About Brussels International

Brussels-Capital, a dynamic region open to the world.

Capital of the European Union, the Brussels-Capital Region is home to numerous international institutions and organizations. Open to the world, it has led a dynamic foreign policy since 1989.

Brussels International coordinates all European and international relations of the Brussels Capital Region and its worldwide representation.

• The External Relations Department
• The Public Relations, Communication and Protocol Department
• The Europe Department
• The ERDF Department (European Regional Development Fund)
• The Licence Cell

As the capital of the European Union, the Brussels-Capital Region is home to a wide array of international institutions and organisations. As an internationally oriented region, it has pursued a dynamic foreign policy since 1989. The administration Brussels International was founded in order to develop a coherent European and foreign policy for the Brussels-Capital Region. Within the Brussels Regional Public Service, it coordinates the region’s European relations and commitments as well as its international representation.

BI consists of four departments:

The External Relations Department

This department coordinates:

• the Region’s bilateral relations with cities, provinces and regions all over the world, essentially based on cooperation agreements;
• the development cooperation policy;
• the participation in the policy-making of international organisations, either in the frame of the interfederal coordination (e.g. Coormulti) so as to decide on the Belgian stance, or through direct participation in activities that are of interest to the BCR;
• the participation in the activities of European and international networks of which the Region is a member and whose mission is to address urban and regional challenges;
• the follow-up of procedures for signing and giving assent to European and international treaties;
• the contribution to the monitoring mechanisms of international organisations (reports, fact-finding missions, collective complaints, etc.) and various other tasks arising from treaty obligations.

The Public Relations, Communication and Protocol Department

This department coordinates:

• the Region’s participation in major events;
• the communication; 
• the public relations and the protocol (during missions abroad and when hosting delegations);
• the organisation of business trips abroad for the staff of the BRPS and the ministerial cabinets.

The Europe Department

This department coordinates:

• the participation in European policies and their follow-up, from legislative proposals and negotiations within the Council of the European Union up to implementation within the Region;
• the application of European law in regional law (transpositions, infringements, etc.);
• managing of the European dossiers involving every competency (European Semester, Recovery and Resilience Facility, multiannual financial framework, among other things);
• monitoring European territorial cooperation programmes (Interreg) and supporting project development;
• the defense of the interests of the Brussels Capital Region in all the Council configurations for which it is competent. The Brussels Capital Region delegation within the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the EU supports the regional ministers who sit on the Council.

ERDF Department (European Regional Development Fund)

This department supports very specific projects to strengthen the Region’s economic, social and territorial cohesion, using European and Brussels funds. It oversees the implementation and monitoring of ERDF operational programmes in the BCR. It is in contact with the European institutions as well as regional and local players, drawing on the expertise of other regional government departments, regional partners, fund beneficiaries and other Belgian and European regions.

The Licence Cell

This cell deals with matters relating to the granting of licences for the import, export and transit of weapons, dual-use goods and technologies, a competency devolved to the regions since 2003.