Fusion of the communes

There a few times a merger took place of Belgian municipalities. The largest wave of mergers took place on January 1 1977 . On that day, the number of municipalities, by merging formerly autonomous municipalities, reduced from 2359 to 596. The last reorganization took place in 1983 when a number of Antwerp municipalities were merged with the city of Antwerp. Since then, there are 589 municipalities.

Content

 * 1 History
 * 2 Mergers 1964
 * 3 Mergers between 1970 and 1971
 * 4 Mergers 1977
 * 5 Fusion 1983
 * 6 Current state
 * 7 Future
 * 8 Sources
 * 9 External links

History [ edit ]
Belgium had at independence in 1,831 two thousand four hundred and eighty-nine municipalities. [1] This meant a (small) reduction in comparison with the Dutch and French period. Certain demographic and / or economic developments were created occasionally new municipalities after 1830, and only a few sporadic terminated or merged. In 1928 the number of municipalities peaked in 2675. This number remained more or less constant until 1961 . For the sixties happened mergers (as well as splits the way) more or less ad hoc, based on a procedure described in the then Provincial . Often had to make the merger with urban expansion, such as the abolition of the municipality Mariakerke in 1899 (which was annexed largely in Ostend), the municipalities Laeken , Neder-Over-Heembeek and Haren who were joined in 1921 by the city of Brussels, or adhesion of the municipalities Lillo , Berendrecht and Zandvliet in Antwerp in 1958 as part of the port expansion.

Capturing or changing municipal boundaries was in the Belgian Constitution reserved to the legislature, that is, in principle, could only create the parliament through a law municipalities, merge or change boundaries.A systematic merger but it came after the Unity that was voted in 1961, which was four chapter dedicated to the territorial organization of the municipalities. The power to lift communities entrusted for a period of ten years on the executive. Municipalities could be merged if considerations primarily financial in nature but also geographical, linguistic, economic, social or cultural nature justifying the mergers. However, the parliament had to approve these bills properly. All former municipalities that were independently on 1 January 1961 may themselves borough mention of the amalgamated municipality, but have no administrative function anymore.

The procedure was a substantial simplification of mergers and boundary changes. In 1964 and in 1969 - 1970 were as already lifted some 300 municipalities. The number of Belgian municipalities fell from 2663 in1961 to 2586 in 1965, 2359 in 1971 and finally 596 in 1977 and 589 in 1983 .

Usually they chose the name of the amalgamated municipality of the offerings of the participating municipalities old. The consequence of this is that the chosen district usually acts as the administrative center. Some mergers were there for various reasons, chose a new name, such as: hilly , Zwalm , Affligem , Kluisbergen , Linter , Vleteren , Roosdaal and Maarkedal .

In the debate over municipal mergers is increasingly also the alternative forward partnerships rather than mergers. Especially in France, which never took place scale mergers, one has created many urban and rural community associations to carry out a number of local contracts above locally.

In Belgian law of the seventies was also for the possibility to establish federations (national) municipalities and cities for cities and their suburbs. With agglomerations they had specifically Antwerp, Ghent, Brussels, Liege and Charleroi on the eye. Only around Brussels were established some federations, which disappeared in the merger of January 1, 1977.

The only metropolitan area that actually exist, the Brussels Agglomeration (officially "the metropolitan district to which the capital belongs"), which consists of the city of Brussels and 18 other municipalities, which all belong to the bilingual region of Brussels-Capital (one of the four language as stated in Article 4 of the coordinated Constitution).

Upon the establishment of the Brussels Capital Region with effect from January 1, 1989, the Brussels agglomeration was separate public corporation, although not abolished, but were lifted separately elected agglomeration council and the agglomeration college. In application of Article 163 of the coordinated Constitution, conducted through the Special Law of 12 January 1989 concerning the Brussels institutions the powers, conferred by law on the agglomerations and federations of municipalities to the board and the College, means of regulations and decisions, be held by the Brussels-Capital Parliament and the Brussels Capital Region.

Mergers 1964 [ edit ]
On the basis of the Single Law came in 1964 the first systematic series of fusions to stand. It was about 110 small municipalities were merged into 37 new, larger units. Most of these municipalities were in Wallonia.This merger gave rise to little resistance, because it is usually very small municipalities were financially barely had room for maneuver. Sometimes they added rural communities together (for example Opdorp inBuggenhout, or municipalities Bergilers , Grandville , Lens-sur-Geer , Wouter Ingen and Hideous which together form the new municipality Hideous (Oreye) went shapes), sometimes smaller municipalities in the neighboring town (for example merging include Eine , Ename , Nederename , Edelare , Bevere , Leupegem and Volkegem in Oudenaarde , and Emelgem that Izegem was added).

Mergers between 1970 and 1971 [ edit ]
The mergers of 1970 and 1971 took place on the basis of the Unity. The mergers of 1970 were a lot more numerous: there were 300 municipalities involved, which were merged into 95 new. Notable in this series is for example the merger of Bruges with seven neighboring municipalities, creating a new large urban municipality. Even smaller municipalities were merged (eg the creation of the municipality Brakel by removing five smaller municipalities).

The last series of mergers based on the Unity took place in 1971. In fact, it went to a number of fusion procedures that had already been started, but who are no longer within the prescribed deadline could get around. The procedure was therefore extended by law for a year. This 30 municipalities were lifted.

Mergers of 1977 [ edit ]
The merger sets before 1976 were all together modest in number and aroused little resistance. That was completely different from the mergers that took effect on January 1, 1977. In addition, the number of Belgian municipalities was reduced from 2359 to 596. The merger was pushed through in a relatively short time and went against the wishes of many municipalities. This resulted in some municipalities to bitter opposition to the plans that had, moreover, only occasionally successful.

Even before 1970 they had come to the conclusion that large-scale mergers were needed to make communities strong enough governance and allow sufficient resources for a full-fledged local policy. The intention for larger mergers were included in the government policy statement of the government G. Eyskens V (1968-1972), a coalition of Christian Democrats and Socialists . Among the interior minister in this government,Lucien Harmegnies, a new procedure for the merger was effected in the Act of 23 July 1971 concerning the merging of municipalities and the change of their borders.

The law provided the initiative for mergers in the executive branch (the government), which had to ratify the merger plan by a law in parliament . The merger plans were prepared by the internal affairs administration.The final decisions had to be taken by minister and government, which meant that the mergers were largely a government affair.

Real shot in the matter only came under the government Tindemans I (1974-1977), a coalition of Christian Democrats and Liberals, with Interior Minister Joseph Michel . Scale mergers were again part of the coalition agreement. Minister Michel additionally applied a strict time schedule, because the whole operation had to be around for the municipal elections of October 1976 and come into force at the inauguration of the newly constituted councils on 1 January 1977. The public participation procedures and debates were therefore relatively short. The Royal Decree of 17 September 1975, the firm mergers, after fierce debates endorsed parliament completed the merger with the laws of 23 and December 30, 1975.

The procedure stipulated that mergers were possible on the basis of geographical, economic, social, cultural or financial reasons. Strict quantitative criteria were not in the law, but an increase in size and population, were nevertheless indicative.

In retrospect, it is striking that answers the merger in 1977 not anywhere on the criteria put forward during the work. So sometimes small municipalities remained outside any merger, while larger municipalities in certain cases or be merged again. It is also noticeable that the proposals for consultation to municipalities and provinces are presented afterwards sometimes be changed without going back on an opinion or motivation. In the parliamentary debates on the mergers are often very specific political motives suggested in specific municipalities as true motive to make certain mergers or not (mostly existing and potential majorities in councils).

The result of the merger is indeed a drastic reduction in the number of municipalities and a significant scale, but nonetheless a striking heterogeneity of Belgian municipalities. So often remain after the merger of small municipalities no apparent reason to exist. A number of regional cities are more or less fused with their natural suburbs (eg Ghent , Roeselare , Mechelen ), while it did not for others, without there ever been an official reason given (for example, Turnhout, which merged with any municipality, Leuven , that Herent grown but not merged with it, and Kortrijk , that though with some rural nuclei, but never with its metropolitan suburbs Kuurne , Harelbeke or Zwevegem merged).

A total escape from the 2359 municipalities in 1976 were only 92 to a merger, including the 19 bilingual municipalities of the Brussels Capital Region and a number of municipalities with facilities that could not be merged because of their language regime (including Messines , Ronse , Herstappe , Vloesberg ). The average number of inhabitants rose on January 1, 1977 from 4136 to 16,565, the average area of ​​13 to 52 square kilometers.

The scale of the mergers of 1977 contributed to the municipalities could remain an important level of government in Belgium. At the same time complicates a certain capriciousness in the chosen groupings in some cases an effective social, economic and spatial policy.

Merger of 1983 [ edit ]
The final merger was that of the city of Antwerp with seven suburbs. This was done according to the same procedure and the same Royal Decree as the mergers of 1977, but the fusiewet of December 30, 1975 there was only established on 1 January 1983, due to the specific nature of the merger. All municipalities had high population numbers and additionally significant financial problems. The merger created the largest municipality of Belgium by population and the third largest in area (after Tournai and Couvin ). The former municipalities were districts called and got an unofficial advisory role within the city administration. With effect from 1 January 2001 they regained an administrative function. The merger of the city of Antwerp with the suburbs Berchem , Borgerhout , Deurne , Hoboken , Ekeren , Merksem and Wilrijk the number of Belgian municipalities was finally reduced further to 589.

Current state [ edit ]
Since then there have been no reclassifications more; Brussels namely indefinitely obtain deferment. This brings the total number of municipalities in Belgium is currently still 589:
 * 308 in the Flemish Region ( list )
 * 262 in the Walloon Region ( list )
 * 19 in the Brussels-Capital Region ( list )

Future [ edit ]
Because the municipalities both in terms of area and in terms of population numbers are small compared with, for example Dutch municipalities, is regularly raised by politicians to add a number of municipalities together. Since the 2000 Lambermont agreement the municipal law falls under the jurisdiction of the provinces . A new large-scale merger operation as in 1977 is therefore virtually impossible, at least at the national level.

In Brussels, the aim is to reduce the number of municipalities greatest. As suggested Bert Anciaux in 2007 for the insert already jokingly said "19 baronies" together into six new churches coinciding with the six Brussels police. Others want to make even one large municipality of Brussels where the current 19 municipalities on a new role as subordinate district play (analogous to the situation in Antwerp ).

In Flanders, the desire for larger, more agile and more efficient municipalities in recent years greater than before. In 2010 promised Flemish Minister for Home Affairs, Geert Bourgeois, a grant of 4.125 million for municipalities to merge voluntarily. Municipalities who wanted to make use of this scheme were to make this for 2011 indicate that the merger on 1 January 2013 (after the municipal elections in 2012) was able to enter. No church, however, went on that call.

Currently, there is among the local governments, however, little incentive to merge. In some municipalities, however, the lives it: as has Kruibeke has long stated its intention given with neighboring municipality of Beveren want to go together. The Flemish-Brabant municipality Merchtem already flirted with neighboring municipality Opwijk .

In 2010, during a guest lecture at the University of Ghent on the internal state reform Flemish let Geert Bourgeois that he suspects that for 2020 will come to a forced merger.

Sources [ edit ]
Koenraad De Ceuninck, ''the municipal mergers of 1976. A milestone for the local authorities in Belgium.'' Bruges: 2009.