The policy of Belgium within the EU

In brief

The European Union is founded on the values of democracy, the rule of law and respect for fundamental rights and wishes to implement the following objectives for the benefit of its citizens:

• Strengthen peace and stability in Europe and promote the welfare of its citizens;
• Preserve an area of freedom, security and justice;
• Develop an internal market based on a highly competitive social market economy, reinforcing social justice and social, scientific and technical progress and contributing to a high level of climate protection;
• Strengthen the Economic and Monetary Union;
• Defend its values and interests in the world, inter alia by working for free and fair trade, the protection of human rights and strict compliance with international law.

In pursuit of these objectives, the Union relies on legal bases, the European treaties (the most recent being the Lisbon Treaty) and European institutions: the European Parliament, the European Commission, the Council of the European Union and the Court of Justice.

Objectives for Belgium

In 1952, during the early days of the European Coal and Steel Community, Belgium was one of the founding members of what later became the European Union.

Our country has always played a leading role in the construction of a united Europe and has encouraged European Member States to move towards greater integration centred around shared values of freedom, prosperity, education, peace, security, justice, social protection, the environment and health.

In addition to the Belgian statesmen who were among the founding fathers in the construction of a united Europe (Paul-Henri Spaak, Jean Rey, Jean-Charles Snoy), Belgians still play a leading role in Europe today. Two former Belgian Prime Ministers, Herman Van Rompuy and Charles Michel, have become President of the European Council. Other Belgians also hold key positions.

The headquarters of the European Commission, the Council of the European Union and the European Council are based in Brussels. Certain European Parliament plenary sessions and parliamentary committee meetings also take place in Brussels.

European policy remains one of the priority strands of Belgium’s foreign policy. Our country has held the Presidency of the Council for the thirteenth time in 2024. The European Union is currently facing major challenges once again: conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, the environment and the climate, migration and demography, competitiveness, the fight against disinformation and foreign interference and the (global) issues related to the rule of law and democracy. The solutions to these challenges are far from simple.

However, Belgium is convinced that, given their scale and transnational nature, these challenges can only be solved effectively and sustainably through joint action by the European Union and its Member States. It is now more important than ever to intensify the European project.