Ludo Veny

Techniques for Protecting Minority Languages under Belgian Federalism

As one of the few countries in the Council of Europe, Belgium has, to date, not ratified the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities as well as the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Nevertheless, minorities are protected in Belgium due to its specific federal structure. Several instruments provide a balance between the two major language groups in the country: the Flemish and the French-speaking language group. This article focuses on these special techniques and situates them in the historical and specific judicial background of Belgium.

The Complexity of Administrative Appeals in Belgium: Not Seeing the Woods for the Trees

The successive state reforms in Belgium since 1970, which have transferred numerous policy areas to the Communities and Regions, as well as the lack of a general administrative law act, result in a very complex system of legal protection against the government action. All central governments (on federal and federated levels, or in practice eight entities) may legislate on administrative appeal. In practice, this means a uniform system of administrative appeals in federal matters while seven autonomous legislators can regulate administrative appeals in the matters assigned to them.