Brussels Parliament Approves Citizens’ Panels on Cleanliness and Mobility
On Wednesday afternoon, the Extended Bureau of the Parliament of the Brussels-Capital Region declared two citizens’ initiatives admissible — one on cleanliness and the other on mobility. Both initiatives reached the required threshold of 1,000 signatures. As a result, the Parliament will establish a citizens’ panel for each of these topics. The first panel, focusing on cleanliness, will take place at the beginning of 2026.
“What a victory to see cleanliness become a topic of debate in Parliament thanks to a citizens’ initiative,” says Jonathan De Jonck, one of the initiators of the proposal. “It’s an essential issue that residents face every day. Making Brussels cleaner requires close cooperation between citizens and public authorities. Many of the people we spoke with believe it’s crucial that citizens can not only propose topics to Parliament but also discuss them directly with Members of Parliament.”
At the beginning of 2026, 45 randomly selected Brussels residents and 15 members of Parliament will meet over four to five days to deliberate on the issue of cleanliness in the city. They will receive in-depth information, engage in debates, and jointly formulate recommendations. These recommendations will then be submitted to the Parliamentary Committee on Cleanliness, which is responsible for follow-up. After this first citizens’ panel, Parliament will determine the procedures for the next panel, which will focus on mobility.
An internationally recognised model
The mixed citizens’ panels of the Brussels Parliament are a unique democratic instrument, which has also received international recognition. In mid-October, the Brussels Parliament hosted a session on permanent citizens’ dialogues as part of the Democracy R&D global conference on democratic innovation. The Brussels citizens’ panels featured prominently in the discussions. Both citizens and Members of Parliament can request the establishment of such a panel.
“We are pleased to see that citizens are increasingly finding their way to this instrument, and that it helps create genuine citizen dialogue around essential social issues,” says Ben Eersels, Director of G1000, the Belgian platform for democratic innovation, which observes citizens’ assemblies in Belgium. “Hopefully, these panels will help strengthen the bond between citizens and policymakers — something that is more needed than ever, especially in these challenging times for the Region.”