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Protection of persons and institutions

Landing of Obama in Belgium from control room
To protect people and institutions, the National Crisis Center (NCCN) proposes precautionary and/or protective measures to the Minister of the Interior, based on a person's status and/or a threat analysis. Once approved, the police services will be responsible for implementing these measures.

There are different types of precautionary or protective measures:

  • Providing a police contact person who can be reached 24 hours a day
  • Priority handling of telephone calls
  • Carrying out a technical prevention study
  • Patrolling at different times
  • Checking suspicious persons, vehicles and objects
  • Provision of fixed posts with permanent police presence
  • Close protection

These protection measures can always be extended, reduced or maintained. If necessary, the NCCN will invite all partners involved to discuss the threat analysis and the associated measures.

Protection of people

The NCCN guarantees the safety of foreign dignitaries visiting our country, such as heads of state, heads of government and ministers.

Because of the presence of European and NATO institutions on our territory and the organisation of European summits in Brussels, this type of visit occurs regularly. Every year, the NCCN handles more than 1,500 cases of people for whom appropriate measures need to be taken.

Protection of institutions

Our country is responsible for the security of the international and diplomatic institutions on Belgian territory. The NCCN participates in this:

On a monthly basis

Every month, there is an evaluation of the existing precautionary and protective measures. During this 'Embassies' meeting, the services involved analyse the threat together. Based on this analysis, they take the appropriate measures to protect people, institutions and events.

On a weekly basis

Every week, a meeting is held to discuss and evaluate the events of the previous and coming week, both in the field of terrorism and of public order.

On a daily basis

The NCCN permanently monitors the situation, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The NCCN collects and analyses information in order to quickly and flexibly determine which precautionary and protective measures are most appropriate at that moment.

Cooperation with the private sector

The NCCN also maintains an information network with the private sector. This is a collaboration between the NCCN, State Security, the Federal Police, the Coordination Unit for Threat Analysis, the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office and the Federation of Enterprises in Belgium. Companies can use an early-warning system to report suspicious incidents or threats, for example a car that stops at the entrance gate several days in a row. The various security partners investigate the report and decide whether protective action is required. The network can also be used to send out alerts.

This cooperation is an initiative of the Permanent Consultation Platform for Corporate Security and has been laid down in a protocol agreement between the public and private partners.