The number of appeals filed by the Department of Environment at the Council for Permit Disputes has more than tripled over four years, rising from 19 in 2021 to 70 in 2025.
This information came from Flemish Minister of Environment Jo Brouns (CD&V) in response to a written query by Flemish MP Jurgen Callaerts (N-VA). The data also revealed that between 2024 and 2025 the number of appeals jumped from 33 to 70.
There has also been a sharp increase in the total number of administrative appeals initiated by the department. These rose from 276 in 2021 to 514 in 2025, with a peak of 731 in 2024. Notably, while administrative appeals declined between 2024 and 2025, the number of appeals to the Council for Permit Disputes more than doubled during the same period.
Most administrative appeals filed by the department are linked to zoning issues, where developments are located outside designated zones either partially or entirely. MP Callaerts commented, “The rising number of appeals shows that zoning irregularities are increasingly leading to legal disputes. We must acknowledge that current regulations often clash with spatial planning realities.”
Callaerts proposes that the Flemish government should focus on advisory roles rather than actively contesting permits. “This approach is outlined in the Flemish government’s action plan,” he said. “We urge Minister Brouns to follow through on this. The right of Flemish administrative bodies to appeal should be strictly limited and used only to address clear legal errors, such as overstepped jurisdiction. It cannot be the policy for governmental bodies to challenge each other through legal disputes over permits.”
