Federal Planning Bureau

Most of the FPB’s activities are legally defined. Other studies are made at the request of the government, social partners and parliament. The FPB can also undertake projects at its own initiative or within the framework of research contracts with third parties.

The activities of the FPB are centered around four axes:

1. Outlook
   • Short-term economic forecasts used by the federal government to draw up its budget ;
   • 5-year outlooks for the Belgian economy in its international context. Those outlooks analyse, in particular, the future of the main branches of industry, of employment and of public finances ;
   • Long-term projections of the demographic evolution of our society and of the financial consequences of population-ageing ;
   • Projections on energy consumption and production, as well as greenhouse gas emissions.
   • Projections on transport evolution.
2. Assessments
   • Evaluation of the economic and social effects of policy measures such as a cut in social security contributions, of shocks like an increase in oil prices and of macroeconomic or structural trends such as the acceleration of technological progress ;
   • Regular and integrated assessments of the interests involved in and policies on sustainable development.
3. Research
   • Decision-making tools supporting the federal mobility and transport policy ;
   • Innovative themes in collaboration with Belgian and foreign research institutions, as well as participation in the activities of international organizations such as the European Commission, the OECD and the IMF.
4. Statistics and economic modelling
   • Elaboration of economic models: NIME, NEMESIS, MODTRIM, MALTESE, HERMREG, HERMES, LABMOD, MIDAS, PRIMES, PROMETHEUS, PLANET ;
   • Economic, social and environmental indicators and statistical descriptions of the Belgian economy such as input-output tables, environmental accounts and transport accounts.

The FPB makes projections and evaluates past or intended policy in the following areas:

• Macroeconomic forecasting, projections and analyses
• Regional economy
• International economy
• Labour market
• Public finances
• Social protection and ageing
• Population
• Energy, transport and mobility
• Productivity and long-term growth
• Regulation and globalization
• Sectoral and intersectoral analyses
• Sustainable development

All the FPB’s studies are published, presented publicly and widely distributed. The recurring publications,[1] which relate to the FPB’s main legal assignments, include:

• Economic budget (Institute for National Accounts [INA]) ;
• Medium-term economic outlook (FPB) ;
• Medium-term outlook preparatory to the government’s Stability programme (BFP) ;
• Ageing Report (Study Committee on Ageing [SCA]) ;
• National Reform Programme (governments) ;
• Prospective studies for electricity and natural gas (FPS Economy, S.M.E.s, Self-employed and Energy – FPB) ;
• Development plan for the electricity transmission system (transmission system operator, FPS Economy, S.M.E.s, Self-employed and Energy – FPB) ;
• Input-output tables (INA) ;
• Environmental Accounts (FPB) ;
• Federal report on sustainable development (FPB) ;
• Transport indicators, transport satellite accounts and transport simulations (FPB) ;
• Population forecasts (FPB – Directorate-General of Statistics and Economic Information [DGSEI]) ;
• Mortality tables (FPB).

The organizations and commissions mentioned in parentheses are responsible for the final publication.