Government permits, shorter timelines for strategic investments

1. Legal context and objective of the reform

Article D.IV.25 of the Territorial Development Code (CoDT) gives the Walloon Government the power to directly grant planning permits for certain projects deemed of major general interest (e.g. airport infrastructure, RER rail network, structuring transport modes).

The announced reform extends this procedure to:

• major energy transition projects,
• economic and territorial redevelopment projects,
• energy production and transport infrastructure,
• CO₂ backbones and hydrogen pipelines,
• redevelopment of industrial brownfield sites,
• new SOFICO road infrastructure (e.g. RN54).

2. Why this measure is a good thing

a) Administrative simplification

• It removes one administrative layer (going through municipalities or delegated officials), which considerably shortens timelines. Indeed, the reform reduces timelines from 340 to a maximum of 220 days, a concrete gain of 120 days. It eliminates the double procedure (municipal decision + appeal) by directly entrusting the Walloon Government with issuing permits for certain strategic projects, thereby accelerating economic redevelopment.
• It puts into practice the “simplification shock” promised in the Walloon Regional Policy Statement (DPR), which explicitly provides for:
  “The drastic reduction of the administrative burden on citizens and businesses in order to shorten permit processing times and speed up strategic projects.”
  (DPR 2024-2029, pp. 10-11, 20 and 75)

b) Speed and predictability

• Processing times will be shorter and better regulated, promoting legal predictability and reducing the risk of litigation.
• This makes it possible to speed up strategic projects (energy, mobility, industrial redevelopment) and avoid years of delay in procedures.

c) Accelerating the energy transition

• Article D.IV.25 becomes a key tool for implementing Walloon decarbonisation: hydrogen backbone, CO₂, energy parks, interconnections, etc.
• It responds to the DPR's ambition to “accelerate major energy infrastructure projects and the low-carbon transition” (pp. 70-71).

d) Supporting industrial redevelopment

• The expansion of the scope of government permits promotes the rapid redevelopment of industrial brownfield sites and the economic redevelopment of territories, two central objectives of the DPR (pp. 20 and 78).
• This makes it possible to mobilise strategic land more quickly and support Wallonia's attractiveness to investors.

e) Greater consistency in public action

• Handling these permits at government level ensures a comprehensive and coordinated approach between the various ministries concerned (Energy, Spatial Planning, Mobility, Economy, Environment).
• This avoids blockages between levels of government and strengthens legal certainty for project developers.

3. Conclusion

This reform fully embodies the liberal spirit of the current government:

• Efficiency and speed rather than bureaucracy.
• Trust in economic players and private investors.
• Upholding the principle of subsidiarity, by reserving decisions requiring a comprehensive vision for the Region.
• Political accountability, with decisions on large-scale projects taken directly.