Financing

Legal base

Each year, the Permanent Secretary prepares a budget proposal on which the Citizen Council decides. Then, the budget proposal adopted by the Citizen Council is submitted to the Bureau for approval. If the Bureau approves the budget, the relevant appropriations are provided for in Parliament's budget.

The Permanent Secretary manages the available credits under the supervision of the Citizen Council, taking into account the financial envelope set by the Bureau.

Before August 31 of the following year, the Permanent Secretary submits to the Citizen Council the presentation of the accounts for the closed financial year. The Citizen Council submits these accounts to the Bureau.

(Article 12 of the Decree of 25 February 2019 establishing a permanent Citizen Dialogue in the German-speaking Community)

Costs incurred

Main costs incurred are:

CITIZENS' ASSEMBLIES:

• Catering, hall rental, technical equipment, moderation fees, expert fees, lottery procedure.
• Participation allowance, travel expenses, car insurance for participants. (Accommodation costs are not incurred due to the short distance between the place of residence and the meeting venue).

CITIZEN'S COUNCIL:

• Participation allowance, travel expenses, car insurance for participants. (Accommodation costs are not incurred due to the short distance between the place of residence and the place of the meeting).

PUBLIC RELATIONS:

• Publicity campaigns, website, etc.

How much the Citizens' Dialogue "costs" each year depends mainly on how many citizens' assemblies are held each year and how many citizens participate. (These decisions are made by the Citizens' Council).

In addition, it is up to the citizens' council to set priorities: For example, should there be more investment in public relations? Do you want to organize a special event? Is external expertise needed?