Reform will likely only take effect after the next local elections.
The Flemish government has agreed to inject €1.5 billion of fresh capital into network operator Fluvius, but simplifying its intricate intermunicipal structure remains a formidable task. Energy Minister Melissa Depraetere (Vooruit) secured a commitment to provide €1 billion by 2026 and a further €560 million by 2030, aiming to prepare the grid for a surge in solar panels, electric vehicles and heat pumps. CEO Frank Vanbrabant recently warned that Fluvius will need an additional €1 billion next year and between €1.7 billion and €2 billion by 2030 to meet regulatory and investment demands.
Because electricity and gas cables are owned by eight municipal cooperatives—each charging its own regional tariff—Flanders is exploring two routes: taking stakes directly in each intermunicipal body with a view to merging them into a single distribution operator, or acquiring shares in high‑voltage grid manager Elia and gas transporter Fluxys, then redeploying proceeds to bolster Fluvius. The latter faces reluctance, however, as Elia and Fluxys yield higher dividends than Fluvius.
Depraetere insists that a clear structural decision will reassure Moody’s and prevent a ratings downgrade that would hike financing costs. Yet every one of Flanders’ 285 municipal councils must ratify the plan, and parties such as N‑VA and CD&V urge caution to avoid tariff hikes in their regions. Socialists counter that it is unacceptable for neighbours on the same street to pay different network fees. Any meaningful reform, they acknowledge, will likely only take effect after the next local elections.
Photo of Melissa Depraetere: © European Union, 1998 – 2025, Attribution, Wikipedia
