Cases
There are many initiatives for citizen participation in Belgium. In recent years, the authorities have become increasingly aware of the role that citizen panels can play in bringing policy-making closer to the people.
Discover here the noteworthy initiatives in our country, with figures and facts.
Our criteria: citizens' assembly with random draw and deliberation.
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Citizens Consultation Mobility Plan Olen
The Municipality of Olen wants to think together with its residents about safe and sustainable traffic: How can Olen be a municipality where mobility and living are in tune with each other? The Olen citizens' council meets four times. Afterward, experts will work with this input. More information can be found on their website.
We Need To Talk citizens debate
We Need To Talk aims to give time and input to a group of citizens to formulate proposals for party funding reform, a file that has been deadlocked for years. Those proposals will be presented to politicians, with the aim of achieving real change and breaking the deadlock. More info at weneedtotalk.be
Citizens' Council of Forest
In 2021, the municipality of Forest created a citizen's council, composed of 37 randomly selected citizens, in order to further involve the inhabitants in the elaboration of public policies and to feed the decisions of the municipality by formulating recommendations to the municipal institutions.
Let's prepare Brussels
In October and November 2021, Brussels Environment hosted deliberative workshops as part of the participatory process “Let's prepare Brussels” aiming at rethinking the resilience of the Region, during which about a hundred citizens formulated recommendations, on the basis of the results of a previous citizen consultation (online), to the competent Brussels Minister.
Mechelenmakers Citizens panel
The municipality of Mechelen wanted to involve the citizens more in the political life and therefore gathered in May 2021 a panel of 50 randomly selected citizens to discuss the question of the balance between a lively and a peaceful city—the recommendations resulting from this process have been forwarded to the local institutions for implementation.
Citizens Panel on Climate in Wallonia
In 2021, the Walloon Government commissioned a Citizens Panel on Climate as part of the revision of the Air Climate Energy Plan, asking the approximately sixty citizens selected by lot to formulate recommendations for measures to be taken to reduce greenhouse gases of 55% since 1990 by the year 2030.
Permanent Citizen Council of Saint-Gilles
In 2020, the municipality of Saint-Gilles has set up a permanent citizens' council, made up of 35 Saint-Gilles inhabitants, in order involve residents in the development of public policies, encourage citizen participation and improve the interaction between residents and elected officials.
Auderghem's Assembly of the Residents
In 2020, the municipality of Auderghem launched the project of the Assembly of Residents, made up of 10 Neighborhood Assemblies, themselves composed of 10 citizens drawn by lot. Their role is to co-organize the municipal participatory budget and to formulate public policy recommendations.
Brussels Mixed Committees
Since 2020, the Parliament of the Brussels-Capital Region and the French-speaking Parliament of Brussels organize joint commissions bringing together citizens chosen by lot and elected officials to formulate recommendations on various topics that are then dealt with in the Parliament.
Agora Citizens Assemblies
Since 2020, the political movement Agora organizes the deliberations of the Brussels Citizens' Assembly, gathering 89 citizens drawn by lot to formulate proposals relayed to the Brussels Parliament by an elected spokesperson.
Future Forum Zoet Water
In 2020, 38 citizens from the municipality of Oud-Heverlee were chosen by lot to discuss the future of the "Zoet Water" site and to formulate proposals for the municipal council, in order to co-design with the local institutions the future of this important territory of the municipality.
Brussels City District Councils
Since 2020, the City of Brussels has set up several District Councils composed of 11 citizens chosen by lot and 6 representatives of organized civil society, who meet 10 times a year to co-construct local policy through a participatory budget and make recommendations to the municipal authorities.