European funding: opportunities for communes in the Brussels-Capital Region
On 2 June 2025, Brussels International participated in an information session on European funding, organised by the Europe Direct Brussels office for local councillors of the communes in the Brussels-Capital Region.
Opens in new windowEurope Direct Brussels organised an information session on the Opens in new windowEuropean Union and its funding opportunities. Brussels International actively participated in this event, given its role as a stakeholder and facilitator of European funding programmes in the Brussels-Capital Region (BCR).
Forty local councillors from the communes of Opens in new windowAuderghem, Opens in new windowEtterbeek, Opens in new windowForest, Opens in new windowIxelles, Opens in new windowJette, Opens in new windowKoekelberg, Opens in new windowMolenbeek-Saint-Jean, Opens in new windowSaint-Gilles, Opens in new windowSchaerbeek, Opens in new windowWoluwe-Saint-Lambert, Opens in new windowWoluwe-Saint-Pierre and the Opens in new windowCity of Brussels attended the event.
Raising awareness of European funding mechanisms
After a guided tour of the Opens in new windowEuropean Parliament and a presentation of the works of art on display, the participants headed to the Opens in new windowEuropean Parliament – Liaison Office in Belgium, where the information session took place.
The aim of the conference was to raise awareness among local councillors of the communes of the Brussels-Capital Region of the European funding mechanisms for regional projects, and to inform them of strategies for accessing grants and the partnerships needed to optimise the use of European funds.
A panel of institutional stakeholders
A panel of institutional speakers provided a structured and concrete overview of European funding opportunities.
Emmanuelle Lenne, Manager of Opens in new windowEurope Direct Brussels, gave a keynote speech, reminding attendees of the key role of the Europe Direct network in mediating between citizens and the European institutions.
Next, Agnès Wojciechowicz, Head of Public Relations at the Opens in new windowEuropean Parliament – Liaison Office in Belgium, explained the links between the Opens in new windowEuropean Parliament and local authorities. This was followed by a presentation by Thomas de Béthune, Head of the Opens in new windowEuropean Commission Representation in Belgium, on funding policies and their application at the national level.
Manoëlle Wasseige, Acting Director of the Europe Department at Opens in new windowBrussels International, highlighted the strategic role of the BCR in European negotiations and Quentin Richard, First Attaché in the ERDF Department at Opens in new windowBrussels International, explained the implementation of ERDF programmes in Brussels. Finally, Davide Lanzillotti, Adviser in the Europe, International & Cooperation Department of Opens in new windowBrulocalis, described the support offered to the 19 communes of Brussels for setting up European projects.
The conference continued with a focus on funding programmes. Céline Manac’h, who works in the Europe Department (Opens in new windowInterreg North West Europe Contact Point) of Brussels International, explained the dynamics of interregional cooperation. Fabian Massart, National Contact Point for the Opens in new windowEuropean Urban Initiative (EUI) and Opens in new windowURBACT programmes, discussed support for urban innovation. Mélanie Mignot, Promotion Officer for the European Opens in new windowErasmus+ programme, stressed the importance of this programme for education and training. Concrete examples ‒ including the Opens in new windowEMPOWER project of the City of Brussels and the Opens in new windowEU Service of the Commune of Schaerbeek ‒ were provided in illustration of these points, highlighting successes and challenges on the ground.
At the end of the conference, participants addressed future European opportunities during a strategic discussion, more specifically in the context of the 2028-2034 Opens in new windowERDF.
Improving access to finance and integrating it into local policies
Participants expressed concerns about the complexity of the administrative process and requested recommendations to facilitate access to finance.
Several speakers suggested different solutions, including training courses to prepare local councillors and their teams for the development of funded projects; the development of digital tools that group calls for projects, available grants and eligibility criteria; and the strengthening of inter-municipal cooperation to facilitate the pooling of resources and expertise as part of collective projects.
At the end of the event, the local councillors were convinced that there are several opportunities for European funding. As such, they expressed their desire to structure their approaches better, thereby ensuring that European funding is better integrated into their local policies.
Paving the way for new projects
The event strengthened local councillors’ understanding of European structures and their role in regional development. The various discussions highlighted the specific needs of local authorities, while offering practical ways of maximising access to funds.
Following the exchanges between local authorities, the Opens in new windowEuropean Commission and Opens in new windowBrulocalis, a constructive dialogue has now been launched, paving the way for more streamlined procedures and the development of new projects.
