Fusion of the communes

On 1 January 1977, many Belgian municipalities were merged into new, larger municipalities. The total number of Belgian municipalities decreased by these municipal reform of 2359 to 596 by the reorganization in the city of Antwerp, which entered into force on 1 January 1983, the still existing number of municipalities ( 589 ) has been reached.

Prehistory

1831 Belgium had a total of 2739 municipalities. This community number remained more or less constant until 1961. This year it was decided to reduce the number of communities significantly. The municipal mergers were initially undertaken in the years 1964, 1969 and 1970. In total, more than 300 communities have been inserted into other communities or merged with others to form new communities.

In 1961 there were 2663 municipalities. In 1965 there were 2586 and 1971, finally in 2359 communities.

Mergers in 1977

Lucien Harmegnies, Minister of the Interior of the Government G. Eyskens V ( 1968-1972 ), prepared the large-scale restructuring of the Belgian communities that would eventually come into force on 1 January 1977. Joseph Michel, Minister of the Interior of the Government Tindemans I finished the project. On October 6, 1975, the restructuring plans have been published. Especially smaller communities felt left behind by the plans down. The law on the restructuring of the Belgian municipalities, however, was adopted by Parliament on 30 December 1975. The regulations could come into force in early 1977 with the exception of incorporations in the city of Antwerp. Because of the language problems were two very small communities retain their independence: Herstappe in the province of Limburg and mesas in the province of West Flanders.

Antwerp

The law on the merger of the municipalities in the area of ​​Antwerp only came into force on 1 January 1983. The annexed to Antwerp communities were designated as districts and received administrative tasks within the greater community of Antwerp. The merger of Antwerp with the previous edge communities Berchem, Borgerhout, Deurne, Ekeren, Hoboken, Merksem and Wilrijk the total number of Belgian municipalities fell to 589

The situation today

These 589 communities still exist today. They are spread over the regions as follows:

• 308 municipalities belong to the Flemish Region;
• 262 municipalities are members of the Walloon Region;
• 19 municipalities are members of the Brussels -Capital Region.

Mergers in the future

There have been and continue efforts to unite the often small communities to newer more powerful communities. However, a general government projects is no longer possible because the community structure is up to the respective regions.

In Brussels, is thinking about running for a long time to form from the existing 19 municipalities but one nation ( with districts ) or at least only six municipalities.

Flanders has a project that unite communities on 1 January 2013 voluntarily failed. No single community was ready. The newly formed communities should receive financial support. There are now in individual cases but current merger plans that are not gone far beyond the planning phase. So Kruibeke with Beveren in the province of East Flanders and Merchtem could merge with Opwijk in the province of Flemish Brabant.