Union of Belgian Cities and Municipalities
non profit organisation

[a brief description] [its objectives] [its structures]
[its institutions] [regional associations] [european activities] [contact]

a brief description...

The Union of Belgian Cities and Municipalities is made up of three regional associations - the Union of Dutch Cities and Municipalities, the Union of Cities and Municipalities of Wallonia and the Association of the City of Brussels and the Municipalities of the Region of Brussels-Capital -  which regroup all the towns and municipalities in each region.

The Belgian Union, which was established  in 1913, works to defend the interests of local authorities and to process and provide legal information.

From the very beginning, the Union gave priority to study the repercussions of regulations and matters of local concern, to represent the municipal perspective with higher tiers of authority and supervisory administrative bodies, to keep the municipalities informed and to respond to their specific needs.

In 1996, The Union of Belgian Cities and Municipalities merged with the Belgian Section of CEMR. The future role will focus on four key sectors :

• promoting the European dimension;
• promoting twinning;
• providing information on Community regulations, programmes and initiatives;
• providing advice and assistance to local authorities wishing to take part in European programs.

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The Union : its objectives

• To help their members in their daily work
• To represent them at European, federal, regional and community level
• To provide information to their members
• To stay alert concerning municipal problems and work at their solution
• To advise the municipalities on legal matters

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The Union : its structures

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The Union : its institutions

• The board of administrators
  • exercises the powers the law gives to it
  • is a concertation place between the regional associations for the federal and European matters
• The managing board
  • compares the regional positions about federal matters and prepares unanimous decisions about them
  • gives policies concerning the daily work of the federal services
• The federal secretary
  • is secretary of the board of administrators
  • follows up the European and federal matters
  • is in charge of the coordination of the European activities of the Union
  • is in charge of the federal services
  • is head of the personal

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The Union : the regional associations

Each regional association has

• a board of administrators
• a managing board
• a director

Competences of the regional associations

• the regional matters
• the community matters (in concertation with the Brussels association
• the federal matters (in concertation with the other associations)
• the running of their services

Their names

• The Union of Dutch Cities and municipalities
• The Union of Cities and municipalities of Wallonia
• The Union of Brussels city and municipalities

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The European activities of the Union

In 1996, The Union of Belgian Cities and Municipalities merged with the Belgian Section of CEMR. The future role will focus on four key sectors :

• promoting the European dimension;
• promoting twinning;
• providing information on Community regulations, programmes and initiatives;
• providing advice and assistance to local authorities wishing to take part in European programs.

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Contact

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