The Flemish Government is going to the Court of Appeal to demand penalty payments of 100,000 euro per day from the Federal Government for each day that the flight paths around Brussels Airport at Zaventem (Flemish Brabant) are not adjusted. The decision to take legal action was announced by the Flemish Minister responsible for the area of Flemish Brabant that is peripheral to Brussels Ben Weyts (Flemish nationalist). Mr Weyts told VRT News that "If the Federal Government is not open to reasoned argument, stiff penalty payments should force a breakthrough."
Flanders to demand penalty payments of 100,000 euro/day from the Federal Government if flight paths are not adjusted
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Back in October, the Flemish Government took legal action against new flight routes claiming that they are too concentrated in the skies above Flemish Brabant municipalities just outside Brussels.
In February the Brussels court of first instance vindicated Flanders, ruling that Federal Government had to establish new flight routes for Zaventem within six months. In a reaction to the ruling the Federal Justice Minister Georges Gilkinet (Francophone green) told the daily ‘De Tijd’ that there had only been minimal changes to the flight path routes and that these had come about thanks to “a more precise and more precise” way of mapping.
According to Mr Gilkinet modifications were made just a few days after the new technology was introduced. "The complaint was filed at the time when the new navigation procedure had only just come into in force. However, I did not wait for the ruling to make adjustments,"
However, Mr Weyts says that Mr Gilkinet has made no efforts so far to make the flight paths complient with the ruling. "On the contrary, he has started to challenge the ruling by lodging an appeal, so nothing is actually happening. If the Federal Government is not amenable to reasoned arguments, stiff financial penalties will just have to used to force a breakthrough".
50,000 euro/week in penalty payments
In new proceedings before the appeal court, the Flemish government has requested the imposition of penalty payments of 100,000 euro per day for as long as the federal government does not adjust the flight routes.
According to Weyts, it is more than possible that the court will impose the penalty payments. He points out that the federal government already has to pay 50,000 euros a week in penalty payments to some Flemish municipalities on the northern edge of Brussels.
"In October, we had a ruling fairly quickly, so I expect that it will be no different this time" Mr Weyts said.
Mr Weyts says that the proceeds from the penalty payment will be used to make investments in measures to protect the residents of municipalities close to the airport from noise nuisance.