Belgium is a federal state. Besides the federal level, there are three communities (the Dutch speaking
community; the French speaking community and the German speaking community) and three regions (the
Flemish region; the Walloon region and the region of Brussels Capital). All these different political levels are
competent for public health policy. Most of the competences concerning the promotion of mental health and
prevention of mental disorders are situated at the levels of the regions and/or communities. Twice a year, an
inter-ministerial conference on public health is organized. The objective of this conference is to harmonize the
policies of the federal level with those of the communities and regions