Proposition 54K3127

Projet de loi portant des dispositions diverses Intérieur.

General information ¶

Submitted by

MR Swedish coalition

Submission date

May 28, 2018

Official page

Visit

Status

Adopted

Requirement

Simple

Subjects

EC Directive administrative sanction security services civil defence data transmission database fight against crime public safety carriage of passengers data collection

Voting ¶

Voted to adopt

CD&V Open Vld N-VA LDD MR

Abstained from voting

Groen Vooruit Ecolo LE PS | SP DéFI ∉ PVDA | PTB PP VB

Party dissidents ¶

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

Contact form ¶

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Discussion ¶

July 5, 2018 | Plenary session (Chamber of representatives)

Full source

Ms. Katja Gabriëls, rapporteur, refers to her written report.

I would like to talk about the peacekeepers.

For us, the peacekeepers are not called to supplement the police staff shortage. They are not called to be police sub-agents, police officers with discounts. They are a front-line body whose main mission is defined as follows on the Interior Site: “Peacekeepers have the mission to increase the citizen’s sense of security by their deterrent presence in the neighborhoods. They constitute the relay between the municipality and the population and report to the competent municipal services or the police the problems they are facing.”

As such, it is necessary to challenge everything that would allow the slide that I have just denounced. The challenge here is to tighten the conditions of access to this function, that we are not mistaken. In order to fulfill the role assigned to them, certain skills are needed, but the question that must arise is how to establish them.

As is known, the Court of Auditors, in a report dedicated to the selection tests within the federal police, emphasized the questionable nature of personality tests. It will also be remembered that ⁇ 50% of police candidates fail these tests. Therefore, we can question the relevance of these tests. In any case, it also seems to us that we are still hungry about what justifies the establishment of these tests at the entrance and we are not provided with statistics on complaints related to possible inappropriate behavior of the targeted professional category.

Furthermore, a condition is added to the public order profile while there are already requirements regarding the absence of a criminal record.

The question that arises seems to us to be the following: do we want to exclude certain social categories from this occupation of security? Do public services feel so unable to train their own agents that they prefer to put barriers to entry rather than solid training for candidates? In matters of training, would it not be relevant to see trade unions sit in the examinations and tests as observers, in compliance with the law of 1974?

This provision is therefore a real source of concern and the workers' representative organizations have not failed to criticize it in remarks made on the common front.

I would like to remind you that there is still no uniform status for peacekeepers!

For all these reasons, my group will abstain from this bill.

I would like to start with the good aspects of this bill.

The establishment of a volunteer agency in the fire protection zones is a good thing. After all, the contribution and influx of volunteers and the cooperation with professional firefighters are important factors. In the past, I have intervened several times during discussions on this subject in the Committee on Home Affairs. This is a step in the right direction if we want to maintain a sufficient influx of volunteers and keep them on board. After all, the combination of professional career, private life and contribution as a volunteer firefighter is not obvious. Volunteers deserve all support.

However, the amendment of the Radio Communications Act of 8 June 1998 is a missed opportunity. The problems with the ASTRID network after the attacks of March 22 have been known. The draft law provides for an additional obligation in the form of an opinion of the safety committee on the coverage in the case of large construction and infrastructure works. In the light of the finding that there is no substantial change, the additional obligation under the builder is to be regretted. ASTRID is the general communication network and its high cost now prevents some services from connecting to it. The Minister may indicate that much has been done to improve the ASTRID network, but I continue to receive contradictory messages on the ground.

As regards the provisions on community guards, it is good that there is more clarity and uniformity. With regard to the identification of traffic violations, taking into account the nature of the task, for example, the identification authority and the possible conflict situations, it is also good that additional morality conditions are established, but our group regrets that police work is thus again outsourced.

It is also positive that something is fixed in relation to the Crisis Centre, provided that the necessary resources are allocated for this purpose. The same applies to the measure of shortening the deadline for the strategic analyses by the OCAD. It is important that these bodies are able to cope with the additional workload and that resources are provided for this.

There was no sufficient response to these issues and for this reason our group will abstain.

Mr. Speaker, in the context of the discussion of this bill, we would like to mention in particular the importance of volunteers in the fire departments.

Our group is ⁇ pleased with the government’s initiative to make the volunteers within the fire protection zones part of the organization through the operation of an agency for volunteers in the fire protection zones. This initiates a structural representation within the area of the important volunteer work. Over time, it should be evaluated whether the role and functioning of this Agency should not or can be expanded. It is, in any case, a recognition for the work of the many volunteers in our fire departments.

We hope, in any case, that it can be an incentive for the volunteer work that, as we all know, is under great pressure in many zones. Even today, the media ⁇ the tremendous shortage of volunteer firefighters. As in other sectors, we see that in this group also the ageing influences the outflow of the current workforce. They must, of course, be able to be replaced and filling those places, taking into account the higher demands that the new statute imposes on those people, is, in our view, not a simple search.

The combination of work, family and volunteer work is also not an easy task, but many people do it with a lot of surrender, passion and duty consciousness. The establishment of the Volunteer Agency should enable stakeholders to participate in the organization of their emergency zone. We hope that this will benefit the involvement of the volunteers, but also the awareness in the corps management that these people are an indispensable link in their corps, so that from now on they will take even more into account the specific needs that live with them.

We also need to work towards a good dialogue between employers, employees and the government to give the combination with this specific volunteer work more breathing space. We therefore call on the social partners and the government to further strengthen the dialogue on the combination of work and volunteering.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to emphasize a point from the present bill containing various provisions. The Fire Corps consists of more than 12 000 volunteers. It is no secret that volunteers were given a underestimated role in the initial fire reform years ago, while no one should underestimate their unconditional commitment, the experience they often bring from their other professions, their local bond and the fact that they often have a passion for this work.

Today they are recognized. From now on, they will have a loud voice. Each relief zone shall establish a permanent office for its volunteers. Through that agency they will be extra supported, something that the VVB has been eagerly advocating and advocating for a very long time. Mr. Speaker, that will not only attract new volunteers, new candidates will also be accompanied in obtaining their federal qualification certificate. This agency will even mediate between the volunteer and his employer.

The Chairman of the Association of Flemish Firefighters Volunteers and some colleagues are here to participate in this moment. I would also like to thank them for their perseverance, their constructive participation and their unwavering commitment. They are always looking for new motivated people. In addition, on the website www.ikwordbrandweer.be you can find all the information. It gives me a great deal of confidence to be able, in addition to our professional firefighters, to always count on these invaluable volunteers.