The Brussels Parliament is expected to approve the recommendations of the special committee on the contentious Metro 3 project on Friday evening.
On Thursday, the plenary session will consider the outcome of the committee’s eight months of work – highlighting problems, in particular, with the organisation, funding and planning of the project.
The complex division of responsibilities between various institutional partners and levels of government made it difficult for the special committee to reach decisions. On top of that, the Brussels Region was unable to finance the project from the outset.
The problems at the Palais du Midi and the Brussels-North station highlight how important it is to better anticipate the technical, geotechnical and heritage-related risks.
In the special committee’s view, the risks were not optimally shared between the public authorities and the contractors, and the economic, social and urban consequences of the project were underestimated.
The special committee has made 24 recommendations. It advocates a single coordinating body for every infrastructure project of major regional importance, as well as mandatory reporting and a warning mechanism to enhance transparency and accountability, among other things.
Decisions must be made based on comprehensive and objective analyses. The choices made must be made more traceable. Feasibility studies must be entrusted to an independent body that is not competing for subsequent contracts.
In the view of the special committee, the government’s technical expertise must be strengthened, and decisions must be made on the basis of thorough geotechnical studies. The most complex problems must be tackled first, and sufficient provisions must be made to cover risks.
Additionally, the committee recommends systematically exploring whether partnership arrangements are possible, in order to simplify planning permission procedures and to secure the funding of infrastructure projects.
For major projects, a mandatory site management plan and a single central point of contact to support local stakeholders are required.
Finally, the special committee recommends continuing work on the southern section with a view to operating a tram line there in the short term.
As provided for in the coalition agreement, the committee also advocates a thorough investigation into the technical and financial feasibility of the northern section.
