Princess Elizabeth Polar Station
Suspension of State projects
On October 20, 2016, the Council of Ministers decided to organise, in 2016-2017, a mission to maintain the Princess Elizabeth Polar Station. The International Polar Foundation, having referred the case to the Council of State under the emergency procedure, the Council of State has, by Judgment n° 236.304 of October 27, 2016, suspended the execution of this decision. It has declared as serious the grounds to denounce the incompetency of the Council of Ministers for adopting such a decision.
The judgment does not dispute the urgency of a mission to maintain and repair the station. It has, however, considered that the Belgian State did not establish that it had chosen the least prejudicial measure to the rights of the International Polar Foundation, which is, by virtue of the applicable regulations, tasked with the maintenance and upkeep of the Polar Station. It has then refused to proceed with the weighing up of interests requested by the Belgian State.
Associated areas of specialisation: Environment