BGM DigestBGM Digest — Week 24 (8-14 June 2026)
Administrative Reform: Toward Seventy Million Euros in Annual Savings
The Brussels Government continued its work on administrative restructuring by approving on 14 June the second reading of the reform's first pillar. This component aims at rationalising external consulting expenditure : up to 67 million EUR in savings by 2029, based on documented history exceeding 107 million EUR paid to private firms between 2018 and 2022, of which approximately 50 million EUR went to Deloitte alone. The first reading had mobilised over 100 civil servants on 5 June. This restructuring aligns with the government's commitment to reduce regional public service costs.
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Vivaqua: Region Becomes Forty-Nine Percent Shareholder
Major decision of 11 June : the government injects 180 million EUR into Vivaqua and becomes a 49 % shareholder, accessing the board of directors for the first time. Hydria transfers five retention basins and 40 km of collectors to Vivaqua, which now manages the entire Brussels sewage network. This capitalisation aligns the water management models practised in Flanders (De Watergroep) and Wallonia (SWDE). This recapitalisation marks a major turning point for the financial autonomy and governance of Brussels's water management utility.
Mobility: Ban on Shared E-Scooters and Metro Network Under Strain
The Brussels Government decided on 11 June to prohibit shared electric scooters starting 1 January 2027. Bolt and Dott licences expire end-2026 ; the next public tender will exclude this service. Motives : road safety and combating criminal misuse. Affected companies (Dott : approximately 60 jobs at risk ; Bolt, which had just deployed 1 200 units) report deep disappointment.
Concurrently, technical incidents persist on the metro network : 1 459 incidents recorded in 2025 versus 1 239 in 2024, averaging 3 to 4 per day. STIB attributes this increase to modernisation works and ageing of MX trains (lines 2 and 6). Average duration of disruptions has, however, decreased. Brussels Mobility's summer works concern avenue Louise, Loi and Boileau tunnels, Sainctelette footbridge, and quai Monnoyer.
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LEZ: Social Exemption and Action Against Aircraft Noise
The Council of Ministers on 11 June approved in first reading two scenarios for social exemption for beneficiaries of increased intervention (BIM—Bénéficiaire de l'Intervention Majorée). Texts were submitted to the State Council ; second reading will occur after summer. The government remains divided on the best mechanism but commits to clarification before strengthened fines scheduled for July.
The Region also decided on 11 June to initiate cessation proceedings against intensive use of the RNP-07 air route (so-called "Crucke route") to Brussels Airport. Penalty payments are possible at the charge of the Belgian state should noise standards be breached during landings on runway 07L. This action follows four months after the test phase began, risking permanent status without regional consultation.
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AISSJ Audit: Widespread Irregularities and Expanded SLRB Dossier
The social housing scandal in Saint-Josse returns to centre stage. The regional audit of AISSJ, revealed by press, documents irregularities in 86 % of housing allocation files over more than two decades. The MR requests expansion of the dedicated investigation commission to the full social housing sector ; Team Fouad Ahidar advocates a separate commission for all social housing ; Ecolo proposes distinct examination. Saint-Josse municipality demands access to the file submitted to the prosecutor's office and contemplates joining as a civil party.
Meanwhile, the SLRB dossier worsens : a social plan involving 9 dismissals (3 statutory, 6 contractual) and unemployment measures for 6 additional contractual staff is confirmed. Management cites "reduced work volume" ; the minister's office mentions "internal evaluation." In background, Gandhi Tower 2 in Molenbeek (57 social housing units) risks remaining empty for a decade : 12 million EUR shortfall on 31 million EUR needed, estimated annual rental loss 500 000 EUR.
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Security: Financing Crisis at SIAMU and Anti-Begging Action
On 11 June, the trade union confederations and Brussels Fire Service management jointly called on the government for "immediate structural refinancing" of SIAMU. Recruitment freeze does not offset natural attrition ; emergency calls are processed more slowly ; emergency vehicles remain out of service. This heightens tension with the government's commitment to personnel reinforcement, currently in delay.
In Brussels City, the ordinance adopted 20 April frames begging with fines up to 500 EUR in certain zones. Seven associations filed for annulment before the State Council. The regional government also initiated cessation action against aggressive, insistent, or intimidating begging.
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Employment and Social: PCSW Tensions and Shared Socio-Economic Priorities
Molenbeek-Saint-Jean plans elimination of 40 jobs — 20 in administration and 20 at the PCSW (Centre Public d'Action Sociale)— as part of its financial recovery plan. Yet PCSW beneficiaries rose from 7 300 to 8 500 following federal unemployment reform. The digital divide service is drastically reduced. This marks the first case of direct dismissals within a Brussels PCSW since the unemployment reform.
On the positive side, the government and social partners (Brupartners) signed a protocol on 11 June setting 17 shared priorities across seven axes : mobility, employment, urban planning, economy, environment, social and health. Commitments include a 2030 strategic vision for territorial development, enhanced job-seeker support, and universal healthcare access. Each minister must establish a steering committee by September 2026.
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Metro 3: Parliamentary Commission Hearings and Persistent Impasses
The Brussels Parliament's special Metro 3 commission held hearings of former regional officials on 11 June. Final hearing is scheduled 18 June with the Mobility Minister and State Secretary for Urban Planning. Debates reveal ongoing tensions between federal (Beliris) and regional project sponsors, and persistent difficulties with the underground link beneath the North Station, whose cost and feasibility remain contested.
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.