The Walloon government passed new provisions intended to clear the way for the region's municipalities to merge voluntarily in the next several years.
The new rules bring more clarity to the process of merging two communes. For example, municipalities considering a voluntary merger will now have more information about regulations for allowable financial bonuses and the terms and conditions for appointing a town general manager to run the newly formed joint commune, Belga News Agency reports.
Communes considering merging can apply to the Walloon government, and the municipal councils have until 31 October 2022 to adopt a joint merger proposal and submit it. Proposed mergers must include information detailing the newly formed commune's boundaries and the proposed name.
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A week ago, the municipalities of Bastogne (in the Luxembourg province) and nearby Bertogne submitted their plan to merge, the first such voluntary merger in Wallonia.
The authorities from both municipalities say combining benefits residents by offering them more efficient services. Additionally, the newly formed municipality will qualify for more money from the Municipalities Fund.
Currently, Belgium counts 581 municipalities, including 262 in Wallonia. The Walloon government, however, has for years encouraged smaller communes to merge, and specified voluntary commune mergers as a way for the region to better serve citizens by combining resources in its policy statement for 2019-2024.
