Deelgemeente

Adeelgemeente(Dutch pronunciation:[ˈdeːlɣəˌmeːntə],literallysub-municipality), orsection(French pronunciation:[sɛksjɔ̃]), is a subdivision of amunicipalityinBelgiumand, until March 2014, in theNetherlandsas well.

Belgium

Eachmunicipalityin Belgium that existed as a separate entity on 1 January 1961 but no longer existed as such after 1 January 1977 as the result of a merger is considered asectionordeelgemeentewithin most municipalities. In addition, theCity of Brusselsis also divided in foursectionsthat correspond to the communes that existed before their merger in 1921.

The termdeelgemeenteis used inDutchand the termsectioninFrenchto refer to such a subdivision of a municipality anywhere in Belgium, municipalities having beenmerged throughout the country in the 1970s.Herefor,sectionsordeelgemeentenusually were independent municipalities before the fusions in the 1970s. In French, the termsectionis sometimes confused withcommune(for: municipality), especially in larger cities likeCharleroiandMonsas thesectionscomposing the municipality used to be individualcommunesbefore the 1970s. It is therefore not rare to hear that Mons comprises "19communes"when in fact Mons is a single municipality (commune) divided into 19sections.In addition, there is the termancienne commune(former municipality), which has no official existence.

Asectionordeelgemeentedoes not bear any administrative powers. However, theBelgian Constitutionprovides the possibility of implementingdistrictsfor any municipality with at least 100,000 inhabitants, givingde factopolitical and administrative jurisdiction to the sections. Only the municipality ofAntwerphas implemented ninedistricts,Belgium's lowest level of administration.

Netherlands

In the Netherlands,deelgemeentenwere administrative divisions that could be instituted by any municipality.The city ofAmsterdamwas the first to do this. In the early 1980s, the municipality was divided into fifteen deelgemeenten. This amount was decreased to eight in 2010.Seven of these were officially calledstadsdeel.

Rotterdamfollowed in the 1990s and was divided into fourteendeelgemeenten.Deelgemeentenhad their own mayor, thedeelgemeentevoorzitter,their own aldermen,deelgemeentewethouders,and their own elected assembly, thedeelgemeenteraad.Deelgemeentenwere abolished in March 2014, after the2014 municipal elections.Since 2014, districts of Amsterdam have abestuurscommissie(literally "governance commission" ), and thedeelgemeentenof Rotterdam are now calledgebieden(literally "areas" ).