Commission for Access to Administrative Documents (CADA)

On 17 June 2019, the joint decree and ordinance of 16 May 2019 of the Brussels-Capital Region, the Joint Community Commission and the French Community Commission relating to the publicity of the administration in the Brussels institutions (partially) came into force.

The purpose of these joint decree and ordinance is to increase the transparency of the administration by facilitating access to administrative documents and environmental information held by the public authorities. The aim is to lay down the basic conditions and practical arrangements for this right and to ensure that environmental information is systematically disseminated to the public as widely as possible.

The joint decree and order make a distinction between

• active publicity: the obligation for administrative authorities to have a website with certain specific headings, in which certain documents in particular must be published
• passive publicity: the possibility for interested parties to consult any administrative document and any environmental information issued by an administrative authority on site, obtain explanations about it and receive a copy of it
• the correction of inaccurate or incomplete information: the obligation for the administrative authority, at the request of the interested party, to make the required corrections to administrative documents or environmental information containing inaccurate or incomplete information.

The joint decree and order also significantly modify the powers and operation of the Commission d'Accès aux Documents Administratifs (CADA).

La CADA est composée de 9 membres, parmi lesquels est désigné un Président qui est membre du Conseil d'Etat ou de son auditorat, ou magistrat dans l'arrondissement judiciaire de Bruxelles :

• Quatre membres sont désignés parmi les membres du personnel statutaire des autorités administratives soumises à l'application des Décret et ordonnance conjoints du 16 mai 2019.
• Quatre membres sont désignés en raison de leur connaissance approfondie dans le domaine de la publicité de l'administration.

Il est désigné pour chacun des membres un suppléant sous les mêmes conditions que les membres effectifs. Les membres sont désignés pour un terme renouvelable de 5 ans.

Depuis le 18 juillet 2023 la Commission est composée comme suit :

EditoriaExternal link, the website for publications in the Brussels-Capital Region, enables you to

• obtain a full description of how the CADA operates
• obtain a full description of the composition of the CADA consult the opinions
• decisions issued by the CADA
• etc...