Belgium, Flanders and Multilateral Fora. Cooperation and the Generated Image in the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Council of Europe (CoE)

This article addresses two questions: (1) How does the cooperation between the Belgian (federal) & Flemish (regional) government work within the field of multilateral policy? (2) How is the multilateral policy of the Belgian federation & the Flemish government received at the multilateral le...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Res publica (Bruxelles) 2001-01, Vol.43 (1), p.147-169
Main Authors: Salomonson, Timon Bo, Criekemans, David
Format: Article
Language:dut
Subjects:
Belgium
Constitutions
Cooperation
Federalism
Flanders
International Economic Organizations
International Relations
Regionalism
States (Political Subdivisions)
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Summary:This article addresses two questions: (1) How does the cooperation between the Belgian (federal) & Flemish (regional) government work within the field of multilateral policy? (2) How is the multilateral policy of the Belgian federation & the Flemish government received at the multilateral level (especially within the CoE & the WTO)? The Belgian constitution has foreseen a system in which all governments (federal & regional) are equal. This has important consequences for Belgian delegations in multilateral fora: in "mixed" dossiers, no government has decisive power. Thus, all Belgian governments are objective allies in guarding the externally protected image of the federation. Nevertheless, this seems to be a "grey area" in the cooperation among the various Belgian governments. Adapted from the source document.
ISSN:0486-4700