Brussels Governance MonitorCOCOM: the Common Community Commission
The bicommunal institution managing health and social welfare in Brussels
COCOM (Commission communautaire commune), or GGC in Dutch, is a unique institution in Belgium. It manages 'bi-personal' matters in Brussels — those concerning people regardless of their linguistic affiliation: health, social welfare, elderly care, disability.
Why COCOM matters
In Brussels, when you go to a hospital, nursing home or social welfare centre that is not affiliated with either the French or Flemish Community, it is COCOM that regulates and subsidises it. It is also COCOM — through Iriscare — that manages Brussels family allowances since the 6th State Reform.
Governance
The United Assembly of COCOM consists of the same 89 parliamentarians as the Brussels Parliament. Its United College consists of the same ministers as the regional government (without the state secretaries). Direct consequence: when the regional government is in caretaker mode, so is COCOM. The two institutions are structurally linked.
Iriscare: the operational arm
Iriscare is the bicommunal public interest body created by COCOM. It concretely manages family allowances, disability assistance, funding for nursing homes and care institutions. It is the Brussels equivalent of AVIQ (Wallonia) or VAPH (Flanders).
Competences
Bicommunal health policy — Assistance to persons (CPAS/OCMW, homeless, social welfare) — Family allowances — Elderly care (nursing homes) — Disability — Hospital coordination
The 2024-2026 crisis: lessons for COCOM
Between June 2024 and February 2026, COCOM was paralysed alongside the regional government: no new ordinances, no new health investments, no renewal of agreements with care institutions. The most urgent dossiers — mental health plan, reform of homeless assistance — were frozen for 613 days. Since the swearing-in of the Dilliès government (February 2026), COCOM has regained its full capacity for action.