Figure 1. Administrative Map
Belgium’s federal government is fairly complicated and in order to understand the politics that affect the libraries within the country it is necessary to understand the multiple political powers at play. The federal government and federal parliaments have powerful roles, but they share their power with communities and regions “who independently exercise their authority within their domains” (Belgian Federal Government, 2008). There are three communities: French community, Flemish community and German-speaking Community. In addition to these communities Belgium is divided into three regions: the Flemish Region, the Brussels Capital Region and the Walloon Region. These regions were divided for economic reasons. Belgium is further divided into 10 provinces and 589 municipal councils.
In the Flemish Region or Flanders, there is a Flemish Parliament and a Flemish Government and is a unicameral legislature. It has 5 provinces: Antwerpen (Antwerp), Vlaams Brabant (Flemish Brabant), Oost-Vlaanderen (East-Flanders), West-Vlaanderen (West-Flanders) and Limburg. As of January 2008 it consists of 6.2 million people and is 59% of the Belgian population. There are 456 inhabitants per km² and has a surface area of 13.522km.² It is responsible for “for economics, foreign trade, health care, energy distribution, housing, agriculture and horticulture, environment, public works and transport, employment policy, culture and education, science and innovation” (Flemish Department of Foreign Affaires, 2008). It can also form treaties with foreign nations when it comes to the domains it is responsible for.
In the French Region, or Walloon, there are five provinces: Brabant Wallon, Hainaut, Liège, Luxembourg and Namur. It’s domain include “the environment, agriculture, housing, public works, transport, regional aspects of the economic policy, foreign trade, employment policy, regional aspects of the energy policy, organisation and supervision of the local authorities, property belonging to the various religious groups, scientific research relating to regional matters, international relations relating to regional matters” (Region Wallonne). It has a separate parliament and government. Its administration is divided into two ministries: Walloon Ministry of Equipment and Transportation and the Ministry of the Walloon Region (Region Wallonne).
The French Community Commission (COCOF), the Flemish Community Commission (VGC) and the Common Community Commission (COCOM) are the three community commissions that are in charge of the local domains and are dependent on the language spoken by the head of the household (Region Wallonne).
Belgian Federal Government. (2008). Belgian, a federal state. Retrieved from http://www.belgium.be/en/about_belgium/government/federale_staat/
Institut Geographique National. (2008). Carte Administrative. Retrieved from http://www.ngi.be/FR/FR4-1-1.shtm
Flemish Department of Foreign Affairs. (2008). Welcome to Flanders. Retrieved from http://www.flanders.be/servlet/Satellite?c=Page&cid=1276149008684&context=1166590833692--EN&p=1166590837082&pagename=flanders_site%2FView
Region Wallonne. Public Authorities in Wallonia. Retrieved from http://www.crisp.be/wallonie/en/pouvoirs/region_wallonne.html
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