The role of state services in a market economy has been lately at the care of an intellectual and political debate in Belgium as well as in most European countries. State companies as the Post Office, the Railways and the Telegraph Service have to face an ever more fierce competition and have to be efficient and profitable.The way to deal with privatisation bas however been much less clearcut in Belgium than in other countries such as the United Kingdom or France. (...) A law bas been passed recently and the monopoly position of the Transport and Telecommunications state companies has been alleviated and their autonomy increased as a result. A distinction has been made between, on the one hand, the commercial activities for which they have to compete with the private sector and, on the other hand, the activities of public interest which are subject to certain limitations laid down in a management contract. (shrink)

Since 1971 Belgium has been organized into two cultural communities - Flanders and W allonia - and into three regions - Brussels, Flanders and Wallonia.Bach community and each region has its own financial means and its own legislative capacity.In 1975 a strong political controversy arose concerning the limits of the powers of the region vs. those of the community : which was financially responsible for some matters - the region or the community?This conflict made the problem of the coexistence of (...) two communities and three regions more sensitive. (shrink)

Nowadays, in Belgium, a majority of acts of Parliament are no longer automatically applied but have to be completed by orders in council. In fact, a number of laws may remain without effect for a certain time, theexecutive power, in charge of the implementation of laws, having not prepared the drafts in acceptable delay.This phenomenon seems to arise from today's crisis in the relations between Parliament and government, which arrogates to itself the right to keep at bay the legislator's work (...) and opposes a real veto.The suppression of the phenomenon actually appears to be difficult although the members of Parliament have at times been aware of the inertness of the executive power.An award of the Supreme Court, in Belgium, dated 23 April 1971, has nevertheless penalized the failure and accepted the principle of government's responsibility due to the abstention to regulate. (shrink)