What’s happening in my country
Belgium – Flanders
This page contains specific information about the planning and implementation of smart villages in Belgium – Flanders. The information aims to orient people on policy planning, key contacts and resources on smart villages. However, it neither aims to be fully comprehensive, nor necessarily reflects the official government or European Commission position.
Explore how smart villages are being implemented in Belgium – Flanders.
Key CAP contact(s) :
Vercammen Goele (Policy Officer)
Email : goele.vercammen@vlm.be
Support for Smart Villages under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)
The design of the Flemish CAP Strategic Plan started in 2018 and the submission is planned in 2020:
- Survey (Feb 2018): Needs assessment of Flemish agriculture, environment and countryside
- Needs analysis presented to the Advisory Group (autumn 2018): The Advisory Group – consisting of representatives of civil society, including farmers’ unions, environmental organisations, etc. – has the role to ensure that the content of the CAP corresponds to the identified needs & requirements.
- Strategy – Action Planning (Spring 2019): Identifying key actions in line with specific policy areas and the roles & responsibilities of the Advisory Council of Agriculture and Fisheries (SALV) and the Advisory of Environment and Nature (Minaraad).
- Public consultation (June-July 2019): Second general public consultation
- Planning CAP measures (summer/autumn 2019): Preparation of CAP measures by internal thematic working groups consisting of the Department Landbouw en Visserij (Department of Agriculture and Fisheries), Instituut voor Landbouw-, Visserij- en Voedingsonderzoek (Institute for Agricultural, Fisheries and Food Research, ILVO); and the Department of Environment..
- Planning submission: The Flemish CAP is planned to be submitted to the European Commission in the course of 2020; depending on European decision-making (Multiannual Financial Framework and CAP regulation).
The needs of Flemish villages are highlighted in the needs analysis that indicates, among other things:
- The need to (i) improve services/ facilities, accessibility (e.g. retail and social clubs); (ii) address ageing; (iii) strengthen social cohesion;
- Importance of digitalisation;
- Importance of the involvement of community members in ensuring the liveability of their village;
- Need to stimulate cooperation within and between villages
The draft strategy paper includes the following objectives that are relevant for village development:
- Objective 4: contributing to climate change mitigation and adaptation and renewable energy
- Objective 8: promoting employment, growth, social inclusion and local development in rural areas, including bio-economy and sustainable forestry
The main measures of the CAP through which (smart) villages might be supported are:
- LEADER
- ‘Omgevingskwaliteit’ (Environmental Quality by Investment or Cooperation)
- ‘Platteland Plus’ (Countryside Plus) funding. Beneficiaries are municipal authorities, non-profit associations, inter-municipal cooperatives, foundations, public legal entities.
In the current programming period 7 – out of a total of 12 Leader Local Action Groups in Flanders – decided to focus on the theme of resilient villages. The largest part of the budget goes to investment projects aimed at improving the social cohesion of inhabitants.
Further information on CAP & smart villages :
Key NRN contact(s) :
Ariane Van den Steen (Coordinator)
Email : Ariane.vandensteen@lv.vlaanderen.be
Activities of the National Rural Network (NRN) on smart villages
The VRN (Flemish Rural Network) is currently not taking specific actions concerning Smart Villages.
For the Smart Villages theme VRN refers to VLM (Flemish Land Agency). VLM is an independent external agency in the environmental policy domain. VLM helps developing an open space rural and village policy through an area-based approach, and supports local initiatives to increase the quality of the environment and the quality of life in rural areas. VLM is also managing various CAP-supported rural development subsidies.
Support provided through other national/ regional policies & initiatives
There are several initiatives in Flanders that are relevant to the ‘smart village’-concept, including:
- BUURTEN OP DEN BUITEN (‘External Neighbourhoods’): Through the ‘Buurten op den Buiten’ annual call the King Baudouin Foundation and the Flemish Land Agency supports residents who want to realise a concrete project for their neighbourhood or village with a rural character. Projects aim to improve the quality of life in a village or neighbourhood and promote linkages between a wide and diverse group of residents. Each project can be supported by a fund of up to 5,000 euro.
- KLIMAATPROJECTEN (Climate Projects): Each province in Flanders, in partnership with the Bond Beter Leefmilieu (Union Better Environment), publishes an annual call for climate projects targeted at municipalities. The call aims at encouraging local authorities to speed up the transition towards a renewable and circular economy. The call focuses on local initiatives around mobility, energy, food, green environment, circular and sharing economy, building and housing. Up to 50% of the project costs can be funded.
- PROJECTOPROEP LOKALE KLIMAATACTIES (Call for Local Climate Actions): The purpose of this call is to detect, select and scale up projects through financial support. Supported projects are expected to have a demonstrable contribution to CO2 reduction and/or offer solutions for a changing climate (climate adaptation). These projects can be extended to surrounding municipalities (‘scalable’). The Local Climate Action Project Call is an initiative of Minister Bart Somers, Vice Minister President of the Flemish Government and Flemish Minister of Home Affairs, Public Administration, Integration and Equal Opportunities. The implementation and supervision of the project call is carried out by the Association of Flemish Cities and Municipalities (VVSG).
- PROEFTUIN ONTHARDING (Experimental Garden Softening): ‘Proeftuin ontharding’ is an initiative of the Flemish Environment Department. It has already launched two calls for projects, focused on local authorities, associations, organisations, companies and schools. The aim of this call is to speed up the ‘softening’ of Flanders (removing buildings, unused roads or paved squares) and thus increase the quality of the living environment (for example green village centres). The funding can cover up to 75% of the costs and amounts to a minimum of 50,000 euros and a maximum of 250,000 euros.
- PRIJS VOOR DORPSKRACHT (Village Power Prize): In 2018, the Flemish Land Agency organised the ‘Dorpskracht’ competition, targeted at associations, local governments or residents’ groups who started a successful project to improve the living environment and conditions of their village over the past five years. The first three ‘winners’ received a cash prize to further support their initiative (10,000; 5000 and 2500 euros respectively).
- DORPSATELIERS (Village Workshops): The socio-cultural association ‘Landelijke Gilden’ (Rural Guilds) offered local resident groups from all over Flanders the opportunity to organise village workshops. During the Village Workshop, villagers discuss local problems and what they would like to see changed and identify possible solutions and actions that need to be taken. The project ran until the end of 2019.
- GOE BEZIG PRIJS (Well Done Prize): The ‘GoeBezig’ (Well Done) prize is an initiative of the organisation ‘Dorpsbelangen’ (village interests), financially supported by the Flemish Land Society. It rewards resident groups as well as municipalities that have an exemplary method concerning participatory processes in villages. The prize has been awarded annually since 2014. The winner in the category ‘municipal government’ receives recognition for their efforts. For the winner in the category ‘residents’ groups’ there is a cash prize that varies annually.
Key organisations & contacts
Key contact(s) :
Email : Wim.Ceulemans@innovatiesteunpunt.be
In a constantly changing world, the Innovation Support Centre helps farms and villages to respond quickly to the latest technological innovations, and social and economic evolutions.
Key activities :- Agricultural and rural innovation projects: Implementation of various innovation projects in agriculture and in rural areas, including themes such as liveability of villages, mobility in rural areas, hubs, (energy) cooperatives, etc. Inspire, advise and coach the target groups (farmers, villagers, municipal authorities) with a variety of interactive and participatory tools.
- Member of the Smart Rural 21 partnership: Providing specialist support for various project activities, including supporting participant villages of the Smart Rural 21 in specific thematic areas (such as innovative business plan development).
Key contact(s) :
Email : Wim.poelmans@rurant.be
Strengthen attractive, liveable and dynamic countryside in the province of Antwerp. Their projects or services always have a specific focus: rural entrepreneurship, regional development or participation.
Key activities :Policy participation projects: Rurant offers support to city councils in the field of policy participation. Among other things, they supervise the participation trajectories for “resilient villages” of the province of Antwerp.
Key contact(s) :
Email : Tinne.vanlooy@provincieantwerpen.be
Translation of the Flemisch CAP into a Provincial Rural Development Programme and action planning. Antwerp is one of the most advanced in terms of ‘village policy’ initiation of the 5 provinces in Flanders (Antwerp, Flemish Brabant, West Flanders, East Flanders and Limburg).
Key activities :Veerkrachtige Dorpen (Resilient Villages): Supervising municipal councils to set up a participatory village policy. The aim is to develop a vision and action plan together with the villagers and to implement the actions.
Pilot: 2017-2019
Regular supply: 2020-ongoing
Key contact(s) :
Email : Agnes.voet@dorpsbelangen.be
Informs, inspires and supports residents’ groups that are committed to improving the quality of life in their villages.
Key activities :Supervision of & support for village councils.
Key contact(s) :
Email : Karel.lhermitte@landelijkegilden.be
The largest association of rural inhabitants in Flanders with 900 local associations, defending the interests of rural dwellers and building knowledge about quality of life in rural villages.
Key activities :- Dorpsateliers (Village workshops) Organisation of a workshop to explore and tackle, together with villagers, an important theme in their village. The goal is to put the villagers further on the road to actively work on the liveability of their village.
- Plattelandsacademie (PLAC) and various local activities: Investing in the development and dissemination of knowledge on various topics that are important for the Flemish countryside: poverty, ageing, climate change, mobility, etc. This is done by the organisations of Plattelandsacademies (PLACs-one-day trainings for professionals) and small-scale training activities for their local groups.
Key contact(s) :
Email : Nathalie.dumarey@vvsg.be
VVSG (Vlaamse Vereniging voor Steden en Gemeenten) is advocate, knowledge-broker and network builder of and for local authorities. VVSG brings together considerable knowledge and disseminates it to the municipal authorities via training courses, digital channels, publications, etc. Their aim is to raise awareness and support local authorities to work around various themes
Key activities :- Knowledge development and dissemination: Including themes such as Smart Villages, technological trends, public innovation, e-inclusion, local innovation…
- Participation in Smart Village thematic work of the ENRD
Further key resources
( 09/07/2018 )
A video with Dutch subtitles produced by the ENRD Contact Point summarising what a ‘smart village’ represents from different perspectives.
Language : Dutch, English
Erik Grietens - Bond Beter Leefmilieu (Union Better Environment) ( 2016 )
A recipe book with examples and tools that cities and towns can use for climate-friendly spatial planning.
Language : Dutch
Flemish Environment Department ( 2018 )
A special analysis of Flanders. An overview of available data and figures to describe the trends in the use of Flemish space. Useful background document to frame a village policy.
Language : Dutch
Dorpsbelangen vzw (Village Interests) ( 2014 – Ongoing )
The ‘GoeBezig’ (well done) prize is an initiative of the organisation ‘Dorpsbelangen’ (village interests), financially supported by the Flemish Land Society. It rewards resident groups as well as municipalities that have an exemplary function concerning participatory processes in villages. The prize has been awarded annually since 2014. The winner in the category ‘municipal government’ receives recognition for their efforts. For the winner in the category ‘residents’ groups’ there is a cash prize that varies annually.
Language : Dutch
Landelijke Gilden – LG (National Guilds) ( 2018 – 2019 )
The socio-cultural association ‘Landelijke gilden (Rural Guilds)’ offered local resident groups from all over Flanders the opportunity to organise a village workshop. During the Village Workshop, the problem is identified and what the villagers want to see changed. The participants then look for possible solutions and actions that need to be taken. A village workshop was free of charge. The project ran until the end of 2019.
Language : Dutch
VLM (Vlaamse Landmaatschappij) – Flemish Land Agency ( 2018 )
In 2018, the Flemish Land Agency organised the ‘Dorpskracht’ competition targeted at associations, local governments or residents’ groups who started a successful project to improve the liveability of their village over the past five years. The first three winners received a cash prize to further support their initiative (10,000; 5000 and 2500 euros respectively).
Language : Dutch
Flemish Environment Department
‘Proeftuin ontharding’ is an initiative of the Flemish Environment Department. It has already launched two calls for projects, targeted at local authorities, associations, organizations, companies and schools. The aim of the call is to speed up the ‘softening’ of Flanders (removing buildings, unused roads or paved squares) and thus increase the quality of the living environment (for example green village centres). The funding can cover up to 75% of the costs and amounts to a minimum of 50,000 euros and a maximum of 250,000 euros.
Language : Dutch
VVSG – Vlaamse Vereniging voor Steden en Gemeenten (Association of Flemish Cities and Municipalities)
The purpose of this call is to detect, select and scale up projects. The projects have a demonstrable contribution to CO2 reduction and/or offer solutions for a changing climate (climate adaptation). These projects can be extended to surrounding municipalities (‘scalable’). The Association of Flemish Cities and Municipalities (VVSG) is responsible for the implementation and supervision of the call.
Language : Dutch
Bond Beter Leefmilieu (Union Better Environment)
Each province in Flanders runs, in partnership with the Bond Beter Leefmilieu (Bond Better Environment), an annual call for climate projects targeted at municipalities. It aims to encourage local authorities to speed up the transition to a renewable and circular economy. The call focuses on local initiatives around mobility, energy, food, green environment, circular and share-economy, building and housing. Up to 50% of the project cost can be funded.
Language : Dutch
VLM (Vlaamse Landmaatschappij) – Flemish Land Agency
The ‘Buurten op den Buiten’ programme, supported by the King Baudouin Foundation and the Flemish Land Agency, aims to support residents who want to realise a concrete project for their neighborhood or village with a rural character. These are projects that improve the quality of life in a village or neighborhood and promote linkages between a wide and diverse group of residents.
Language : Dutch
