Recommendation on the amendments on the law accompanying the budget 2015 (10/23/2014)

This recommendation has been prepared by the General Council, at the request of Annemie Turtelboom, viceminister-president of the Flemish Government and minister of Budget, Finances and Engergy.

The Vlor appreciates the initiative of the new Flemish government to ask for advice on governmental amendments on the programme law. In the past, the Vlor has always insisted to have the possibility to formulate a recommendation on all draft law that the government is presenting to the Flemish Parliament. This is certainly the case for amendments related to tuition fees in higher education. These amendments contain new measures that are relevant and have big impact on society. For the other amendments, the situation is different, because the Vlor already formulated recommendations in its advice on the draft programme law. These amendments are adapted because of the advice of the Council of State, or because of negotiations with the social partners.

The Vlor regrets the way this programme law has been prepared. Conform the participation law, negotiations with social partners always come after the recommendation of the Vlor; both processes were parallel now. For the Vlor it is not possible (procedures) and not desirable to advice on amendments that are the result of negotiations in which an important part of the Vlor members took part, but not all of them. An important part of the Vlor members is thus committed by the results of the negotiations, others are not. This is why this recommendation does not include recommendations on the amendments that are the result of the recommendation of the Council of State and the negotiations with the social partners.