Belgium's federal government has approved draft legislation to merge Brussels'six police zones into a single force, with extra funding and a target start date of 2027.
Belgium's federal government late on Tuesday approved, at second and final reading, a draft law paving the way for the merger of the six police zones in the Brussels-Capital Region into a single unified force.
Funding earmarked to support the operation has been increased from €55 million to €65 million.
In a statement, Interior Minister Bernard Quintin (MR) said the reform had been a priority since the start of his mandate, arguing that the current fragmented system was limiting police effectiveness in the capital.
"The current situation in Brussels shows every day how essential it is to have a single command structure and a single intervention force at the level of the capital, freed from the artificial boundaries that currently limit the effectiveness of law enforcement," Quintin said.
The draft law provides for the creation of one police zone covering the entire Brussels-Capital administrative district, replacing the six existing zones.
The aim is to strengthen operational efficiency and improve the capacity of police services to intervene across the region.
Quintin said he hoped the text would be definitively approved as soon as possible. Once enacted, the unified police zone would be set up within 18 months, with the reform expected to take effect in Brussels in 2027.
"There's no time to lose. The urgency of the situation demands that everyone take responsibility," the minister said.
The legislation also includes broader national measures, according to Quintin, such as a framework encouraging voluntary police zone mergers elsewhere in the country, reforms to modernise police governance, and steps to strengthen democratic transparency, particularly in relation to municipal councils.
