Following pressure from a number of the region's municipalities, Brussels residents can now also take part in a public enquiry regarding the renewal of Brussels Airport's environmental permit.
In July 2024, the environmental permit needed to operate Brussels Airport in Zaventem will expire. An application for the re-licensing of the existing activity has already been submitted to the Flemish authorities by the Brussels Airport Company (BAC) last month, supported by a draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) – which is an investigation into the possible "environmental consequences of the airport's activities."
The Flemish Region is responsible for issuing the single permit, but first, a 30-day public enquiry will be organised – where all citizens concerned can look at the file and formulate any comments or objections. This part of the process was aimed solely at the residents of the four municipalities adjacent to the airport – Steenokkerzeel, Kortenberg, Zaventem and Machelen – despite the fact that its impact is more widespread.
"Complaints about noise pollution mainly come from residents of the Brussels Region. It is the people of Brussels and in particular, the people of Schaerbeek, who are seeing their quality of life deteriorate on a daily basis," Frédéric Nimal, the councillor responsible for combating aircraft noise, said. "The current situation is unacceptable, and we keep saying so."
'Hope we are heard'
The underexposed effects that the airport's activities have on locals were highlighted by a study published earlier this year. The findings showed that 220,000 people living in the neighbourhood of the airport are severely hampered by aircraft noise every year, while the sleep of 109,000 people living in the area is seriously disturbed.
To ensure everyone who experiences negative consequences from the airport can make their voice heard, the College of Schaerbeek had requested that the public enquiry should be extended to the Brussels-Capital Region, arguing that it planned to take the matter to the relevant courts if needed. The municipality of Sint-Genesius-Rode also urged to be included in the application for renewal of the environmental permit.
An aircraft flying past the control tower as it lands at Brussels Airport at night. Credit: Belga/ Nicolas Maeterlinck
It has now been confirmed that all Brussels residents will have their say during the 30-day public enquiry. "All that remains is to hope that we are heard. It is inconceivable that this situation should continue," said Nimal. Schaerbeek on Tuesday launched an information campaign inviting citizens to come forward with their concerns.
After the public enquiry, all municipalities will combine the objections and submit them to the Flemish authorities together with their own opinions. The Flemish Government will then further examine the dossier and make the final decision on whether or not to issue an environmental permit.
Concerns already raised
Already in February this year, five municipalities located around Brussels – Grimbergen, Machelen, Meise, Vilvoorde and Wemmel – heavily criticised the draft EIR commissioned by the airport, which detailed plans for expansions. "Certain side-effects of the predicted growth, both in terms of passengers and cargo, are not or barely mapped out," the mayors of the municipalities argued.
They also argued that not changing the current operation of the airport, including the flight paths and schedules regarding day and night flights, is "completely unpalatable."
"The MER raises many questions. It assumes that maintaining the nuisance is acceptable in itself. The Noordrand municipalities believe this is a wrong assumption," said Machelen mayor Jean-Pierre De Groef.
One month later, Federal Airport ombudsman Philippe Touwaide warned that "Brussels Airport is behaving like a state within a state" after he identified a significant number of breaches in the enforcement of the current environmental permit that was issued in 2004. " It is not respecting legislation and ignoring the laws and the constitution," he said, calling on the regional and federal authorities to monitor any new operating licence much more strictly and closely.
