BGM Radar

On 10-11 July 2026, the State Secretary for Housing announced the unlocking of EUR 61 million for the SLRB under the Strategic Sustainable Renovation Plan (PSRD) 2026-2035. For this period, 219 projects are planned and 117 are already under construction. This funding is separate from the EUR 400 million injection announced in the February 2026 agreement.

On 10 July 2026, the minister of Solidarity and Equal Opportunities announced that the Brussels-Capital Region will constitute itself as a civil party in the judicial case against Club Brugge hooligans over racist violence committed on 4 May 2025 in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, around the Belgian Cup final. Several defendants must answer before the correctional court for assault with a racist motive. This episode, distinct from the antisemitic chants of 3 May 2026, seeks recognition of the Region's own institutional harm.

After 8 months of work and more than 50 hearings, the Brussels Parliament's special Metro 3 committee, chaired by Anne-Charlotte d'Ursel (MR), adopted its findings and 22 recommendations across 6 axes: unified governance, early budget alert, independent studies, mandatory geotechnical studies, a single window for residents, and strengthened accountability.

On 9 July 2026, the government adopted the implementing decree removing the urban planning compliance certificate for owner-occupiers renting on platforms such as Airbnb, from 1 January 2027, with a simplified safety attestation capped at EUR 150. No standalone official communiqué identified; information relayed via the minister-president's cabinet.

Iriscare published on 9 July 2026 the results of a survey of head nurses in 66 Brussels nursing homes (56% of the stock, 55% of occupied beds). 38% of residents have a severe neurocognitive disorder, 33% a psychological or psychiatric vulnerability, 19% a disability and 13% dependency-related problems; over a third combine several needs at once. Iriscare recommends a more multidisciplinary staffing and care approach.

The 19 Brussels mayors held the first official meeting of the future merged zone's police college on 8 July 2026. Decisions: the name “Police de Bruxelles”/“Politie Brussel”, organisation into nine territorial divisions intended to preserve community policing, Philippe Close (PS) elected chair of the college, Michel Goovaerts (Brussels-Ixelles chief) appointed transition coordinator. Based on matching statements from Philippe Close reported by L'Avenir, La DH and BX1, with no separate official press release.

Sciensano published its excess mortality analysis on 8 July for the heatwave from 18 June to 1 July 2026: 159 additional deaths in Brussels (+60.9%), against 919 in Wallonia (+76%) and 682 in Flanders (+31.4%). The national total reaches 1,747 deaths (+47.8%), the worst episode since records began in 2000.

The parliamentary inquiry committee closed its hearings on 6 July 2026 after 143 hours of work and 50 witnesses heard; the report will be voted on 17 July, with the 21 July deadline remaining the formal end of the mandate. On 7 July, State Secretary for Housing Karine Lalieux (PS) confirmed she is considering appointing a government commissioner to the Foyer anderlechtois itself, after two formal warnings (18 June, 1 July). The Ecolo group leader denounces "sabotage", the minister in charge of the VGC calls it a "farce".

Mobility Minister Elke Van den Brandt (Groen) confirmed on 7 July that the 9 May 2027 date set for the second Car-Free Sunday falls on Mother's Day, sparking strong reactions from residents. Two alternative dates are under consideration: 2 May or 6 June 2027. Budget maintained at ~EUR 810,000.

Agreement in principle by the Brussels government on a Social Climate Plan (EUR 226.5M, 2026-2032, 75% EU-funded via the Social Climate Fund), announced by Secretary of State for the Environment Ans Persoons. A subset of ~EUR 150M targets housing (renovation premiums, social housing, zero-interest loans), for households among the 30% lowest incomes. Still needs to be combined with the Flemish, Walloon and federal plans for submission to the European Commission.

Gilles Verstraeten (N-VA) resigned as rapporteur on 6 July, criticising a rushed timeline and refusing to co-sign the final report. Ecolo rapporteur Kalvin Soiresse also threatens not to sign. New MR rapporteur Louis de Clippele plans sector-wide reforms (transparency, end of discretionary margins). A date discrepancy persists in the press between 17 and 21 July for the report deadline.

A fire broke out on 6 July 2026 in a technical room under the roof of the Kanal construction site, in the Kanal Architecture section (~400m²). Brought under control by firefighters within just over an hour, no injuries, no artworks in the affected area. The cause is unknown; engineers are assessing the impact on the building's structure. No cost estimate or confirmed impact on the planned 28 November 2026 opening.

Before the parliamentary inquiry commission, the Housing Secretary of State confirmed on 4 July that a first warning had been sent to Foyer anderlechtois on 18 June, followed by a second on 1 July. The SLRB is also examining activating article 78 of the Brussels housing code, which would let the government appoint a special commissioner if failings persist.

The Brussels ethics commission announced on 4 July sanctions against 20 local public officeholders for lack of transparency on their remuneration. At the close of the "transparency" unit's annual report, 305 officeholders (24% of files) were non-compliant; after targeted reminders, 27 remained non-compliant, leading to the 20 sanctions, with fines of 10% to 40% of overall monthly remuneration.

On 28 June 2026, the US embassy held a "Freedom 250" reception at Cinquantenaire (250 years of US independence, ~8,800 guests). Damage was subsequently found at the Royal Museums of Art and History (roof, cornices, a statue). The federal Régie des Bâtiments is investigating whether the cause was the fireworks or storms the same weekend. Separate from Beliris's park renovation. No repair cost announced so far.

Brussels Civil Service Minister Dirk De Smedt announced on 3 July the launch of a regional "skills pool" to redeploy staff from overstaffed administrations to services facing shortages, in the context of the hiring moratorium in place since December 2023. Two tracks are planned: a fast track (placement within 4 to 8 weeks) and a requalification track (6 to 18 months). Social consultation starts on 14 July 2026, with full operationalisation targeted for 30 June 2027.

On 3 July 2026, the Brussels Parliament voted to abolish the Activa.brussels employment subsidy scheme, majority against opposition (Ecolo, DéFI, PTB). The scheme represented a budget of about 27 million EUR in 2025 for 9,447 beneficiaries. Current rights are preserved until 31 December 2026; a "better-targeted" replacement is announced for 2027, with a draft ordinance expected in September 2026. See the new dedicated dossier for the full history and a note of caution on the rationale given.

Following a citizen consultation, Anderlecht's local council approved in early July a plan to regularise parking in the Bon Air (Goede Luchtwijk) neighbourhood, where a large majority of existing spaces had been used illegally since a 2023 redevelopment. The plan provides for about 340 regulated spaces and turning the neighbourhood into a shared-space zone (20 km/h), with implementation targeted for 2027.

The rapporteur of the parliamentary inquiry commission into the Foyer anderlechtois housing scandal resigned on 30 June, arguing the pace of work was unworkable and that witnesses still appeared constrained by support arrangements organised by the housing company itself. On 3 July, the hearing of the ousted Foyer chairman was cut short after less than two hours, as he invoked his right to silence given the ongoing criminal investigation. That same day, the regional majority rejected (40 votes to 25) a request to extend the commission's work, which must still conclude by 21 July as originally planned.

The Brussels government has given the green light to a rotation tariff of EUR 0.06 per minute for vehicles remaining plugged in for more than six hours (between 9am and 10pm) at public charging points. The measure, meant to limit prolonged occupation of the chargers, takes effect on 1 October 2026.

Saint-Gilles's mayor is asking the Region, STIB and Bruxelles Mobilité to better coordinate the many traffic diversions caused by ongoing roadworks around the Barrière, which he calls untenable for residents and shopkeepers. The story was corroborated the same day by La DH and L'Avenir.

The Brussels French-speaking labour court ruled on 30 June that three Uber Eats couriers were validly self-employed, rejecting their claim for reclassification as employees. The ruling reverses the position taken in 2024 by the Administrative Commission on employment relationship classification, which had found a relationship of subordination. Trade union ACV/CSC calls the ruling a step backward.

Actiris published its new annual list of Brussels shortage occupations on 1 July, now counting 103 professions compared to 106 the previous year. Pastry chef is a new addition to the list, which among other things underpins training and hiring incentives.

visit.brussels closed its Grand-Place tourist information office on 30 June, the agency's last remaining physical welcome point in Brussels. The closure follows on from the redundancy plan approved by the government on 26 June, which provides for 37 departures out of 159 jobs and imposed budget cuts on the agency.

The Brussels correctional court sentenced the two perpetrators of the shooting that took place on 5 February 2025 outside Clemenceau metro station to 13 and 11 years in prison. A third man, who had hidden the weapons, was given a 3-year suspended sentence. All three must pay EUR 77,800 to STIB, whose metro network was shut down during the shooters' escape.

Beliris has obtained the planning permit to renovate Cinquantenaire/Jubelpark ahead of Belgium's 200th anniversary in 2030. The works include restoration of the park's tree heritage, natural stone paths, rain gardens for stormwater management, and reduced night lighting after midnight on non-central paths.

The Brussels government confirmed increased funding for two care facilities for people with severe disabilities: CREB (Woluwe-Saint-Lambert) and La Forestière (Ixelles). An agreement in principle was also reached for La Coupole bruxelloise de l'autisme (Jette). Over 75 new places are announced in total, while more than 500 disabled adults remain on the waiting list in the Brussels Region.

The Jubelfeest bridge, which links Laeken to Molenbeek-Saint-Jean near the Tour et Taxis site, reopened to traffic on 1 July after nearly two years of restoration. The works, costing EUR 11.5m, were jointly funded by urban.brussels and the Belgian national railway (NMBS/SNCB).

A temporary agreement, valid until 30 September 2026, restricts night and weekend running of M7 metro trainsets whose defective wheels have not yet been replaced, blamed for vibrations long reported by residents of Woluwe-Saint-Lambert and Auderghem on lines 1 and 5. Residents have taken legal action against STIB over the issue.

According to Actiris figures released on 3 July, the Brussels Region counted 93,445 registered jobseekers in June (+3% year-on-year), with an administrative unemployment rate of 14.6%. Of these, 34,137 people (over a third) were registered with the CPAS, a rise of 83.5% year-on-year, while the number of jobseekers receiving benefits fell by over a third.

Belgium's three main trade union confederations (ACV-CSC, ABVV-FGTB, ACLVB-CGSLB) called a national interprofessional strike for 12 May 2026. Brussels Airport officially asked airlines to cancel approximately 50% of their departing flights, with an estimated impact of 60,000 passengers. Public transport (trains, buses, metro) is also disrupted nationwide. Brussels Airlines separately reported an adjusted EBIT loss of EUR 55 million in Q1 2026 (despite +11% more flights), due to higher fuel costs driven by the Middle East crisis.

Visit Brussels −€5.7M: the 2026 Iris Festival did take place on a single day (Saturday 9 May), confirming the cut announced in March. The budget trajectory 22 → 8M EUR by 2029 is maintained. The City of Brussels (alderman Wauters) provided complementary entertainment (programme 'Enjoy BXL by terraces').