What is the federal state responsible for today?

What is the federal state responsible for today? Numerous significant mandates, which used to be in the hands of the central state, have over the years of federalization been transferred to the Communities and Regions.

The following important portfolios remain largely within the aegis of the federal state:

• Communications (post, telecommunications...)
• National defence
• Social security
• The justice system
• The use of languages in courts of law and the federal administration, as well as in Brussels and those Communes that enjoy special language status (“Communes with facilities”, including those of the German language area)
• The official recognition of religious communities and lay organisations
• Civil law
• Laws of nationality and citizenship
• Laws of civil status
• Immigration policy (entry, residence and facilities for foreigners)
• National and international research (research networks, federal scientific research establishments, research policy as it relates to federal portfolios)
• Foreign policy
• The fundamental charter and financing of domestic security

Furthermore, the federal state still retains responsibility for certain issues within areas of policy that are for the most part in the purview of the Communities:

• Social assistance: part of the charter for public social welfare centres (Öffentlichen Sozialhilfezentren: ÖSHZ) and the provision of welfare (formerly known as Minimex), allowances for the disabled, minimum pensions for the elderly, certain measures relating to the custody of juvenile criminals;
• Health matters: national measures in prophylactic healthcare, the charter and diverse norms of practice for healthcare institutions (homes for the elderly, hospitals)
• Cultural policy: for federal cultural institutions
• Education: such as minimum term of compulsory schooling, minimum school certificate qualifications and setting levels of teacher pensions

In addition, the federal state is responsible for certain issues within areas of policy that are for the most part in the purview of the Regions:

• A series of regulations relating to economic policy: general rules for public tender, consumer protection regulation, control of financial institutions and insurance companies, income policy, business and company law, provisions for access to certain professions, copyright law etc.
• Those aspects of employment policy necessary for taxation and social security measures
• Federal aspects of energy policy
• Public transport companies: rail companies, BIAC, Belgocontrol.