In Belgium, at present, you will find over 400 parking spaces explicitly reserved for diplomats. These are mainly in Brussels. Ghent recently decided to scrap the last three reserved spaces because the city argued the concept is outdated. The practice also appears to be falling into disuse in other cities and municipalities, except in and around the capital. The reserved places are supposed to facilitate diplomats in their work.
Last week, the city of Ghent decided to scrap the three remaining diplomatic parking spaces in the city. These are parking spaces reserved for people with a special number plate bearing the code CD (“corps diplomatique”). Ghent claimed the reserved spaces were an outdated practice.
‘The parking spaces are provided for diplomatic missions, consular posts and international organisations,’ says Pierre Steverlynck of the Belgian Foreign Ministry. ‘They can be found in all cities where such activities take place.’
‘Diplomatic missions, consular posts and international organisations can apply for the parking spaces. We check their suitability, and the decision usually lies with city councils. Places are allocated to facilitate diplomats in their work, in accordance with the Vienna Conventions on diplomacy.’
There are currently 6,555 CD number plates registered with the Belgian Vehicle Registration Service, the DIV. This number includes 5,673 number plates in Brussels and 699 in Flanders. This means that many people could, in principle, make use of reserved diplomatic parking spaces. However, the number of CD plates is falling; in 2020, there were just under 7,000.
0 in Antwerp, 1 in Liège and 404 in Brussels
The northern port city of Antwerp boasts several consulates and other diplomatic posts. However, there the practice of reserved parking spaces for diplomats no longer exists. ‘We don't have any, so we can't scrap them,’ says the office of alderman Koen Kennis.
In the eastern city of Liège, there is exactly one permanently reserved diplomatic space.
The situation is different in the Brussels region. There, Brussels Mobility lists 404 parking spaces reserved for diplomats, spread across the 19 municipalities of the conurbation, mainly in the vicinity of international institutions.
Spaces reserved for diplomats across the Brussels Region
There are also reserved places at mobility hubs elsewhere in Brussels. At the Brussels-South station, there is a parking area designated for diplomats. The zone serves as a kiss-and-ride zone for up to four cars at a time.
‘There are no similar spaces at other Belgian stations,’ says rail company NMBS. At Brussels Airport, diplomats can park in the staff car park!