Abstract

With regard to the supervision of the municipalities by the provincial authorities, the sealing up has decreased the number of municipalities but not the volume of dossiers. Due to an increase of rather «difficult» municipalities because of the amalgamation, administrative control has become more difficult. The restriction on the number of local politicians has improved the quality of decision-making. Based on statistics, it seems that the negative character of the control has to be demystified. The evolution points toa diminishing of that phenomenon. Too little attention has been paid to the quality and quantity of the officials who have to manage the municipalities. The amalgamation has made further specialisation possible so there can be better job assignment of the municipal officials. Administrative and technical preparation of the dossiers has improved. The quality of the personnel dossiers is precarious which accounts for the fairly high number of suspension orders and negative decisions. The suspensions concerning personnel matters are a little higher in the municipalities of the Brussels agglomeration compared to Brabant as a whole.More flexible application of administrative control is not only possible and desirable but also justified in order that the constructive character of that administrative control may receive full attention.