Vlaamse Gemeenschapscommissie
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The Vlaamse Gemeenschapscommissie (or VGC, or, in English, the Flemish Community Commission) is the local representative of the Flemish authorities in the Brussels-Capital Region, one of the three regions of Belgium. The VGC depends on the Flemish Parliament, and works in close cooperation with the Flemish members of the local council of the Brussels-Capital Region, the Brussels Parliament.
The VGC was established in 1989. Its councillors also sit in the regional assembly of the Brussels-Capital Region. As of 2004, they were 11, out of which 2 are also minister in the Brussels regional government, and 1 secretary of state (alongside 3 French-speaking ministers, including the president of the local government, and 2 secretaries-of-state). These 3 Flemish members form the executive council of the VGC, the College van de Vlaamse Gemeenschapscommissie (in Dutch).
The VGC has competencies for cultural, educational, well-being and health for Flemings in Brussels. It reaches and estimated 200.000 inhabitants of Brussels with its services, mostly Dutch-speakers, but also important number of migrants. However, several of these competencies are rather limited in practice, e.g. it has not the slightest authority for hospitals.
Strictly legally speaking, the VGC is only competent for institutions depending from the Flemish government, and not for individual persons. This was a consequence of the fact that no formal Flemish citizenship was established. The VGC is the successor from the Nederlandse Commissie voor de Cultuur van de Brusselse agglomeratie (NCC) (in Dutch), established in 1971. The VGC also assumed all community-specific responsibilities from the former province Brabant when it was split up.
See also
External links
- Vlaamse Gemeenschapscommissie (VGC) (http://www.vgc.be/)
- TV-Brussel (http://www.tv-brussel.irisnet.be/)
- website Vlaamse overheid (http://www.vlaanderen.be)
- Vlaams Parlement (http://www.vlaamsparlement.be/)
- Vlaamse regering (http://docs.vlaanderen.be/)
- Vlaamse radio en Televisie (http://www.vrt.be/)