The Parliament of Brussels approved on Friday evening the first budget of the Joint Community Commission, COCOM, under the government of Minister President Boris Dilliès.
Legislators from the ruling coalition voted in favour, the opposition voted against, and there was one abstention - from Team Fouad Ahidar.
For the past 17 months, the commission, which is responsible for areas such as family benefits, social action, support for the homeless, and hospital infrastructure, has been operating under a provisional twelfths budget procedure.
This procedure allows public bodies to continue their operations by authorising monthly spending equal to 1/12 of the appropriations from the previous year’s budget.
The new budget anticipates a €35-million deficit for 2026 but charts a path to financial balance by 2029. The deficit is expected to fall to €23 million in 2027 and €11 million in 2028, and to be balanced in 2029.
In 2026, the main allocations include €469.6 million for healthcare, €100 million for aid to individuals, and slightly over €1 billion for family benefits.
