The Communities in Brussels

Brussels is the only territory in Belgium where the two major linguistic Communities — the Wallonia-Brussels Federation (FWB) and the Flemish Community (Vlaamse Gemeenschap) — simultaneously exercise their competences. This coexistence lies at the heart of Brussels' institutional complexity.

The Wallonia-Brussels Federation (FWB)

The FWB — officially the 'French Community of Belgium' — exercises its competences in Brussels in education, culture, audiovisual, research and youth assistance. It manages French-speaking schools, nurseries, youth centres and cultural institutions affiliated with the French-speaking regime. Its influence in Brussels is considerable: the vast majority of Brussels institutions fall under the French-speaking regime.

The Flemish Community (Vlaamse Gemeenschap)

The Flemish Community exercises the same competences as the FWB, but for institutions affiliated with the Dutch-speaking regime: schools, nurseries, cultural centres, media. In Flanders, the Community and the Region have merged (there is only one Flemish Parliament and one Flemish Government). But in Brussels, the Flemish Community operates through the VGC for 'person-related' matters.

Community competences

Education (all levels) — Culture and audiovisual — Youth assistance — Sport — Applied scientific research — Health policy (prevention). These competences are exercised in Brussels by each Community for the institutions falling under it. For 'bi-personal' matters (those concerning people regardless of their language regime), COCOM intervenes.

Why this matters for Brussels

The community duality has very concrete consequences. A Brussels resident who wants to enrol their child in a school chooses between the French-speaking network (FWB) and the Dutch-speaking network (Flemish Community). Waiting lists, programmes and funding differ. In culture, two parallel networks coexist. This architecture, the fruit of historical compromises, guarantees each community's autonomy but fragments governance.