Skip to content
Brussels Governance Monitor

Monitored domains

Key Brussels issues, tracked domain by domain

Last updated: 27 February 2026

Regional budget: targeting balance by 2029

Ongoing

The DPR provides for a balanced budget by 2029, with ~EUR 1.2 billion in savings (80% spending cuts, 20% new revenue), a one-point reduction in regional personal income tax and the merger of 25 structures into 3 entities.

Key figures

Provisional twelfths

Budget regime

~1.241billion EUR

Annual budget deficit (2025)

Voted 12/12/2025covers Q1 2026

Provisional twelfths (5th ordinance)

15.65billion EUR (x3 since 2016)

Consolidated gross debt

BGM estimate·
Read the full card

Cleanliness: regional brigades and immediate fine collection

Ongoing

The RPD provides for a reform of Brussels Cleanliness Agency, the creation of regional cleanliness brigades (regional and municipal agents), the installation of underground containers and compactors, the deployment of smart cameras in risk areas, and immediate fine collection.

Key figures

75tonnes

N₂O cylinders collected (2025)

50+tonnes

of which clandestine dumps

12million €

Total cost (2025)

9million €

of which direct agency budget impact

Official source·
Read the full card

Climate: LEZ maintained, Renolution replaced, targets pending

Ongoing

The DPR maintains the LEZ and replaces Renolution with zero-interest loans. Vivaqua and Hydria merge (EUR 180M recapitalisation). However, no new CO2 targets are set — an ambiguous signal for the climate trajectory.

Key figures

-47%vs 2005 (Fit for 55)

2030 CO2 reduction target

Diesel Euro 5 bannedsince 01/01/2026 (~225,000 vehicles)

LEZ reinforced

42.2million EUR unpaid

Renolution grants (backlog)

Frozen

Climate Plan (new phases)

BGM estimate·
Read the full card

Digital: bridging the digital divide and administrative simplification

Ongoing

The RPD provides for tackling the digital divide, administrative simplification via Easy Brussels and IRISbox, smart city deployment, and positioning Brussels as an AI capital.

Key figures

~40%of Brussels households

Population with digital difficulties

Official source·
Read the full card

Economy: Urban Free Zone (Port + Audi Forest), AI capital

Ongoing

The RPD provides for the creation of an Urban Free Zone (Port of Brussels + Audi Forest site), positioning Brussels as the AI capital, the opening of the Kanal museum with new governance, and the Brussels Expo CONFEX project at the Heysel.

Key figures

12% (was 6%)

Hotel VAT rate (from 1 March 2026)

Official source·
Read the full card

Education: childcare places, school dropout and Cocof/VGC tensions

Ongoing

The RPD provides for creating childcare places, tackling school dropout, strengthening vocational education, and coordinating between Cocof, VGC and Communities for Brussels education policies.

Key figures

~33%of children aged 0-3 (EU target: 33%)

Childcare coverage rate

~15%of Brussels youth (18-24)

School dropout

Official source·
Read the full card

Employment: 70% target, enhanced activation and bilingualism

Ongoing

The DPR sets a 70% employment rate target by end of term, with enhanced activation of jobseekers, a mandatory skills assessment and promotion of FR/NL bilingualism. The 98,458 jobseekers and 42,000 exclusions remain the context.

Key figures

96 650

Jobseekers (Dec. 2025)

15.4%+4.4% over 1 year

Unemployment rate (admin.)

+3.4%year-on-year change

Youth unemployment

42 000cumulative estimate

Excluded from benefits (Jan. 2026 – Jul. 2027)

Official source·
Read the full card

Housing: EUR 400M for the SLRB, 1,000 public housing units

Ongoing

The DPR provides for EUR 400M for the SLRB, 1,000+ public housing units, the doubling of Be Home (EUR 320) and the replacement of Renolution with zero-interest loans (EUR 200M). Brownfield sites are arbitrated (18-month moratorium on 4 sites).

Key figures

62 234

Households waiting for social housing

42 000units

Social housing stock

412EUR/month

Average social rent

1 376EUR/month (+3.7% year-on-year)

Average private market rent (all types)

BGM estimate·
Read the full card

Institutional reform: merging 25 structures into 4 pillars

Ongoing

The RPD provides for the most ambitious restructuring of the Brussels regional apparatus: merging 25 structures into 4 pillars (Cross-cutting services, Core missions, infrastructure.brussels, Land coordination). Pillars 1 and 2 must be operational by 2026.

Key figures

25

Regional structures before reform

4pillars (+ operational entities)

Structures after reform (pillars)

-20 to -30%of operating costs

Targeted operational savings

2026operational

Pillars 1 & 2 — deadline

Official source·
Read the full card

Mobility: new regional plan, Metro 3 frozen, LEZ softened

Ongoing

The DPR provides for the end of Good Move (replaced by a new Regional Mobility Plan), freezes Metro 3 for 10 years in favour of a tram, maintains the LEZ (pass EUR 350/year, fine reduced to EUR 80) and adds a 2nd car-free Sunday.

Key figures

Suspended

Metro 3 (new phases)

Permit suspendedby the Council of State (18/12/2025)

Metro 3 — Palais du Midi

161million EUR frozen (permits obtained)

Loi-Belliard Tunnel

4.6billion EUR

Metro 3 (total estimated cost)

BGM estimate·
Read the full card

Security: anti-drug commissioner, €10M for stations, stable crime rate

Ongoing

The RPD devotes an entire chapter to security, including the creation of a regional anti-drug commissioner, a €10M investment in station security, two SIAMU staff reinforcement phases, and the interconnection of local CCTV systems with the Federal Police.

Key figures

10million EUR (Midi and Nord stations)

Station security investment

2 phases

SIAMU staff reinforcement

Official source·
Read the full card

Social affairs: EUR 10M for stations, drug commissioner, services protected

Ongoing

The DPR provides for EUR 10M/year for station security (Midi and Nord), a regional drug commissioner and protection of social services. The minister-president's security role is reinforced. Kanal saved (EUR 60M).

Key figures

In caretaker mode

COCOM funding

~47 000persons

Social Integration Income recipients

Frozen

Homelessness policy

0projects launched

Mental health (new initiatives)

BGM estimate·
Read the full card

Urban Planning: faster permits and planning amnesty

Ongoing

The RPD provides for accelerated urban planning permits, a planning amnesty for historic violations, the removal of the CRMS binding opinion, and the revival of the Neo project at the Heysel.

Key figures

~18months (sector estimate)

Average planning permit processing time

Removedreplaced by advisory opinion

CRMS — binding opinion

Official source·
Read the full card