A socioeconomic council and a supra-municipal council to serve the region
The driving forces of the Charleroi Metropolitan Area, gathered within the same body, share a vision to ensure the coherent development of the region.
The development of the Charleroi Metropolitan Area’s government support bodies
Since 2007, the Charleroi Metropolitan Area’s supra-municipal dynamic has developed guided by the Strategic Development Committee. In 2017, the Conference of Mayors consolidated this approach. In September 2023, a decisive step was taken with the creation of a Cooperative Society, giving the Charleroi Metropolitan Area a distinct legal personality of its own. The purpose of this initiative is to strengthen the region’s position at Walloon, Belgian and European level, as well as to support the roll-out of ambitious projects. The merger of the two bodies under a single Board of Directors consolidates partnerships and collaborative schemes and encourages the development of a shared vision between the economic, social and political sectors.
The Charleroi Metropolitan Area’s government support bodies
The Charleroi Metropolitan Area’s founding principles will continue to guide and galvanise the work of the entities that monitor and coordinate its activities:
- – The Board of Directors is made up of a balanced blend of economic representatives, social partners and elected representatives from the various political parties;
- – Each municipality, regardless of its size, carries equal weight in the debates and decisions of the Supra-Municipal Council;
- The industrial, business, trade union and academic sectors take part in discussions within the Socioeconomic Council.
A shared vision
Based on the Territorial Plan, which is the expression of a shared and forward-looking vision for the development of the catchment area, the Charleroi Metropolitan Area encourages collaboration and synergies. The main objective of the dynamic promoted by the Charleroi Metropolitan Area is to support the streamlined, coherent and balanced development of the 30 municipalities that make up the area. The ambition is to strengthen their resilience, competitiveness and quality of life.
From its urban centre Charleroi, the largest city in Wallonia, to its more rural areas, the Metropolitan Area brands itself as a pioneer in wide number of different areas. It initiates and develops innovative projects in a wide range of fields, in line with current societal challenges. Mobility, energy, food, the environment, tourism, economic development, education, training, innovation… These projects require substantial human and financial resources. They are essential and reflect the ambitions and vibrancy of our region as a whole.
