Belgium

House of RepresentativesSenate

House of Representatives

Law-making

Data on parliament’s law-making role and activities

Legislative activity

Number of laws adopted by parliament, per year
235 (2022)
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Total number of laws adopted by Parliament in the previous legislature
938 (2019)
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Number of laws adopted in the previous legislature that were initiated by parliament
274 (2019)
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Number of laws adopted in the previous legislature that were initiated by the government
664 (2019)
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Dates of the previous legislature
19.06.2014 to 23.05.2019
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Outcome when the two chambers cannot agree on a piece of draft legislation For bicameral parliaments: Outcome when the two chambers cannot agree on a piece of draft legislationNot applicable; The legislation cannot be adopted unless both chambers agree; The decision of the lower chamber will take effect after a certain deadline; The decision of the upper chamber will take effect after a certain deadline; Other (please specify) For bicameral parliaments: Outcome when the two chambers cannot agree on a piece of draft legislation
Other (please specify)
Notes
There are three federal legislative procedures, depending on the subject at hand. In the first procedure, only the House of Representatives has federal legislative power at national level; in the second, the House of Representatives and the Senate have equal powers; in the third, both houses have authority, but the House of Representatives has the final say.
Source Legal documents that stipulate parliament's role.
Constitution, arts 74 to 83 (arts 74 to 78, 82 and 83 as of 25 May 2014)

Executive-legislative relations

Legislation adopted by parliament requires the assent of the Head of State In some countries, the Constitution foresees that legislation adopted by parliament must be signed into law by the Head of State. If so, the Head of State may, for example, have the power to veto the legislation, return it to parliament, or submit it to another body such as a constitutional court.
Yes
Source Legal documents that stipulate parliament's role.
Articles 36 and 109 of the Constitution.
Number of times the Head of State declined to give assent to legislation, per year
(2021)
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Consequences when the Head of State declines to give assent to legislation Consequences when the Head of State declines to give assent to legislation: Not applicable; No further action is taken. The legislation is rejected; The legislation is returned to Parliament for re-examination; The legislation is referred to the Constitutional/Supreme Court;The legislation is put to a referendum; Other (please specify)
Other (please specify):
Not applicable. The Head of State cannot decline to give assent to legislation adopted by parliament
No
Notes
The King and his government, as a branch of the legislative power, approve laws. In theory, the King and the government are not obliged to do so. They thus have a right of veto. That practice was current in the nineteenth century but has fallen into disuse.
Neither the Constitution nor the law provides what should happen if the King refuses to assent to a law passed by the federal parliament or if the federal parliament and the King do not agree on a legislative text. A distinction must therefore be made between the legal consequences and the political consequences of such a situation:
- in legal terms, the legislative process cannot be completed;
- on the political level, an institutional crisis threatens to occur.
Faced with the threat of an institutional crisis, it is almost impossible in practice for the King to refuse to sanction a law adopted by the federal parliament or to express his disagreement with a law adopted by the federal parliament.
Final decision when parliament and the Head of State do not agree Final decision when parliament and the Head of State do not agree: Not applicable; Parliament; Head of State; Constitutional/Supreme Court; Other (please specify)
Other (please specify)
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Existence of a procedure to introduce emergency legislation
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Not applicable. There is no procedure to introduce emergency legislation.
No