“The transfer of responsibilities [ from the federal government to the regions] is the right moment to organise a re-engineering of the system,” De Bruyckere said. With that goal in mind, I have asked the management of Voka to make up a critical evaluation in the coming weeks of the value to us of the dozens of councils and advisory bodies we take part in. And we will withdraw our participation from any we consider to have made little or no contribution in the last few years to positive change and true guidance. We intend to be very consistent in our approach.”

In a question to minister-president Kris Peeters, Flemish MP Ivan Sabbe laid out the extent of the problem: “I have been able to find out that your government calls on a total of 224 advisory and consulting bodies. A number of them give good advice, but…If they give useful advice, we mostly don’t listen to it. That is unfortunate.” Sabbe later claimed he had calculated a cost to the government of €18 million for all bodies together, which advise the government on every area where it has responsibility for policy, from farming and youth policy to health and the media.

In his reply, Peeters pointed out that there are indeed a great many bodies concerned, but that they were all at one time or another approved by the parliament. “I am for efficiency,” he said. “These advisory bodies have to operate efficiently; they have to give good advice. I have sat on many advisory bodies of which Flanders and Belgium are rich. When people put their energy into their advice, the idea is that it should bring some value. And that has to be listened to.”

Peeters was previously managing director of Unizo, the organisation that represents the self-employed. He said he was in communications with Voka. “Meanwhile I, with the parliament, will keep watch on the efficiency of the advisory bodies and, where savings are possible, they will be implemented.”