Avantages comparatifs de la Communauté germanophone par rapport à l'ensemble de la Région wallonne

Abstract

This research thesis aims to enumerate the assets of the German-speaking Community of Belgium in comparison with Wallonia. Indeed, Belgium is composed of three federal communities and the German-speaking part of Belgium is one of them. Approximately 77,000 people live in this area located in the eastern part of Belgium, which belongs to Wallonia. The German-speaking part of Belgium covers an area of 854km² and is situated along the border with Germany, the Netherlands and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The official language is German and the second most spoken language is French. This region has legislative powers and a wide-ranging autonomy with a parliament, directly elected, and a government located in Eupen. Since 1970 and after a succession of six state reforms, the German-speaking Community has acquired a wide range of competences in different fields such as culture, education, employment, tourism, supervision of local authorities and the family & social welfare. In 2019, the German-speaking Community will see a transfer of additional competences regarding land use, urban planning and energy under its scope. The economy is characterized by SMEs constituting a substantial sectoral mix and by an extremely low unemployment rate. The assets of the German-speaking part of Belgium are its outstanding road infrastructure, its prime situation in the heart of Europe, national & international cooperation in different fields and a multi-lingual workforce. Another asset is crystallized by the competitive prices of industrial areas in comparison to Wallonia or Germany. Furthermore, the tourism is booming thanks to among others its good gastronomy and its natural environment. The German-speaking Community is the only Belgian region that presents a balanced budget and the economic situation looks to be set fair for 2018. Furthermore, the German-speaking Community seeks to be recognized as the fourth Belgian region with the seventh state reform.