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

Economic context (February 2026)

First Council of Ministers (19 February)

The Dilliès government held its first Council of Ministers on 19 February 2026. The announced priority: drafting the regional budget, absent for over 600 days, which must be presented to Parliament before the end of March 2026.

Construction: leading indicator of the regional economy

The construction sector, a barometer of economic activity, is experiencing a pronounced crisis:

• −1,402 construction companies in 2024 — first net loss in 10 years (Embuild)
• 1,443 bankruptcies in construction in H1 2025 — all-time record, +10% year-on-year
• 9,467 housing units authorised in Q1 2025 — the lowest level since the start of Statbel statistics (2012)
• In Brussels: 405 construction bankruptcies in 2024, second most affected sector
• Average time to obtain a building permit in Brussels: ~7 years

The Urban Free Zone (Port + Audi Forest) provided for in the RPD aims to counter this trend, but experts do not anticipate a recovery before 2027.

Sources: Embuild, "record number of bankruptcies in construction" (2025); RTBF, "bankruptcies rising, permits at lowest" (2025).

RPD commitments

The Regional Policy Declaration of 13 February 2026 devotes a chapter to the economy and international attractiveness of Brussels.

Urban Free Zone

The government plans the creation of an Urban Free Zone at two sites:

• Port of Brussels — logistics and industrial vocation
• Audi Forest site — industrial reconversion after the factory closure

Three levers are planned:

• Tax lever — reduction of property tax and registration rights within the zone
• Administrative lever — single Fast-Track window for businesses
• Human lever — dedicated Actiris cell for jobs in the zone

Attractiveness and innovation

• Positioning Brussels as the capital of artificial intelligence
• Hub.Brussels: continued international economic missions
• Innoviris: integrated process with Finance.Brussels
• GovTech hub (Schuman, Mediapark, Kanal)

Culture and major projects

• Kanal — museum opening with new governance and management contract
• Brussels Expo CONFEX (CONference + EXhibition) at the Heysel, funded via NEO
• Support for the nightlife sector and events
• Zinneke Parade and BXL 2030: support confirmed

Social economy and entrepreneurship

• Strong commitment to social economy
• Support for female entrepreneurship and diversity

Sport

• RUSG — stadium at Bempt (Forest)

Federal impact: hotel VAT increase (1 March 2026)

The federal government has decided to raise the VAT on hotel stays from 6% to 12% effective 1 March 2026. This measure, part of the federal budget agreement, directly affects the Brussels hotel sector — Brussels accounts for the majority of the country's tourist and business overnight stays.

The Brussels Hotels Association estimates the impact at approximately +EUR 8.50 on a EUR 150 room night. The federation denounces a "cocktail of taxes in 2026" combining this increase with other levies.

In parallel, the VAT on soft drinks served in hospitality establishments drops from 21% to 12%, a partial relief for the restaurant sector.

The regional RPD provides for free zones and attractiveness measures to partly offset these increased federal charges.

Sources and methodology

The commitments documented above come from the official text of the RPD (chapter 8) and from concordant press sources covering the government agreement of 12 February 2026.