Country reports
After a total of six state reforms since 1970, the former centralised state has now become a federal order with some far-reaching competences for the subnational levels. This advancing decentralisation was considered as a neccesity for a long time in order to preserve the state unity of Belgium in the face of growing separatist aspirations, especially in Flanders. Re-cent developments in Belgium, however, are threatening to erode this state unity
