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Welcome to Brussels
Belgium’s central position has made it a sort of mini-Europe: the Dutch-speaking north, in many respects, resembles northern Europe, while the French-speaking south has a touch of southern Europe to it. In Belgium, 23 percent of the population are of non-Belgian descent. In Brussels, that figure is almost double, making it an ideal location for the European institutions and Nato, and a whole lot more
BRUSSELS-CAPITAL REGION
The Brussels-Capital Region was created in 1989. It is made up of 19 communes, one of which is also named Brussels. Brussels is the capital of Flanders and officially bilingual, although French is the language that is used most. Six Flemish communes on the outskirts of Brussels offer flexible linguistic arrangements to the non-Dutch-speakers who make up the majority of their residents. These ‘facility communes’ are Wemmel, Kraainem, Wezembeek-Oppem, Sint-Genesius-Rode, Linkebeek and Drogenbos.
CULTURE AND EDUCATION
Brussels boasts many cultural centres, including Bozar and Flagey, which host multilingual exhibitions, concerts and films in historic buildings. Opera can be seen at La Monnaie/De Munt, while the National Theatre offers primarily French-language productions. Passa Porta organises literary seminars and authors’ evenings, and Kaaitheater and KVS are the best-known theatres offering Dutch-language productions.
Tourism hub VisitBrussels provides comprehensive information on what to see and do in the city, including nightlife, food and drink, museums and galleries. The Uit in Brussel website gives a good introduction to the cultural programmes on offer in Brussels, and it is available in English and French as well as Dutch.
The Muntpunt building, which will open in spring 2013, will represent Flanders in Brussels and Brussels in Flanders. A lively meeting place with a modern library, it will provide multilingual information about what goes on in Brussels, although its focus will be Dutch-language culture.
An introduction to the political and cultural history of the Flemish in Brussels can be found at www.brussels.info, which is available in English.
DOING BUSINESS
The political importance of Brussels as ‘the capital of Europe’ attracts a large number of lobbying firms, and many international companies have chosen Brussels as their European headquarters. It is also a major meeting place for international conferences.
The Brussels employment agency is Actiris, which offers retraining courses and chances for people to brush up their language skills. Employers can advertise jobs there and jobseekers are helped to sharpen their techniques to find employment. The agency can also help you set up shop as a freelance, in cooperation with the Brussels Enterprise Agency.
For investors, the Brussels Investment Agency may be of help. There is also a yearly weekend event organised where start-ups and investors can get together.
www.brussels.startupweekend.org
The National Employment Office (Onem or RVA) is responsible for unemployment benefits, the system of cheques for buying household services and re-training schemes. The website is also in English.
SETTLING IN
The region has an elaborate welcome structure for newcomers and information in English for most services. The Brussels-Europe Liaison office is a general source of information but also a useful facilitator if you encounter problems such as disagreements with your landlord. The office works closely with the welcome offices of the European institutions.
In this city of a little over 1.1 million people, more than 180 languages are spoken. Multilingual families feel at home, and both language communities are keen for newcomers to learn their respective languages. The official window of the French-speaking Community is Maison de la Francité, next to the metro stop Arts-Loi.
The Flemish counterpart in Brussels is Huis van het Nederlands, which also has offices in Jette and Ixelles and can advise on where to find Dutch language courses. The government of Flanders also edits a brochure called BRU Brussels For You, which offers tips on how to make the most of your life in Brussels. It can be ordered from brussel@vlaanderen.be
