The German-speaking Community of Belgium

The German-speaking Communauté of Belgium ( Deutschsprachige Gemeinschaft Belgiens ) is a federate entity of the Belgium whose territory is located at the east of the country, in Province of Liege and in the district of Verviers, on the cantons of Eupen and Saint-Vith. The Community roughly recovers the cantons of the East (except the communes of Malmedy and Waimes) pertaining to the Prussia (the Prussian Rhineland) of 1814 with 1918.

With a surface of 854 km ² and a population of 73  119 inhabitants at January 1st 2006, of which 17  % from abroad, it is smallest of the three Communauté S of Belgium, the two others being the French Communauté (also called “Communauté Wallonia-Brussels”) and the Flemish Communauté.

Like the other communities, it is qualified in the fields of teaching , of the culture , the research , the health care , the assistance to youth and the sports . All other competences are either within the competence of the Federal state, or of the Walloon region to which the communes Germanophone S. belong.

A certain number of competences of the Walloon region are transferred to the German-speaking Community starting from January 1st 2005, namely:

  • constructions of church
  • the supervision on the communes and the zones of police force of the German-speaking Community
  • financing of the communes (funds of the communes and work financed)
  • funeral and burials.

The German-speaking community has prerogatives however limited on 5 other communes known as " common to facilities " , located in area of French language. That is to say two communes with German facilities (Malmedy and Waimes), and three communes with Dutch and German facilities only as regards teaching (the administrative matter facilities could theoretically be required by the town council and approved by a royal decree, and then by a law): Baelen, Plombières and Welkenraedt.

Nine communes

See too

External bond

  • Official site of the German-speaking Community (in German)

Simple: German-speaking Community off Belgium

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