Belgium has three communities: the French Community, the Flemish Community and the German-speaking Community, the constituent elements of which are culture and language.
Article 3 of the Constitution also institutes three regions: the Walloon Region, the Flemish Region and the Brussels-capital Region. The constituent element of a region is territory. These public authorities are provided with political institutions with legislative power exercised by an assembly of elected members and executive power exercised by a government with the assistance of technocrats with financial means.
Legislative acts at regional and community levels take the form of decrees (with the exception of Brussels-capital region, which acts through orders) that have the force of laws. They therefore have the same scope as laws.
A Court of Arbitration has the power to rule on any conflicts of jurisdiction between the Federal State, the communities and the regions, and between separate legislators, as well as in relation to respecting some constitutional provisions.
Asymmetrical federalism
One of the original features about Belgian federalism is that it enables the institutions that it has created to change the way they are organised and operate. As the federated entities have identical scopes of activity, they can change their structures without consulting the others.
So, the Flemish Region and the Flemish Community have combined their respective Parliaments, on the one hand, and their Governments, on the other. Therefore, they have joint institutions.
On the other hand, the Walloon Region and the French Community have retained separate institutions. As for Brussels-capital Region, it has internal structures suited to the presence of both Dutch and French speakers within its area.
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