Brussels invokes conflict of interest procedure over aircraft routes

The Brussels-Capital Region has decided to file a conflict of interest procedure against the federal government over the number of flights from Brussels Airport taking the canal route over heavily populated areas of the city. 

The procedure claims that a decision was taken at federal level that has a severe impact on one of the regions – in this case Brussels – without that region’s representatives having been consulted.  It is the same procedure used by the government of Flanders last year in protest at the Wathelet Plan, which reduced the number of flights travelling over certain Brussels municipalities to the detriment of the municipalities in the Flemish periphery.

According to Brussels region environment minister Céline Fremault, 90% of night flights out of the airport in Zaventem now take the canal route, compared to only 5% before 19 June. She accuses federal mobility minister Jacqueline Galant of giving relief to Flanders by placing the load on Brussels. “That is unacceptable,” she said. “Discussion is essential in this sensitive area if we are to achieve a structural solution acceptable to all parties.”

The effect of invoking the conflict of interest procedure is to suspend the contested decision – to send night flights over Brussels – for 60 days, while the matter goes before the Concertation Committee, made up of representatives of federal and regional governments. In the previous case – against the Wathelet Plan – the decision was overturned by the Council of State independent of the procedure.

Photo courtesy Ad Meskens Wikimedia Commons