CONGRESS MONITORING VISIT TO BELGIUM

Brussels (4-6 February 2014)

(as of 31/01/2014)

Programme

Congress delegation:

Rapporteurs:

Mr Henrik HAMMAR                                       Rapporteur on local democracy

Chamber of Local Authorities, EPP/CCE[1]

Member of the Monitoring Committee of the Congress

(Sweden)

Mr Urs WÜTHRICH-PELLOLI                        Rapporteur on regional democracy

Chamber of Regions, SOC¹

Member of the Monitoring Committee of the Congress

(Switzerland)

Congress Secretariat:

Ms Stéphanie POIREL                                    Secretary to the Monitoring Committee of the Congress

Ms Olesea SAVCA                                          Co-secretary to the Monitoring Committee of the Congress

Expert:

Mr Carlos Eduardo PACHECO AMARAL      Consultant, Member of the Group of Independent Experts on the European Charter of Local Self-Government of the Congress

Tuesday, 4 February 2014 Brussels

                          Government of Flanders:

-        Mr Kris PEETERS, Minister-President, Minister for Economy, Foreign Policy, Agriculture and Rural Policy

-        Mr Geert BOURGEOIS, Vice-Minister-President, Minister for Public Governance, Local and Provincial Government, Civic Integration, Tourism and the Vlaamse Rand

                          Parliament of Flanders:

-        Mr Jan PEUMANS, Speaker

                          Parliament of Brussels-Capital Region:

-        Ms Françoise DUPUIS, Speaker

                         Parliament of the French Community / Walloon - Brussels Federation / Walloon Parliament:

-        Mr Jean-Charles LUPERTO, President of the Parliament of the French Community,

President of the Parliament of Walloon-Brussels Federation

Represented by Mr Michel LEBRUN, member of the bureau of the Parliament

-        Mr Patrick DUPRIEZ, President of the Walloon Parliament

Represented by Ms PARY-MILLE, Vice-President of the Commission on Internal affairs and Tourism of the Walloon Parliament

Wednesday, 5 February 2014 Brussels

                          Ministry of Finance:

-        Mr Koen GEENS, Minister of Finance and Chairman of the High Council of Finance

                          Government of the French Community / Wallonia:

-        Mr Rudy DEMOTTE, Minister-President of the French Community, Minister-President of Wallonia and the Walloon-Brussels Federation

-        Mr Paul FURLAN, Minister for local government, city policy and tourism

                          Ombudsmen:

-        Mr Philippe NICODEM, Director of the Federal Ombudsman office

-        Mr Donald CARDON, Auditor-coordinator for the Federal Ombudsman

-        Mr Bart WEEKERS, Dutch Ombudsman

-        Mr Marc BERTRAND, Ombudsman of Wallonia and of the Walloon-Brussels Federation

-        Mr Cédric LANGER, Ombudsman of the German Community

-        Ms Karla BLOMME, Ombudswoman of Antwerpen

-        Ms Rita PASSEMIERS, Ombudswoman of Gent

-        Ms Aurore PONCIN, Ombudswoman of Ixelles - Elsene

Thursday, 6 February 2014 Brussels

                          Council of State:

-        Mr Roger STEVENS, First President

                          Meeting with representatives of the German-speaking Community:

-        Mr Karl-Heinz LAMBERTZ, Minister-President, Minister for local authorities

-        Mr Alexander MIESEN, Speaker of the Parliament

                          Brussels-Capital Region:

-        Mr Rudi VERVOORT, Minister-President and President of the United College of the Common Community Commission of Brussels-Capital

Represented by Mr Baptiste DELHAUTEUR, Deputy Head of the Private Office

-        Mr Xavier SIMON, Advisor

                          Constitutional Court of Belgium:

-        Mr Marc BOSSUYT, President for the Dutch Language Group

Replaced by Mr André ALEN (from 5 February)

-        Mr Jean SPREUTELS, President for the French Language Group