Proposition 53K3002

Projet de loi portant insertion du livre XIII "Concertation", dans le Code de droit économique.

General information ¶

Submitted by

PS | SP the Di Rupo government

Submission date

Sept. 6, 2013

Official page

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Status

Adopted

Requirement

Simple

Subjects

commercial law institutional cooperation organisation legal code

Voting ¶

Voted to adopt

Groen CD&V Vooruit Ecolo LE PS | SP Open Vld MR

Abstained from voting

∉ N-VA LDD VB

Party dissidents ¶

• Peter Luykx (CD&V) abstained from voting.

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Discussion ¶

Nov. 14, 2013 | Plenary session (Chamber of representatives)

Full source

I refer to the written report.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Minister, Mr. Secretary of State, colleagues, the present draft relates to Book XIII of the Code of Economic Law. It rearranges the existing architecture of the Central Council for Business. The Central Council was established in 1948 and is responsible for issuing opinions and proposals on matters relating to business. The opinions and proposals are always taken in consensus.

The draft law confirms the existing arrangements concerning the appointment of a chairman and the composition of the board, in particular 56 actual and 56 deputy members. Together, this represents 112 effective and substitute members. It can fill almost the entire hemisphere.

The main change in the present draft law is that specialized committees can be integrated into the Central Council for Business. In other words, the council becomes a dome body.

The Council dates back to a period of reconstruction of the country and was intended to defend the socio-economic interests and prepare the economic decision making. At that point, the council probably proved its services. Over time, various advisory committees have been added, such as the Consumer Advisory Board, the Commission for the Regulation of Prices, the Commission for Competition and the Commission for Irregular Claims. Each of these committees had a different composition. One was established by law, the other by royal decree. Not all committees were equally relevant. One had a binding counseling authority, the other did not.

With the present draft law, the government wants to end this and form a kind of cumulative body of economic advisory councils. It will be a paper rationalization and a uniformization, which we can in principle welcome.

Nevertheless, we have some fundamental comments. This leads to efficiency gains. Structures and organs are pushed without demonstrating the social and organizational gain. The number of committees remains unlimited and can still be added.

It is noteworthy that the King is empowered to set up more committees, to determine the number of members, to designate the representative organizations that may nominate persons, and to nominate persons who, I quote, "are renowned in the context of their scientific and technical value to be part of the committee".

We are looking for transparency and objectivity here.

Therefore, we fear that the committees will again become talk barracks. We can only conclude that there are dozens of representatives in countless committees. This raises questions about administrative simplification.

Finally, our group asks what the actual utility of the present bill is in the light of the imminent state reform. Is it not better to designate the organization of the Central Council for Business only when it becomes clear which powers – preferably as much as possible – are transferred to the regions and what remains to the federal government – preferably as little as possible.

In the implementation of the sixth state reform, the Central Council for Business will have to advise on the conditions of establishment and access to the profession. The CRB will have its word on the professions for which access to the profession must remain federal. The advice is as predictable as the answer of a turkey to ask what to eat at Christmas.