Belgium 1.4.2 | Compendium of Cultural Policies & Trends
Belgium 1.4.2
Jul 25

Belgium 1.4.2

  • July 25, 2019

Belgium is a member state of the EU, Council of Europe, UN, UNESCO, and the OECD. The Flemish government is also involved in these intergovernmental bodies, either through independent relations, or through the Belgian membership (which requires coordination with the other government levels involved). This involvement includes implementing treaties and policies, financial support for the workings of these bodies, and participation in working groups or conferences. Carrying out and monitoring treaties and policies[1] is done by different ministers and administration services of the Federal and Flemish governments, such as the Flanders Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA; see 1.4.1) and the Department of Culture, Youth and Media (see 1.2.3 and 1.2.6). With regard to their competences (including Culture), the responsible ministers of the different Communities take on a rotating role in the Council of the European Union (this follows the principle explained in 1.4.1).

Creative Europe Desk Vlaanderen is the information desk on the Creative Europe programme for the Flemish Community. There is a separate national agency for the Erasmus+ programme in Flanders, namely Epos. There are also separate national UNESCO Commissions for the different Communities: the Flemish UNESCO Commission and the Commission representing both the French and German-speaking Communities. The Flemish government created two UNESCO Trust Funds, of which the general fund supports projects on cultural heritage (this is financed by the FDFA). The UNESCO Platform Flanders functions as an information desk for the Flemish Community.

With regard to the role of Flanders in the EU, we should mention the Liaison agency Flanders-Europe (VLEVA). This is a membership organisation that acts as a network and expertise provider for actors from civil society (such as advocacy associations) and for the different government levels in Flanders.

Lastly, we should mention that the Flemish government is a member of the Union for the Dutch Language, together with the Netherlands and Suriname (Taalunie; see 1.4.1).

[1] The FDFA provides an overview of international treaties with regard to culture in which the Flemish government is involved, including those of the Council of Europe, UNESCO, and UN (see also 4.2.1).