
Dutch primary education : capacity constraints documented
LOP Brussel Basisonderwijs published, on 24 April, the 2026 enrolment results for Dutch-language primary education in Brussels. Approximately 60 % of children obtained places in preferred schools ; 42 % (approximately 2,274 children) are on waiting lists. This capacity constraint is documented on the VGC / Flemish Community side.
See regional education commitments →
Brussels Digital : civil society mobilization for online services access
Lire et Écrire organized, on 23 April, a "L'humain d'abord !" gathering (Fernand Cocq Square, Ixelles) demanding effective implementation of the Brussels Digital ordinance (adopted 25 January 2024). This joint ordinance of Region + COCOM + COCOF guarantees citizen rights : online procedures, mandatory offline channels (counters, phone, mail), eBox, disability accessibility. The 2022 Barometer shows 4 in 10 Brussels residents report digital difficulties.
Koekelberg : Simonis Square redesign underway
Koekelberg municipality launched, in April, a feasibility study for the redesign of Eugène Simonis Square, a multimodal hub with approximately 30,000 users daily (metro lines 2 and 6, tram, SNCB station, bus). Project manager : Beliris. Citizen consultation is open. No budget or timetable has been communicated.
Brussels City : urban agriculture and King Baudouin Stadium renovation
Brussels City published its Stadslandbouw (urban agriculture) strategy targeting +10 hectares of agricultural land by 2030, from an estimated baseline of 13-15 ha. In parallel, a joint Region + City visit to King Baudouin Stadium (22 April) affirmed a shared position : renovation rather than a new stadium, with request for federal co-financing.
Humanitarian Hub evacuation : precarious situation documented
Brussels City and Bruss'help proceeded, on 21 April, with evacuation of tents around the Humanitarian Hub (avenue du Port). Occupants had been pre-informed and directed to emergency accommodation ; several refused the offers. Médecins du Monde denounces the absence of long-term solutions. The evacuation concerns the outdoor encampment only ; the Hub itself remains operational.
Schaerbeek and Saint-Josse pursue action against RNP-07L flight path
Schaerbeek announced, on 23 April, that it would file environmental cessation action against intensive use of the RNP-07L landing route at Brussels Airport. The municipality joins Molenbeek-Saint-Jean and Koekelberg, already engaged in the same proceeding.
GH Group case : one-month stay extended
The Brussels Commercial Tribunal granted, on 20 April, a further one-month stay to GH Group / Gérald Hibert (hearing 18 May 2026). Twenty-two companies have been under provisional administration since late March. The portfolio is estimated at between 1 and 1.5 billion EUR. An offer from US fund Revetas (€500 million) was announced, pending confirmation.
View the insolvencies dossier →
Bolt deploys 1,200 scooters with new safety features
Bolt began, on 22 April, deploying 1,200 "Bolt7" scooters in Brussels (out of 4,000 Bolt units total). Innovations include integrated GPS with handlebar display, onboard AI to detect pavement riding (warning then automatic slowdown), and visual indication of drop zones and speed-reduction areas.
"Agent of change" proposal : protection of nightlife venues
Ordinance A-55/1 – 2024/2025 "agent of change" was unanimously adopted in Brussels Parliament's territorial development commission (10 for, 5 abstentions). The principle : noise mitigation responsibility falls on the newcomer. This tool aims to protect Brussels nightlife venues from neighbour disputes.
See institutional commitments →
Brussels rents : academic comparison by urban complex
IBSA publishes Brussels Studies Fact Sheet n°216 : analysis of rents by urban complex (CRU). Median apartment rents in Brussels CRU rose +3 % in 2024, are +12 % more expensive than Flemish CRUs and +27 % more expensive than Walloon CRUs.
Brussels City : begging regulated, hospitality taxes raised
The 20 April municipal council adopted a begging ordinance banning begging with children under 16 in the Pentagon, Louise Square and Louise Avenue (fines up to €500), and banning "aggressive, persistent, intimidating" begging city-wide for 2 years. Simultaneously, hospitality terrace taxes were raised : pedestrian zone €45/m²/year for terraces >50 m² (+50 %), Grand-Place and Sablon **€50/m
This content was automatically translated. The original version is in French. Read the French version.
Source: Brussels Governance Monitor — independent civic monitoring of Brussels governance.