Reform of the regional administration: from 25 entities to 4 pillars

The announced "Big Bang": from ~25 entities to 4 pillars

The Regional Policy Declaration (DPR) of 13 February 2026 announces a major restructuring of the Brussels administration. The objective: to consolidate approximately 25 regional entities into 4 major pillars, aiming for 250 to 300 million EUR in savings by 2029.

Pillar 1 — Shared support service

Pooling of cross-cutting functions: human resources (talent.brussels), IT (Paradigm, Connect IT), finance and budget, statistics (IBSA), equal opportunities (Equal.brussels), simplification (Easy.brussels).

Pillar 2 — Core missions (SPRB)

Consolidation of policy directorates: Brussels International, Bruxelles Mobilite (administrative functions), Brussels Economy (with Innoviris, Screen.Brussels), Brussels Employment (integration of Actiris "under review"), Brussels Local Authorities, Brussels Housing (with Homegrade), Brussels Urban Planning (merger of perspective.brussels + urban.brussels — confirmed for 2026), Safe.Brussels.

Pillar 3 — infrastructure.brussels

Public-law corporation bringing together operational services: Bruxelles Mobilite (construction, maintenance and DITP divisions), Port of Brussels (infrastructure), Bruxelles Environnement (operational services), Parking.brussels, LEZ management, ANPR cameras.

Pillar 4 — Land platform

Coordination of land management: SAU (Urban Development Corporation), citydev.brussels, SLRB (social housing), Housing Fund, Port of Brussels (land concessions).

Hiring freeze

The hiring freeze introduced in December 2023 by the outgoing government has been extended indefinitely:

• 2026: total freeze (operational + non-operational)
• From 2027: freeze maintained except for operational functions
• Mechanism: no replacement of departures (retirements, resignations), internal mobility preferred
• No layoffs announced
• Projected savings: 50M EUR (2026), cumulating to 125M EUR (2029)
• Additional reduction of 25M EUR through the downsizing of ministerial cabinets

First merger: perspective.brussels + urban.brussels (2026)

The merger of perspective.brussels (territorial development, 174 staff) and urban.brussels (urban planning and heritage) into a single entity called "Brussels Urban Planning" is the first concrete operation announced. It aims to create an integrated permit combining urban planning and environmental competences (currently split between Bruxelles Environnement and urban.brussels).

The case of Actiris (1,518 staff, headcount doubled in 20 years) has been identified as a potential integration into "Brussels Employment", but remains at the study stage.

Workforce trajectory: 243 staff (1989) to 12,000 (2024)

The Brussels regional administration has experienced continuous growth since the creation of the Region in 1989:

• 1989: 243 staff at the Ministry of the Brussels-Capital Region (MRBC)
• 2015: 8,756 regional civil servants
• 2023: 12,093 civil servants (+37% in 8 years)
• Wage bill (incl. STIB-MIVB): from 1.2 bn EUR (2018) to 1.8 bn EUR (2024), i.e. +50%
• Ratio: 1 regional civil servant per 100 residents (vs 1/280 in Flanders and Wallonia)

This growth is explained by successive transfers of competences (6th Reform of the State, 2014), the dissolution of the Province of Brabant (1993), and the continuous creation of new bodies: visit.brussels, Innoviris, parking.brussels, perspective.brussels, hub.brussels, etc.

Financial context: adverse opinion from the Court of Auditors

The 30th Book of Observations by the Court of Auditors (November 2025) issued an adverse opinion on the Region's 2024 accounts, identifying "significant anomalies with a diffuse impact" across the 21 autonomous administrative bodies. Key figures:

• Actual deficit: 1.65 bn EUR (31.5% of revenues)
• Consolidated gross debt: 15.6 bn EUR (+76.7% over 2020-2024)
• Interest charges: from 91M EUR (2016) to 399M EUR (2024), i.e. x4.4

Documented scepticism

Several experts and institutional actors have expressed reservations about the feasibility of the reform:

• Prof. Marie Goransson (ULB): "Even with all of this, you still don't reach 500 million in savings." She estimates that without layoffs, savings depend on natural attrition — a slow and uncertain process.
• CSC (trade union): questions about the physical consolidation of buildings and transitional protections for staff.
• Voka: "The agreement contains the right ingredients, but questions remain about the budgetary trajectory."

Announced timeline

• 2026: launch of pillars 1 and 2, priority to the perspective + urban.brussels merger
• 2027: start of pillar 3 reforms (infrastructure.brussels)
• 2029: target for regional budgetary balance

Issues to watch

• Restructuring ordinances: legal framework required for mergers of autonomous public bodies (OIP)
• Merger of perspective + urban.brussels: first concrete test (2026)
• Actiris headcount: integration into "Brussels Employment" — decision pending
• talent.brussels report: annual staffing data (attrition monitoring)
• Court of Auditors: next book of observations (monitoring of achieved savings)
• Trade union reactions: negotiations on transitional protections