Governmental heritage: 20 months without a regional government (2024–2026)

This page archives the state of the Brussels-Capital Region at the end of 20 months of caretaker government (June 2024 — February 2026). This content has historical value: it will no longer be updated.

Budget

This data remains relevant as baseline context and tracking indicators for the commitments made.

What are provisional twelfths?

When a government is in caretaker mode, it cannot have a new budget approved by Parliament. The provisional twelfths mechanism applies: each month, the Region may spend a maximum of 1/12th of the last approved budget.

In practice, this means:

• No new expenditure beyond what was planned in the last budget (the 2024 budget, voted before the elections).
• No new programmes — any project that was not already budgeted is blocked.
• Inflation is not compensated — if prices rise, the real value of expenditure decreases automatically.

The concrete impact

Erosion through inflation

With cumulative inflation of approximately 6% between Q4 2023 budget design and early 2026 (based on Statbel indices), the 2026 provisional twelfths buy approximately 6% less than the original 2024 budget. Civil servants receive their indexed salary, but investments and subsidies remain at the 2024 nominal level.

Frozen investments

Any investment that required a new political decision is at a standstill:

• No new funding envelopes for Master Development Plans (PAD)
• No refinancing of management contracts that have expired
• No new calls for projects in most regional administrations

Savings already in place since the 2024 budget

Even before the RPD, differentiated linear cuts had been imposed in the 2024 budget (ministerial circular of 7 December 2023). These reductions applied to the Region's 23 consolidated structures:

• Personnel: -3% (excluding STIB operational staff)
• Operating costs: -5%
• Discretionary subsidies: -8%
• Investments: -10%

The effort represented approximately EUR 200 million in savings on the 2024 budget. This puts the additional EUR 1.2 billion effort required by the RPD in perspective: the most accessible margins have already been mobilised.

Source: RTBF, 2024 budget; ministerial circular of 07/12/2023.

Regional debt sharply rising

The Court of Auditors issued an adverse opinion on the Region's 2024 accounts, citing "significant anomalies". The consolidated gross debt has tripled since 2016, rising from 4.6 to 15.65 billion EUR. Annual interest charges have increased 4.4-fold: from 91 million in 2016 to 399 million EUR in 2024, with a projected 548 million by 2029. According to S&P Global Ratings, interest charges reach 415 million EUR per year in 2025. The gap between the projected deficit (-1.080B) and the actual deficit (-1.515B) in 2024 was 434.8 million EUR.

This debt dynamic is partly explained by the stagnation of regional revenues. The fiscal exodus — the departure of higher-income residents to Walloon and Flemish Brabant — erodes the personal income tax (IPP) base, while capital-city obligations (infrastructure, social services, commuters) continue to grow. According to IBSA (Focus No. 73) and the NBB, Brussels' budget problem lies more on the revenue side than on the spending side.

Shutdown risk narrowly averted

At the end of 2025, Belfius -- the Region's main creditor -- had announced the end of its credit line on 1 January 2026. The contract was ultimately extended by one year (50 million EUR). Without this extension, the Region would no longer have been able to pay its civil servants and maintain basic services.

The scale of the financial tightening is considerable: Belfius withdrew 500 million EUR in credit lines, and ING let 500 million EUR expire on 1 January 2026. In total, the Region lost approximately 1 billion EUR in borrowing capacity within a few months. S&P Global Ratings confirmed the Region's A rating in June 2025, but with a negative outlook -- a warning signal for financial markets.

19 municipalities in difficulty

The budget impact is cascading down to the 19 Brussels municipalities, described as being in "slow financial agony". Without a regional government to redistribute grants and refinance solidarity mechanisms, the most vulnerable municipalities see their margins shrinking. Municipal public welfare centres (CPAS), already under pressure from unemployment reform, are absorbing a growing burden without additional resources.

Subsidies and agreements

Multi-year agreements between the Region and subsidised organisations (associations, cultural institutions, etc.) that expire cannot be renewed by a caretaker government. Only existing commitments with a legal basis continue.

The conclave's target (February 2026)

The formation conclave opened on 10 February 2026 set an ambitious budget framework: a return to balanced budget by 2029, requiring approximately EUR 1 billion in savings over more than three years (~EUR 350 million per year). This figure illustrates the scale of the recovery needed, in a context where debt has tripled and interest charges continue to grow.

Sources and methodology

The budget figures come from official documents of the Brussels Parliament and reports by the Court of Audit. The estimate of the real loss due to inflation is calculated by BGM based on consumer price indices published by Statbel and the National Bank of Belgium. This estimate uses the simplifying assumption of a constant nominal budget, which underestimates the real impact (certain items such as salaries are indexed automatically, which correspondingly reduces the margins for other expenditure).

Housing

A market under extreme pressure

Housing in Brussels has been in structural crisis for years. The absence of a regional government since June 2024 has turned a difficult situation into a deadlock: no new programme can be launched, no major investment decided, no reform adopted.

The historic waiting list

At the end of 2025, 62,234 households are registered on the waiting list for social housing — an all-time record. This represents 10% of all Brussels households. The average waiting time is 9 to 13 years depending on the type of housing requested.

The Brussels social housing stock comprises approximately 42,000 dwellings, managed by 16 Public Service Real Estate Companies (SISPs). The ratio is simple: there are more households waiting than existing dwellings.

The rent gap

The gulf between the social and private markets illustrates the urgency:

• Average social rent: EUR 412/month (end of 2024)
• Average private rent: EUR 1,376/month (2025 contracts, +3.7% year-on-year, source Federia). No Brussels municipality has an average rent below EUR 1,000
• For a one-bedroom apartment: approximately EUR 1,110/month at the start of 2026

Half of Brussels households meet the eligibility criteria for social housing. Supply covers only a fraction of demand.

A rental market seizing up

According to the Federia Rental Barometer 2025 (published 11 February 2026, based on approximately 70,000 leases), the number of new rental contracts signed via agencies fell by 10% in 2024 despite strong demand. The median apartment rent reached EUR 1,213/month, up 28% since 2021 (EUR 950). Federia points to a "gradual disengagement of private investors" that is reducing the supply of affordable housing.

The Brussels rental market, roughly 90% composed of apartments, shows signs of structural gridlock: landlords are reluctant to re-let amid regulatory uncertainty (rent control, outdated reference grid), while tenants stay put for lack of an affordable alternative. Finding housing below EUR 1,000/month has become "rare" in Brussels, including for studios and one-bedroom apartments.

Overcrowding, a silent indicator

31% of Brussels residents live in overcrowded housing (insufficient rooms for household size), compared to 5.7% on average in Belgium. Brussels is the most overcrowded region in the country. This figure, stable for several years, reflects a structural shortage of affordable housing of adequate size.

Purchase prices

The Brussels property market is equally strained. According to Statbel (Q3 2025):

• Apartment (median): EUR 274,550 in Brussels, compared to EUR 255,000 in Belgium (+2.9% year-on-year)
• Terraced house (median): EUR 525,000, compared to EUR 280,000 in Belgium — i.e. 87% above the national average
• Detached house (median): EUR 1,112,500, compared to EUR 390,000 in Belgium

Access to home ownership is all the more difficult given that 60% of Brussels households are renters (compared to 30% on average in Belgium) and that the Housing Fund, the main social lending instrument, has suspended its home purchase loans.

Rent control (May 2025)

Since 1 May 2025, the Brussels Housing Code imposes a reference framework for rents. Any rent exceeding the reference rent (calculated via the official loyers.brussels grid) by more than 20% is presumed abusive, with the burden of proof on the landlord.

However, the reference grid is based on surveys from 2017 to 2020, making it outdated: according to a Brussels Signal analysis, more than 50% of current leases would exceed the threshold and be technically "abusive" due to the gap between actual rents and the outdated grid.

The Housing Fund at a standstill

On 1 July 2025, the Housing Fund suspended all new credit applications. The caretaker government refused a loan of EUR 50 million, with the budget minister citing the refusal to increase Brussels' debt.

Services suspended then partially resumed

On 1 July 2025, all credits were suspended. Since 2 January 2026, Ecoreno credits (energy renovation) have been reopened thanks to targeted refinancing. The following remain suspended until at least 31 March 2026:

• Home purchase mortgages
• ECORENO consumer credits
• Investment credits for co-ownerships

Approximately 50,000 households in Brussels waiting for affordable housing are directly affected. Around twenty employees in the credit department were placed on temporary unemployment.

Banking pressure

In November 2024, Belfius withdrew a EUR 500 million credit line from the Housing Fund. Other banks refused tenders "to send a signal to Brussels politicians". The Fund's credit risk has not changed — the pressure is political.

Rental allowances paid late

In December 2024, approximately 6,000 recipients did not receive their rental allowance on time. The cause: no budget adjustment had been prepared since May 2024 (election year). The coffers were empty. Payments were finally made in early January 2025 thanks to provisional twelfths.

What has been done despite everything

• 2,000 new social housing units delivered between 2020 and 2024
• 7,500 dwellings renovated over the same period
• 2,327 families housed in social housing in 2024
• EUR 2 billion invested in social housing 2020-2024
• The tenancy reform (Housing Code) entered into force on 1 November 2024, adopted before the elections

What is blocked

• Alliance Habitat: new phases frozen (original target: 6,720 new public housing units for EUR 953 million)
• New construction projects: on hold even with permits obtained
• Rental allowance reform: no structural overhaul possible
• PAD (Master Development Plans): Gare du Midi, Heysel frozen
• SLRB carrying a debt of 195 million EUR, forced to sell the Ariane and Palais sites (~52 million EUR), including nearly completed projects

Why this matters

Housing is the largest expenditure item for Brussels households. When 10% of the population is waiting for social housing and the main financing tool is at a standstill, every month without a government deepens a social debt that will take years to address.

Employment

The double crisis

Brussels faces an unprecedented situation: the largest federal unemployment reform in decades arrives at the precise moment when the Region is unable to deploy a structural political response.

Brussels, last in employment in Belgium

The Labour Force Survey figures (Statbel, Q3 2025) confirm the scale of the structural gap:

• Unemployment rate (ILO): 13.1% in Brussels, compared to 7.9% in Wallonia and 4.5% in Flanders. The Region has an unemployment rate twice as high as the national average (6.5%).
• Employment rate (20-64): 64.9% in Brussels, compared to 68.6% in Wallonia and 76.5% in Flanders. This is the lowest rate of the three Regions, nearly 8 points below the national average (72.7%).

These ILO figures, based on an international methodology, are complementary to the Actiris administrative unemployment rate (15.4%). The difference is explained by the criteria: the ILO counts as unemployed any person without a job who is actively seeking work, while Actiris counts those registered as jobseekers.

The federal unemployment reform

Since 1 January 2026, the reform adopted by the federal government limits the duration of unemployment benefits to a maximum of 24 months. The main measures:

• Professional integration period reduced from 12 to 6 months
• Integration allowances limited to 12 months (compared to 36 months previously)
• Mass exclusion: according to the FGTB, at least 32,000 Brussels residents were excluded from January 2026, and 42,000 over 18 months (Actiris estimate)

The most affected municipalities: Brussels-City (7,825 exclusions), Schaerbeek (4,761), Anderlecht (4,604), Molenbeek (4,048). In Saint-Josse, Molenbeek and Saint-Gilles, nearly 4% of the population is affected.

The Region's inability to respond (June 2024 — February 2026)

During the caretaker period, the Brussels government could not:

• Launch new structural employment programmes
• Create the Employment Task Force called for by Brupartners to mobilise all Brussels stakeholders
• Vote a real budget to increase resources for Actiris and Bruxelles Formation
• Adopt new ordinances on employment or training

What has been done despite everything

The caretaker government adopted a 7-measure action plan in July 2025 to prepare for the reform:

1. Simplification of availability checks
2. Strengthened individual guidance
3. Generalisation of skills assessments
4. Increased orientation towards shortage occupations
5. Review of employment aid
6. Modularisation of training programmes
7. Incentives for studies in high-demand sectors

These measures, operational from 1 March 2026, represent what a caretaker government can do — but fall short of the structural response that social partners deem necessary.

The 5th ONEM wave (14 February 2026)

ONEM sent approximately 36,000 additional letters on 14 February 2026, informing beneficiaries of the end of their entitlement between July 2026 and July 2027. In total, the reform will affect 168,063 people nationally, of which 22.1% in Brussels (~37,000 people).

The Court of Audit published a critical report on the planned compensation for CPAS: the estimated total cost reaches EUR 709.3M by 2029 nationally, deemed underestimated compared to federal projections. The degressive compensation (100% in the first year, 75% in the fourth) will leave a growing deficit to be borne by municipalities.

The 4th ONEM wave

In January 2026, ONEM sent 7,654 letters (art. 63) to Brussels jobseekers, informing them of the end of their right to integration allowances on 1 July 2026. Actiris is preparing to absorb a massive influx of re-registrations from March 2026, in anticipation of the transition.

Furthermore, reinforced control of under-25s comes into force on 1 March 2026: young people in integration stages will need to demonstrate active job searching or face early suspension.

January 2026: the acceleration

Actiris figures for January 2026 confirm the upward trend: 98,458 unemployed jobseekers (DEI), a 7.3% increase year-on-year. This is the highest figure since the end of the COVID crisis.

In parallel, bankruptcies in the Brussels Region reached 2,184 in 2025, up 13.6% year-on-year (source: Statbel). Nationally, 30,000 net job losses were recorded — the highest figure in 11 years.

Social dialogue blocked

Brupartners, the main body for socio-economic consultation in the Brussels Region, brings together the three cross-industry trade unions — FGTB (6 seats), CSC (6 seats) and CGSLB (3 seats) — alongside employer organisations (BECI, UCM) and the non-profit sector (BRUXEO).

In June 2025, marking one year without government, Brupartners identified 10 urgent measures, including an "Employment Task Force" to address the reform's impacts. Despite the 2025 Social Summit, dialogue between social partners and the government remains structurally limited: Brupartners' opinions do not find a counterpart authorised to legislate.

What continues to function

• Actiris: registration, guidance, matching, monthly statistics
• Bruxelles Formation and VDAB Brussel: existing training programmes maintained
• Integration contract: existing programme for young people under 25
• Youth Guarantee: Actiris commitment to young jobseekers

The impact on CPAS

People excluded from unemployment benefits will turn to CPAS to obtain the Social Integration Income (RIS). At the end of 2025, 20,038 Brussels jobseekers (20.7%) were already registered with the CPAS. Federal compensation is degressive: 100% in the first year, 75% in the fourth. Brussels CPAS describe the situation as "the calm before the storm".

Why this matters

Employment is the primary determinant of quality of life. With an unemployment rate of 15.4% (Dec. 2025) — the highest of Belgium's three Regions — and a federal reform that excludes 42,000 over 18 months (Actiris estimate), Brussels needs a strong regional political response. The DPR sets an ambitious target of 70% employment rate — implementation will need to be monitored.

Social policy

A sector under growing pressure

The Brussels social sector faces a convergence of crises: the federal unemployment reform is pushing tens of thousands of people towards CPAS, COCOM bicommunal investments are frozen due to the absence of a government, and needs in homelessness and mental health continue to rise.

Poverty in Brussels: the StatBel figures

According to the EU-SILC 2025 survey (Statbel), 37.3% of Brussels residents are at risk of poverty or social exclusion (AROPE indicator), more than double the national average (16.5%). This is the highest rate of all Belgian regions.

Precariousness also shows in daily life: 38.3% of Brussels residents report being unable to face an unexpected expense of EUR 1,100, compared with 31.4% in Wallonia and 13.2% in Flanders. The poverty threshold is set at EUR 1,565/month for a single person and EUR 3,287/month for a household of 2 adults and 2 children.

With 1,255,795 inhabitants (1 January 2025) and a density of approximately 7,700 inhabitants/km2, Brussels concentrates the social challenges of the country's largest agglomeration in a confined space. It is the only Belgian region where the natural balance remains positive (+5,330), but the internal exodus to Flanders and Wallonia (-17,993) reflects a structural departure of higher-income households.

The Common Community Commission (COCOM/GGC), responsible for bipersonal matters in Brussels (social welfare, health, elderly care, disability), has been in caretaker mode since June 2024. Its executive arm, Iriscare, continues its basic functions but cannot launch any new initiatives.

CPAS under pressure

The influx linked to the unemployment reform

The federal unemployment reform, which came into force on 1 January 2026, excludes tens of thousands of Brussels residents from unemployment benefits. These people turn to CPAS to obtain the Social Integration Income (RIS).

At the end of 2024, approximately 47,000 people were receiving the RIS in the Brussels Region (source: IBSA / FPS Social Integration). This figure is on a structural upward trend, and the full impact of the unemployment reform will only be felt during 2026.

First wave: real figures (January 2026)

The first impact figures from the unemployment reform on Brussels CPAS are now available. In January 2026, CPAS recorded 243 presentations from people who had lost their right to benefits, of which 67 RIS applications were approved. These figures, below the most alarmist projections, are explained by a latency effect: the real shock is expected in March-April 2026, once waiting periods and appeals are exhausted.

The burden on municipalities

The 19 Brussels CPAS are funded partly by the federal level (RIS reimbursement) and partly by the municipalities. Federal compensation is degressive:

• 100% in the first year for new recipients coming from unemployment
• 90% in the second year
• 75% from the fourth year onwards

This degressive schedule gradually shifts the burden to municipalities, whose budgets are already constrained. Brulocalis and RTBF estimate that the cumulative cost of the unemployment reform for Belgian CPAS exceeds EUR 1 billion. For the 19 Brussels CPAS, the impact could reach several tens of millions of euros per year from 2027.

Recruitment: an important nuance

CPAS have been able to hire 38 social workers and 14 administrative staff thanks to targeted federal funds (unemployment reform compensation). This reinforcement is real but remains insufficient given the expected influx: CPAS estimate they need 3 to 5 times more staff to absorb the March 2026 shock.

What CPAS cannot do

• Launch structural socio-professional integration programmes (regional competence)
• Adapt services to growing needs without a new regional budget envelope

Frozen COCOM investments

The role of COCOM

The Common Community Commission is the bicommunal institution responsible for personal welfare and health matters in Brussels. It funds and regulates:

• Residential care homes
• Home care
• Mental health services
• Homelessness policy
• Childcare (bicommunal component)

What is blocked

In caretaker mode, COCOM operates on provisional twelfths. In practice:

• No new accreditations for social welfare services
• No refinancing of expired multi-year agreements
• No new places in residential care homes, despite an ageing population
• No expansion of outpatient mental health services

Iriscare, the public interest body that implements COCOM policy, continues to process routine files but describes the situation as "operating at minimum capacity".

Family allowances under pressure

308,000 children concerned

Brussels family allowances, managed by COCOM through the public operator Famiris and three private operators, cover more than 308,000 children in the Brussels Region. This budget item is one of the largest for COCOM.

Savings at the expense of families

Faced with the budgetary constraints of caretaker government, several savings measures have already been taken:

• Permanent reduction of EUR 10/month for children born before 2020
• Elimination of the EUR 12/month supplement that was planned for 2026
• Total savings achieved: approximately EUR 33 million at the expense of Brussels families

The centralisation reform

In February 2026, a reform aims to centralise the payment of family allowances through a single operator (Famiris), instead of the current four operators. The goal is an additional saving of EUR 8 million per year through administrative rationalisation.

This reform is part of a spending review conducted by Brussels budget negotiators. Civil society organisations have written to the negotiators to request the preservation of current amounts and their indexation.

Sources: Le Soir (7 February 2026), BX1, Famiris.

Homelessness policy at a standstill

The figures

The last census conducted by Bruss'Help in November 2024 counted 9,777 homeless or houseless persons in Brussels — +24.5% in two years. This figure is on a steady upward trend: it was 5,313 in 2020 and 7,134 in 2022.

Children: a reported emergency

On 19 February 2026, the Kinderrechtencommissariaat (KRC, Flemish children's rights commissioner) and the Delegue general aux droits de l'enfant (DGDE, French-speaking counterpart) issued a joint alert: 1,678 minors are among the 9,777 homeless persons counted in November 2024, representing 17.2% of the total. More than 1,000 children sleep on the streets of Brussels on a regular basis.

This figure has risen by 72% since 2020. Samusocial reports 127 shelter refusals per week for families since October 2025. The winter shelter, which provides 285 family places, closes on 31 March 2026 — with no replacement solution identified.

The KRC and DGDE call for the winter shelter to remain open as long as necessary, the preservation of the 245 threatened family places, and a guarantee that no child be forced to sleep outside.

What is missing

The homelessness action plan requires political decisions that the caretaker government cannot take:

• Housing First: no extension of the programme despite proven results
• Emergency shelter places: the winter shelter system operates, but making places permanent requires a multi-year budget commitment
• Transitional housing: no new agreements between COCOM and municipalities
• Coordination of stakeholders: Bruss'Help provides operational coordination, but without new policy direction

Field services under pressure

Health outreach patrols threatened

Night-time health outreach patrols -- mobile teams that visit homeless persons to provide front-line medical care -- are threatened with suspension. The operating budget has not been renewed under the caretaker arrangement. These patrols are often the only medical contact for the most vulnerable people.

Athena medical centre closes

After 10 years of operation, the Athena medical centre (free consultations for people without coverage) closed its doors in early February 2026, due to a lack of structural funding. The centre served undocumented persons, asylum seekers and Brussels residents in extreme precarity.

In-work poverty

According to Vivalis (Brussels Social Barometer), 9.6% of Brussels workers live below the poverty line despite being employed, compared with 4.7% nationally. This rate, more than double the Belgian average, reflects the concentration in Brussels of precarious, part-time and low-paid jobs.

Mental health: growing needs without a response

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a lasting increase in mental health needs, particularly among young people and vulnerable populations. Brussels mental health services are saturated, with waiting lists of several months.

In caretaker mode:

• No new mental health initiatives have been launched since June 2024
• Existing mobile crisis teams continue to operate, but without reinforcement
• The Brussels Mental Health Network has not received additional resources
• Agreements with hospitals for psychiatric emergencies have not been renewed

What continues to function

• Iriscare: routine management of accreditations, payments to providers, inspections
• CPAS: RIS allocation, social assistance, individual support
• Bruss'Help: coordination of the homelessness sector, census, winter plan
• Accredited mental health services: consultations within their current capacity
• Winter shelter scheme: emergency accommodation during the winter period

Why this matters

The social sector is the last safety net for Brussels' most vulnerable residents. Nearly 10,000 people live without housing. When the unemployment reform excludes tens of thousands of people, homelessness is rising and mental health needs are surging, the Region's inability to take structural decisions has a direct human cost. CPAS, Iriscare and the voluntary sector absorb the shocks with existing resources, but every month without a government postpones the structural responses that Brussels needs.

Mobility

What is blocked

Metro 3 — North-South Line

The Metro 3 project aims to create a new metro line connecting the north of Brussels (Bordet) to the south (Albert). The total cost of the project is now estimated at EUR 4.6 billion. The first construction phases (converting existing pre-metro to full metro between Albert and Gare du Nord) are underway, supported by a EUR 475 million loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB).

However, a special commission of the Brussels Parliament (end of 2025) revealed a 255% budget overrun compared to the initial budget, with the delivery horizon pushed back to 2034 at the earliest.

Furthermore, the Council of State suspended the planning permit for the demolition-reconstruction of the Palais du Midi (ruling of 18 December 2025). The Region had violated heritage protection rules by granting the permit before the heritage assessment. Works planned for February 2026 cannot proceed. The case was brought by ARAU and Inter-Environnement Bruxelles.

The extension to Bordet (the most ambitious part) requires new political decisions:

• Budget reassessment and financial sustainability review
• Approval of the definitive route north of Schaerbeek
• Coordination with Master Development Plans (PAD)

Without a full government, these decisions cannot be taken.

Trois Fontaines viaduct

Brussels Mobility has submitted a planning permit for the redevelopment under the Trois Fontaines viaduct (Auderghem), involving the removal of 60 parking spaces and the installation of a drainage system for the Rouge-Cloitre.

The municipality of Auderghem opposes the project, demanding its integration into the Hermann-Debroux PAD (which includes a park-and-ride facility at EUR 40 million and a tram extension that have never been funded). The public inquiry runs from 2 to 31 March 2026, with an information meeting on 3 March at 8pm.

Road tunnels -- the Loi-Belliard case

Brussels has more than 30 road tunnels, several of which require major renovation. The most emblematic case is the Loi-Belliard tunnel: planning permits have been obtained, the budget of 161 million EUR has been identified, but the works cannot begin without a full government to commit the expenditure.

The Stephanie and Bailli tunnels are also among the priorities. Routine maintenance continues (carried out by the administration), but major structural renovation projects require:

• A multi-year budget commitment (envelopes of several tens of millions of euros per tunnel)
• A political choice on priorities
• Often, coordination with other projects (Good Move, cycling infrastructure)

Good Move — Regional Mobility Plan

Good Move is the regional mobility plan adopted in 2020. The neighbourhood zones already implemented continue to function. However, the rollout of new neighbourhood zones and adjustments based on citizen feedback require government decisions. In caretaker mode, only minor adjustments are possible.

At the formation conclave (10 February 2026), MR and Les Engages announced their intention to end the Good Move plan in its current form. The measure is contested by Groen, which defends the plan. The anti-Good Move website launched by MR (7 February 2026) illustrates the political polarisation around the topic. The future of Good Move depends directly on the outcome of the formation negotiations.

What continues to function

• STIB: daily operations (bus, tram, metro) continue normally under the 2024-2028 management contract. Fares increased by 1.23% on 1 February 2026 (single ride: EUR 2.40, annual pass: EUR 560)
• Villo: shared bicycle service under existing concession, but the concession expires in September 2026 with no successor identified. Replacing the system requires a government decision
• Jump/Lime: shared scooter and electric bicycle services under concession
• Routine road maintenance: potholes, signage, traffic lights
• Already approved works: construction sites launched before June 2024 continue

LEZ — Low Emission Zone

The Brussels Low Emission Zone (LEZ) imposes fines of EUR 350 on non-compliant vehicles. This amount is contested by several parties at the conclave: a reduction is proposed, while maintaining the zone's principle. The Council of State is expected to issue a ruling by the end of February 2026 on the legality of the current fee schedule.

Road congestion: the 2025 TomTom data

According to the TomTom Traffic Index (15th edition, 2025 data), a 10 km trip in Brussels takes an average of 32 minutes and 47 seconds, 21 seconds more than in 2024. Brussels drivers lose an average of 146 hours per year in traffic — 6 hours and 23 minutes more than in 2024, and 42 hours more than in 2023.

The congestion level (additional time compared to free flow) stands at 46.2% (+1.3 percentage points). During the evening rush hour, this figure reaches 90.5%.

Methodology change

Brussels' ranking varies significantly depending on the metric used. Ranked by absolute travel time, Brussels comes 15th worldwide. Ranked by congestion percentage, it drops beyond 60th place in Europe. This discrepancy is explained by a triple change in the 2025 edition: new definition of urban perimeters (hexagonal grids), shift of the main ranking to congestion percentage, and expansion of the panel to approximately 500 cities.

Comparisons with previous years' rankings (when Brussels featured in the "global top 10") should be interpreted with caution: they do not reflect an improvement in traffic, but a change in measuring instrument.

The average speed in Brussels remains the lowest among Belgian cities (18.3 km/h), partly due to the generalised 30 km/h zone, the dense urban fabric, and the traffic light network.

School mobility: 2025 STP data

The results of the triennial School Travel Plans (STP) cycle, published on 19 February 2026 by Brussels Mobility, show a decline in car use for school trips:

• Car (primary education): 35.5% to 32.4% between 2023 and 2025 (minus 3.1 percentage points)
• Active modes (walking, cycling, scooter): 43% to 45% (+2 percentage points)
• Cycling (primary students): 3.4% in 2018 to 6.2% in 2025 (near-doubling)
• Cycling (school staff): 5% to 9.2% (+84%)

336 schools out of ~850 have an STP, covering over 100,000 students. At 83% of participating schools, car trips have decreased since 2022.

Reported barriers: teacher workload, high staff turnover, delays in administrative support, feelings of insecurity around school perimeters.

Why this matters

Mobility is the most visible domain for Brussels residents in their daily lives. Each day of delay in infrastructure projects has a cost:

• Economic cost (congestion, time lost)
• Environmental cost (delay in the transition to public transport)
• Social cost (accessibility of underserved neighbourhoods)

Precise data on these costs is difficult to estimate as it depends on complex modelling. BGM does not publish a quantified estimate of the economic cost of these delays to avoid unsourced speculation.

Climate

Ambitious targets, uncertain trajectory

The Brussels-Capital Region has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 47% by 2030 compared to 2005, within the framework of the Air-Climate-Energy Plan (PACE), under the EU "Fit for 55" package adopted definitively in May 2023. This target, aligned with European commitments, requires massive investment in building renovation, sustainable mobility and the energy transition.

Since June 2024, the regional government has been in caretaker mode. No new structural political decisions can be taken. The PACE continues on its existing trajectory for programmes already approved, but new phases are frozen.

Renolution grants under pressure

The scheme

Renolution is the one-stop shop for renovation and energy grants in the Brussels Region. It brings together the former energy, renovation and facade improvement grants. The scheme aims to accelerate the renovation of the Brussels building stock, of which more than 70% of residential buildings date from before 1970.

What is blocked

In caretaker mode, existing grants continue to be processed within the limits of the approved budget. However:

• No increase in grant amounts despite inflation
• No new programmes targeting the most critical energy-inefficient buildings
• Reduced available funding: provisional twelfths do not allow for increased allocations
• Longer waiting times: processing delays have increased due to lack of additional administrative staff

The construction sector, which depends heavily on these grants for residential renovation, reports a slowdown in energy renovation projects.

The Renolution backlog crisis

By the end of 2025, the Renolution payment backlog reached 42.2 million EUR -- grants that had been approved but not paid to applicants, due to insufficient budget envelopes under provisional twelfths. Thousands of households that had undertaken renovation works on the basis of the promised grant are waiting for reimbursement, in some cases for months.

A collective of affected applicants, under the name "Renillusion", has announced a class action lawsuit scheduled for 1 July 2026 if payments are not regularised. This crisis is undermining the credibility of the scheme and discouraging new renovation applications.

The Air-Climate-Energy Plan (PACE) at a standstill

Achievements

The PACE adopted in 2016, strengthened in 2019 and revised in 2023 enabled:

• The implementation of the EPB (Energy Performance of Buildings) certificate system
• The development of the district heating network
• The progressive extension of the Low Emission Zone (LEZ)
• Support for insulation of public buildings

What requires a full government

• New phases of the PACE: the evaluation and revision of the plan for the 2025-2030 period requires a government decision
• Binding sectoral targets: the distribution of effort between buildings, transport and industry has not been updated
• Transition financing: multi-year funding envelopes cannot be committed under provisional twelfths
• Coordination with the federal level: the National Energy-Climate Plan (NECP) requires updated regional contributions

Air quality: fragile progress

Air quality in Brussels has improved in recent years, notably thanks to the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) and the renewal of the vehicle fleet. PM2.5 concentration reached 7.4 microg/m3 as the annual mean in 2024 — a historic low and a 49% decrease since 2006. However, this level remains above the WHO guideline (5 microg/m3): virtually the entire Brussels population remains exposed to levels exceeding this standard.

For NO2, concentrations at urban background stations measured around 21 microg/m3 in 2025, compared to more than 30 microg/m3 in 2019. The future EU 2030 limit is set at 20 microg/m3.

Health impact

Despite these improvements, air pollution still causes more than 930 premature deaths per year in the Brussels-Capital Region, roughly 2.5 deaths per day. This represents more than 10% of total mortality in the Region. The primary cause remains road traffic (NO2 and fine particulate matter).

However, this progress relies on mechanisms already in place. Since 1 January 2026, diesel Euro 5 vehicles have been banned from the LEZ, affecting approximately 225,000 vehicles. This step, decided before the elections, was applied automatically.

Without new decisions:

• The subsequent LEZ calendar (diesel Euro 6 and petrol Euro 3, planned for 2030-2035) cannot be accelerated or adapted
• Investment in public electric vehicle charging points is stagnating
• The conversion of STIB bus fleets to electric depends on new budget decisions

What continues to function

• Brussels Environment: emissions monitoring, air quality monitoring, environmental permits
• LEZ: the Low Emission Zone continues to apply according to the approved timetable
• Renolution grants: processing of applications within existing budget limits
• IRCELINE monitoring network: monitoring stations continue to operate

Why this matters

Climate is the domain where lost time is most costly. With a -47% target by 2030, each year of delay in building renovation, energy transition and adaptation to urban heatwaves widens the gap between commitments made and the actual trajectory. Brussels, as one of the densest regions in Europe, is particularly vulnerable to heat islands and air pollution. Existing programmes maintain a minimum baseline, but without new political impetus, the 2030 target moves further away each month.