Brussels grants 48.47 million to municipalities for the 2026 salary scale revaluation

The Government of the Brussels-Capital Region is granting EUR 48,471,758.02 to the Brussels municipalities to partially finance the salary scale revaluation of their staff for the 2026 financial year. Three decrees dated July 2, 2026, published in the Belgian Official Gazette on September 18, 2026, concern respectively EUR 25,679,124.41 ([C − 2026/006275], p. 50775), EUR 9,897,126.34 ([C − 2026/006276], p. 50778) and EUR 12,895,507.27 ([C − 2026/006277], p. 50780).

Three decrees, three sectoral agreements

The texts are based on protocols concluded within Committee C of the Brussels Region and on the law of May 16, 2003, establishing the general provisions applicable to the control of subsidies. Each decree targets a distinct agreement:

• Sectoral Agreement 2000/2001: 2% revaluation of the scales, of which 1% is borne by the local authorities and 1% via regional intervention — subsidy of EUR 25,679,124.41 ([C − 2026/006275]).
• Sectoral Agreement 2007/2008: 3% revaluation of the scales for level C staff as of January 1, 2009, of which 1% is borne by the local authorities and 2% via the Region — subsidy of EUR 9,897,126.34 ([C − 2026/006276]).
• Sectoral Agreement 2005/2006: 2% revaluation of the scales for levels D and E as of March 1, 2007, and an additional 1% as of January 1, 2008, totaling 3%, of which 1% is local and 2% regional — subsidy of EUR 12,895,507.27 ([C − 2026/006277]).

The three decrees take effect on January 1, 2026, and are signed by Minister-President B. DILLIÈS and the Minister in charge of Local Authorities A. LAAOUEJ.

Mandatory transfer to CPAS and hospitals

The subsidies are paid to the municipalities, but the final beneficiaries are broader. Article 4 of each decree requires municipalities to immediately transfer the share due to:

• the CPAS (Public Social Welfare Centres);
• associations formed in accordance with Chapter XII of the organic law of July 8, 1976, on Public Social Welfare Centres;
• public hospitals whose deficits are covered by the municipalities;
• the Mont-de-Piété established within their territory.

The mechanism therefore covers all Brussels local authority personnel targeted by the sectoral agreements, and not only municipal employees.

Two tranches and an indexed formula

Payment is split: an advance of 70% of the amount granted for 2026 is paid during 2026, and the remaining 30% during 2027. The amount is calculated according to a flat-rate formula: the amount granted for the 2025 financial year multiplied by 1.013 (impact of salary scale increases), by 1.00333333 (impact of the March 2025 indexation), and by 1.016666667 (impact of the March 2026 indexation).

The credits are charged to budget item 40.041.08 of the Region’s general expenditure budget for 2026, which provides for 752,773,000 EUR in commitment appropriations, via basic allocations 40.041.01.06.43.21, 40.041.01.07.43.21, and 40.041.01.05.43.21. The Grants and Equality Directorate of Brussels Local Authorities of the Brussels Regional Public Service is designated to ensure the proper management of the allocated credits.

A mechanism renewed year after year

The mechanism is not new: a comparable decree, published in the Belgian Official Gazette on August 28, 2026 ([C − 2026/006279], p. 47149), had already granted 9,578,022.29 EUR for the 2025 financial year for the salary scale revaluation of level C employees. The recitals of the three decrees of July 2, 2026, recall that personnel expenses constitute a significant and recurring charge and that the financial situation of the local authorities concerned often hinders the granting of these increases.

For the Brussels municipalities and their CPAS (Public Social Welfare Centres), the challenge is twofold: they must have applied the revaluations to receive the subsidy, and then immediately distribute the share returning to the CPAS, public hospitals, and the Mont-de-Piété. The payment of the balance in 2027 means that local treasuries will have to bear part of the cost until the following financial year.

Source: Belgian Official Gazette of September 18, 2026, decrees of the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region of July 2, 2026, [C − 2026/006275], [C − 2026/006276] and [C − 2026/006277], pp. 50775, 50778 and 50780.