Brussels Governance MonitorChangelog
All content updates to the site.
| Date | Type | Section | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Updated | Domains | Bilingualism Masterplan documented on Institutional card: mandatory hospital language policy plans, admin training funding, municipality/CPAS guidance, Actiris language test. Context: parallel Van Achter totaalplan (Flemish Community). 2 new sources added (VRT NWS, BRUZZ). | |
| Added | Dossiers | New dossier: ACS (Subsidised Contract Workers). ~10,000 subsidised positions (~6,700 active), budget ~250M EUR, the main non-profit employment lever in Brussels. No new positions since 2007. Reform since 2015 (activation vs structural support). Non-profit sector demonstration on 3 February 2026. 7 verified sources, 8 metrics. | |
| Updated | Domains | ACS section added to Employment card: ~10,000 non-profit positions under pressure, 3 February 2026 demonstration, cross-reference to dedicated dossier. 'Institutional lasagne' section added to Institutional card (9 health ministers, 6 governance levels). | |
| Added | Dossiers | New dossier: PFAS in Brussels. 82 contaminated parcels (soil + groundwater), Sicli site in Uccle (up to 1,000× the standard), TFA in drinking water (97% of analyses > future EU standard), evolving regulatory framework. 9 verified sources, 6 metrics. | |
| Updated | Domains | COCOM: provisional twelfths extended until 1 June 2026 (decision 26/02). Regional budget to Parliament 6 March, COCOM budget 20 April. 98% already committed, non-profits in uncertainty. Equal Opportunities Commission: reclassification as advisory committee postponed after PS, MR and Ecolo reactions in Parliament bureau. | |
| Added | Dossiers | New dossier: Brussels citizens' assemblies. Parliamentary deliberative commissions (6 completed, 205+ recommendations, 7th on cleanliness validated), permanent climate citizens' assembly (3 cycles), AGORA (inactive), municipal participatory budgets. 12 verified sources, 8 metrics. | |
| Added | Dossiers | New dossier: Brussels regional administration reform. Announced 'Big Bang' — restructuring ~25 entities into 4 pillars, extended hiring freeze, perspective + urban.brussels merger confirmed for 2026, target EUR 250-300M savings (2029). 8 metrics, 8 verified sources. | |
| Updated | Domains | Mobility card: STIB-MIVB buses will not return to Schumanplein after works. 5 lines permanently rerouted via Maalbeek. Retractable bollard system abandoned. Source: STIB-MIVB (official). | |
| Updated | Sectors | Culture sector card enriched: new bookstores and book trade section — CCI data (70,000 jobs, EUR 13bn), ~30 independent bookstores (1% margin), Filigranes (near-bankruptcy/revival), Club reorganisation, record Book Fair (85,000 visitors), VAT 9% threat. 3 indicators added. | |
| Updated | Domains | Employment card: added dedicated Actiris unit for Urban Free Zones (Port of Brussels + Audi Forest), DPR commitment already documented in economy card. | |
| Updated | Domains | Urban planning card: added Fast-Track single window for Urban Free Zones, RPD commitment already documented in economy card. | |
| Updated | Municipalities | Woluwe-Saint-Pierre commune card: parking management transferred to Parking Brussels from 1 March 2026 (free period 30→15 min, scancar, revenue +30%). 1 source added. | |
| Updated | Domains | Institutional card: Cocof DPC presented (23/02), Cocof presidency resolved (Vervoort PS → Kazadi Engagés in Nov. 2027), competences split (Hublet Employment, Dilliès Training), 3 sources added. | |
| Added | Dossiers | New dossier: Shared Mobility in Brussels — ~9,200 e-scooters, ~6,500 shared bicycles, Villo! concession (Sept. 2026), Council of State litigation, Uber reclassification, zero-emission taxi transition, Vias accident data. 27 verified sources, 8 metrics. | |
| Added | Dossiers | New dossier: Bankruptcies in Brussels — 2,208 bankruptcies in 2025 (+13.2%), affected sectors (construction, hospitality, retail), regional mechanisms (CEd, hub.brussels, PRJ), DPR coverage. 6 official sources, 6 metrics. | |
| Updated | Site | FAQ restructured: 7 questions about the current situation (government formed, BGM missions) + 6 historical questions about the 613-day crisis, moved to past tense. | |
| Added | Dossiers | New cross-cutting dossier: Data centres and AI — impact on the Brussels energy system. 3.2 TWh DC consumption in Belgium (4% of national total), KevlinX BRU01 operational in Neder-Over-Heembeek, BCG projections 7-15.5 TWh by 2035, Elia grid impact, energy consumption per AI query. | |
| Updated | Sectors | Major update: 10 sector cards enriched with February 2026 data. Construction (−1,402 companies), culture (FWB −12.9M), transport (Metro 3 EUR 4.76B), environment (LEZ −55% NOx), housing (SLRB EUR 197M debt), digital (300K vulnerable), nonprofit (5,000+ ASBL), education (10,000 childcare places missing), commerce (13.5% vacancy), health (INAMI EUR 41.3B). | |
| Updated | Domains | Economy: construction context (−1,402 companies, permits at lowest since 2012), first Council of Ministers (19/02), budget priority #1. | |
| Updated | Domains | Security: safe.brussels annual report (2024 data) — crime stable (~157,000/year), drugs +33%, firearms 92 incidents (8 deaths), per capita rate declining. | |
| Updated | Dossiers | Police merger: bill presented to Interior Commission (10/02), national reform 176→60 zones, vote expected before summer 2026. | |
| Updated | Sectors | Horeca: hotel VAT 6→12% (1 March) — implementation complications (dual rate, transitional measures). Record 2025 bankruptcies: 2,184 in Brussels, 5,631 horeca jobs lost nationally. | |
| Added | Timeline | New event: presentation of the DPR to Brussels Parliament, Monday 23 February 2026 at 4:30 pm. Vote of confidence expected on 25 February. | |
| Updated | Dossiers | Vivaqua dossier enriched: +12.5% tariff increase from 1 January 2026, BRUGEL denounces mismanagement (EUR 73M unpaid, EUR 35M costs rejected), debt ~EUR 1 billion. | |
| Updated | Domains | Employment: 5th ONEM wave (36,000 letters, 168,063 national exclusions of which 22.1% in Brussels). Court of Audit deems CPAS compensation underestimated (EUR 709.3M by 2029). | |
| Updated | Domains | Cleanliness: 7,731 fines for illegal dumping in 2025 (+61%), of which 36.7% non-residents ('waste tourism'). ~EUR 12M in fines. Underground containers and smart cameras planned. | |
| Added | Site | New tags system: 13 tags (8 public + 5 cross-cutting) displayed on domain pages. Seniors, PRM, Youth, Families, Newcomers, Homeless, Self-employed, Tenants + Gender, Cost of living, Precarity, Bilingualism, Citizen participation. | |
| Added | Site | Domain filter on source registry: 262 sources assigned to 1+ domain(s), filter dropdown on data page. | |
| Added | Domains | New domain: Urban Planning — faster permits, planning amnesty, CRMS binding opinion removed, Neo revival. 4 locales. | |
| Added | Domains | New domain: Digital — digital divide, administrative simplification, smart city, Brussels as AI capital. 4 locales. | |
| Added | Domains | New domain: Education — childcare places, school dropout, Cocof/VGC coordination. 4 locales. Education sector remapped to this domain. | |
| Added | Dossiers | New dossier: Accessibility and disability in Brussels — 23,100 allocation beneficiaries, 14,490 European Disability Cards, 55/69 metro stations accessible, 12 sheltered workshops. Data from FPS, Iriscare, STIB, UNIA. DPR coverage and EU framework documented. | |
| Added | Dossiers | New dossier: Seniors in Brussels — 163,000 people aged 65+, 11,592 nursing home residents, 8,596 APA cases. Data from Iriscare, IBSA, ONSS. DPR coverage documented. | |
| Updated | Domains | Housing: Renolution backlog cleared — EUR 56M (50M Urban.Brussels + 6M Leefmilieu), 2,692 applications validated, 600+ pending, payments before end of 2026. Zero-interest loans from 2027 (EUR 66M/year). | |
| Updated | Dossiers | Good Move: Jette issues formal notice to the Region to reopen Avenue Broustin (closed since 2021-2022). 70% of residents opposed, threat of legal action. | |
| Updated | Domains | Mobility: Trois Fontaines viaduct — permit filed (60 parking spaces removed, Rouge-Cloître drainage). Auderghem opposes, demands integration into Hermann-Debroux PAD. Public inquiry 2-31 March 2026. | |
| Updated | Domains | Institutional: PFB agenda — COCOF DPC on 23/02 at 4:30pm, debate + vote on 25/02. PS / Les Engagés tensions over PFB presidency unresolved. | |
| Updated | Domains | Institutional: COCOF confirmed — Ahmed Laaouej (PS) minister-president, DCP validated on 20/02. MR-PS-Engagés majority. | |
| Updated | Domains | Budget: hiring freeze clarified (extension since 2024), 2024 linear savings added (−3 to −10%, €200M), revenue/debt problem documented (IBSA/NBB). | |
| Updated | Domains | Employment: View.Brussels (Brussels Employment and Training Observatory, Actiris) added as official source. | |
| Updated | Domains | Security: safe.brussels (Brussels Security Observatory) added as official source. | |
| Updated | Domains | Social: joint KRC/DGDE alert — 1,678 homeless minors in Brussels (+72% since 2020), 127 shelter refusals/week, 285 winter places at risk on 31 March 2026. New radar signal. | |
| Updated | Domains | Mobility: STP school mobility data (Brussels Mobility, 19/02) — car 35.5% → 32.4% in primary (−3.1 pp), cycling ×1.8 since 2018, 336 schools / 100,000+ students covered. | |
| Added | Site | Radar: 2 new signals (ONEM 5th wave — 168,063 exclusions, 22.1% in Brussels; property tax increase in 9 of 19 municipalities). Strategic participations signal enriched (€3B, Voka controversy). | |
| Updated | Domains | DPR published — 6 domains updated to definitive language (conditional → factual), blockedSince removed, waiting notes removed. Employment: confidence level → official. | |
| Updated | Sectors | Post-crisis tense correction — 11 sector cards (4 languages): crisis period moved to past tense (June 2024 – February 2026), DPR notes removed, humanImpact cleaned. | |
| Updated | Site | i18n messages (4 languages) moved to past tense for crisis/counter keys. Understand page: metadata refreshed. | |
| Updated | Domains | Security: minister-president visits Gare du Midi (17/02) — first field action, security coordination to be strengthened | |
| Updated | Dossiers | Security plan and police merger: Gare du Midi visit highlights coordination fragmentation between police zones, SNCB and Stib | |
| Updated | Domains | Economy: hotel VAT 6% → 12% from 1 March 2026 (federal measure, impact on Brussels hotel sector) | |
| Updated | Sectors | Horeca: hotel VAT increase (6% → 12%) and soft drinks VAT decrease (21% → 12%) from 1 March — impact on Brussels hotel sector | |
| Updated | Domains | Cleanliness: 2025 nitrous oxide operational data — 75 tonnes collected, €12M cost, explosions down 37% (source: Bruxelles-Propreté) | |
| Updated | Domains | Institutional: plenary agenda 23 February confirmed. Bilingualism enriched (RPD Dutch version delay, historical context Constitution 1831/1967/1991). Cocof presidency unassigned. | |
| Added | Timeline | New event: plenary agenda for 23 February officially published — RPD as item 1, general debate as item 2. Language debate over Dutch version of RPD continues. | |
| Added | Timeline | New event: government gets to work — immediate meetings, first council of ministers Thursday 19, RPD on 23, confidence vote on 25. Budget measures, language controversy, PTB reactions | |
| Updated | Domains | Budget: first budget measures — hiring freeze, consultant reduction, discretionary subsidy cuts, deficit target <EUR 1B 2026 | |
| Updated | Domains | Institutional: next steps (RPD 23 Feb, confidence vote 25 Feb) + bilingualism — RPD commitment and language controversy | |
| Updated | Dossiers | Good Move monitoring: La Libre analysis (14 Feb.) + Citizens' Committee reaction — divergent readings within the coalition, committee denounces a mere name change | |
| Updated | Dossiers | Metro 3 monitoring: Palais du Midi controversy — ARAU denounces an 'urban planning aberration', stability report (90% below standards), Council of State had suspended demolition permit | |
| Updated | Dossiers | SLRB monitoring: forced sale of 2 sites (Ariane, Palais) and ~200 social housing units to reduce regional debt. Deconsolidation fund announced | |
| Updated | Dossiers | Vivaqua monitoring: €180M recapitalisation (Region 49.99%), Hydria integration, series of sewer collapses (220 km urgent renovation needed, €70M/year required) | |
| Added | Timeline | Validation congresses: MR (unanimous), Engagés (near-unanimous), Anders (unanimous) and CD&V (unanimous) approve the agreement. PS, Vooruit and Groen scheduled for Friday February 13 | |
| Updated | Sectors | Government agreement — updated 6 sector cards: DPR impact on construction, culture, environment, digital, social housing, transport and 5 other sectors | |
| Updated | Domains | Government agreement — updated 6 domains: budget (balance by 2029), mobility (Good Move replaced, Metro 3 halted), employment (stricter activation), housing (€400M SLRB), climate (Renolution → zero-interest loans), social (drug commissioner) | |
| Added | Timeline | Brussels government agreement: 7 parties seal a coalition after 613 days of crisis | |
| Added | Municipalities | New section: monitoring Brussels' 19 municipalities. 3 pilot municipalities: City of Brussels, Anderlecht, Schaerbeek (4 languages each) | |
| Updated | Domains | Monitoring #5: Good Move 'planned end' at conclave, LEZ €350 fines contested, Villo concession expires Sept. 2026 | |
| Updated | Domains | Monitoring #3: S&P rating A/negative, Belfius+ING credit lines withdrawn (€1B), 19 municipalities in financial difficulty | |
| Updated | Domains | Monitoring: Actiris Jan. 2026 (98,458 jobseekers, +7.3%), Brussels bankruptcies +13.6% | |
| Updated | Domains | Monitoring: in-work poverty 9.6%, health outreach patrols threatened, Athéna medical centre closed | |
| Updated | Domains | Monitoring #4: added TomTom 2025 congestion data (146h lost/year, 32 min 47s for 10 km, methodology change) | |
| Updated | Domains | Monitoring: Federia Barometer 2025 (median rent €1,213, leases −10%, investor disengagement) | |
| Updated | Sectors | Update: waiting list 62,234, private investor disengagement (Federia 2025) | |
| Added | Timeline | Monitoring: conclave tensions — Groen isolated on budget and mobility (Good Move) | |
| Added | Comparisons | New comparison: HICP (inflation) across 6 European capitals | |
| Added | Comparisons | New comparison: public transport modal split across 6 European countries | |
| Added | Comparisons | New comparison: GHG emissions per capita across 6 European countries | |
| Added | Comparisons | New comparison: housing cost burden across 6 European countries | |
| Updated | Domains | Monitoring #2: balanced budget target by 2029 set at conclave (~€1B in savings) | |
| Updated | Domains | Monitoring #3: Metro 3 total cost estimated at €4.6B, EIB loan €475M | |
| Updated | Domains | Rental market: new leases down 20% in 2024, rents up 2.8% in H1 2024 | |
| Updated | Domains | Added StatBel Q3 2025 data: ILO unemployment rate 13.1% | |
| Updated | Domains | Added StatBel EU-SILC 2025 data: AROPE 37.3% | |
| Updated | Domains | Added StatBel Q3 2025 real estate prices | |
| Added | Comparisons | Poverty comparison across European capitals (Eurostat) | |
| Added | Comparisons | Population density comparison across European capitals (Eurostat) | |
| Updated | Timeline | Opening of the Egmont conclave with 7 parties | |
| Added | Timeline | New round 7: Bouchez initiative | |
| Updated | Domains | Monitoring #1: 5th provisional twelfths, debt €15.65B, Court of Auditors | |
| Updated | Domains | Added IRCELINE 2024 data: PM2.5 record low | |
| Updated | Domains | Metro 3 permit suspended, STIB fare increase | |
| Updated | Solutions | Formateur resignation, citizen roundtable, defusers | |
| Added | Site | Launch of active monitoring |