The competencies of the Parliament of the German-speaking Community

The Parliament is the lawmaker of the German-speaking Community. Its main task is to adopt decrees.

The Parliament of the German-speaking Community draws up the legal prerequisites concerning the communitarian matters transferred from the Federal state. The Parliament can also assume a legislative function in some matters that actually come under the jurisdiction of the Walloon region.

The Belgian constitution determines the matters for which the Parliament of the German-speaking Community is entrusted with adopting decrees.

Article 130 of the Constitution implements the competencies of the Community:

• Cultural matters,
• Person-related matters (namely family, health and social matters),
• Education, except:
  1. the fixing of the start and the end of compulsory education,
  2. the minimal requirements for awarding a diploma,
  3. the pension settlement for the teaching
• The international and inter-communitarian cooperation including the execution of agreements in the above-mentioned matters,
• The cooperation among Communities and the international cooperation, including the execution of agreements,
• The use of languages in school-teaching.

Article 139 of the constitution stipulates that the Parliament and the Government have the right to implement regional competencies as long as a transfer of competencies with the Walloon region is previously agreed upon.

Since 1994, competencies have several times been transferred from the Region to the Community. From then on, the Parliament of the German-speaking Community is entitled to adopt decrees in the following regional matters:

• Protection of conservation areas and monuments, including excavations
• Employment policy
• Supervision and financing of the municipalities.