On a proposal from the Minister for Sport, Jacqueline Galant, the Government of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation approved in first reading the preliminary draft decree establishing the Higher Advisory Council for Sport (HACS). This reform reflects the Minister's determination to modernise sports governance and root public decisions in on-the-ground reality. “Our ambition is simple: to give a voice to those who live sport every day. We are turning the page on a model that had become too cumbersome and too remote from the field. With this new Council, the Wallonia-Brussels Federation is setting up a tool that is more representative, more responsive and more useful for the sporting world,” explains Sports Minister Jacqueline Galant.
A more focused, representative and effective body
The Higher Advisory Council for Sport will replace the current Higher Council for Sport, created in 2011. Its composition will be streamlined: 10 full members instead of the current 21. In practice, the new Council will include as many representatives of the organised sports movement as figures from complementary fields: elite sport, refereeing, club management, sports medicine, and so on. This new approach aims to give full weight to grassroots experience while incorporating diverse, interdisciplinary expertise. The body will no longer include representatives of local authorities or philosophical currents, in order to strengthen the representativeness of the sports movement and the neutrality of the opinions issued.
Clarified remits and modernised governance
The new Council's main task will be to issue reasoned opinions on draft sports policies, draft decrees and orders relating to sport, ethics and the governance of the sports movement. The Council's opinions will always be made public and forwarded to the Government and Parliament to ensure transparency. The Council may also be consulted on strategic issues such as the recognition of federations, the management of new disciplines or inter-community cooperation.
The reform introduces several efficiency measures, such as regulated and transparent appointment procedures through public calls for applications managed by the General Sports Administration, a chairmanship open to internal candidacy with a profile of leadership, management and consensus-building, the creation of a College of Experts to strengthen the technical and scientific basis of its work, and greater use of digital tools to facilitate participation.
In two years and then every ten years thereafter, the decree will undergo a comprehensive evaluation to ensure continuous improvement of the system and keep pace with developments in the sector.
“Too often, sporting decisions are made far removed from the field. I want to put athletes, coaches and clubs back at the centre of the game. Their needs must guide our policies, not the other way round,” concludes Jacqueline Galant.