European and international institutions in Brussels

Since the decision of the member states to make Brussels the seat of the European institutions in 1997, Brussels has become the de facto capital of Europe.

In the course of successive enlargements more and more European institutions have been established in the Brussels-Capital Region, which has created a European neighbourhood in the heart of the Region.

The European Parliament is the community institution representing the combined 470 million inhabitants of the member states of the EU. As the only EU institution elected directly by universal suffrage, the European Parliament has three fundamental powers: legislative power, budget power and political control of the European institutions.
Strasbourg is the official seat of the Parliament, while Brussels hosts MEPs three weeks out of every four as well as additional plenary sessions and the meetings of parliamentary committees and political groupings.

The Council of the European Union is made up of representatives of the governments of the EU member states. The Council is the most important legislative body and the decision-making centre of the European Union.

The European Commission, which drives the integration process given it is the only body permitted to propose EU legislation as well as being the guardian of the Treaties, is located at Berlaymont.

The European Economic and Social Committee, an advisory body, is the assembly of European economic and social partners and the voice of organised civil society organisations (consumers and other interest groups). It issues the recommendations of its members and defends their interests in the political discussions with the Commission, the Council and the European Parliament.

The Committee of the Regions, an advisory body, is the political assembly representing local and regional levels of Europe. The Committee of the Regions must be consulted prior to all decisions of the EU on matters that affect the local and regional authorities, such as regional policy, environment, education and transport. It is housed on the same premises as the European Economic and Social Committee.

The Brussels-Capital Region is also the seat of External linkeight community agencies: the European Defence Agency, the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency, the Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation, the Community Fisheries Control Agency, the European GNSS Supervisory Authority, the Research Executive Agency, the European Research Council Executive Agency and the Trans-European Transport Network Executive Agency.

Most of the European institutions are located in the Léopold neighbourhood and the vicinity of the Schuman roundabout. This area is bounded by the Petite Ceinture, Rue Stévin, Parc du Cinquantenaire and Rue du Trône. It constitutes the primary concentration of office space in the Brussels-Capital Region.

Vous trouverez dans ces pages un aperçu des grandes organisations internationales implantées à Bruxelles :

• External linkles organisations qui ont leur siège à Bruxelles
• External linkles organisations qui ont une antenne à Bruxelles

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), established in 1949, is a strong strategic military alliance of 28 European and North American states. NATO is headquartered in Brussels.

The World Customs Organisation (WCO) contributes to economic well-being and the protection of society for the benefit of its members at national level by promoting the establishment of a fair, honest, transparent and predictable customs environment. The principle is to help develop lawful international exchanges and fight fraud efficiently.

The Benelux General Secretariat is the administrative centre of the Benelux union.

Eurocontrol, the air-traffic safety agency in Europe, is responsible for providing a uniform air-traffic control system for all 41 member states.

The Council of Europe, not to be confused with the Council of the European Union, is tasked with creating a common democratic and legal area, based on the European Convention on Human Rights and other reference texts on the protection of individuals. Established on 5 May 1949 by ten founding members, the Council of Europe now has 47 member states. It is headquartered in Strasbourg, France, but there is a Liaison Bureau in Brussels.

The United Nations, created in 1945 on the initiative of 51 states, is headquartered in New York, but it also runs a Regional Information Centre for Western Europe in Brussels.

UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is primarily tasked with helping to maintain peace and security throughout the world by strengthening cooperation between nations through education, science, culture and communication, with due universal respect for justice, law, human rights and fundamental freedoms. UNESCO’s headquarters are in Paris but Brussels hosts a Belgian National Commission at the federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), established in 1950, is tasked with protecting and assisting refugees around the world. It is headquartered in Geneva but a Regional Delegation for the Benelux Countries and the European Institutions is located in Brussels.

The World Health Organisation is tasked with helping achieve the best level of health in all countries. The main office of the WHO is in Geneva but Brussels is home to a Bureau for the European Union.

The International Labour Organization’s Office for the European Union and the Benelux Countries is located in Brussels.

UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) is committed to fighting for children’s rights throughout the world. The Belgian Committee is located in Brussels.

The UNDP (United Nations Development Programme)
is the global development network of the United Nations. As an advocate of change, it provides countries with access to the knowledge, experience and resources their citizens need to improve their lives.

The World Bank is one of the world’s most important sources of development aid. It primarily works to help the poorest populations and countries. The Office for the Benelux and the European Union is located in Brussels.

The African Union works to maintain peace and promote the adoption of international treaties that are especially beneficial to their 50 member countries. Headquartered in Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia, the African Union also has a permanent office in Brussels.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM)
is tasked with organising the transfer of migrants, refugees and displaced persons to countries offering possibilities of return. The IOM also works on the transfer of technologies to developing countries. Established in 1951, the IOM is headquartered in Geneva but also has an office in Brussels.

The Assembly of the European Regions (AER), which the Brussels-Capital Region joined in 1994, is the largest independent network of regions in Europe. Formed in 1985, the AER speaks for its members, currently stands at 270 regions in 34 countries and 16 inter-regional organisations, and acts as a forum for inter-regional cooperation.
The AER is headquartered in Strasbourg, France, but there is an office in Brussels.

The presence of numerous European and international institutions makes Brussels a major decision-making centre. In their wake, a host of NGOs, federations, consultancies, press associations and other organisations have set up home in the vicinity of the European neighbourhood.