Minister's Delay Costs Profondeville €1 Million EU Grant for Domestic Violence Shelter

October 17, 2025
Minister's Delay Costs Profondeville €1 Million EU Grant for Domestic Violence Shelter
  • The CPAS of Profondeville claims it was deprived of one million euros in EU funding for a shelter project for women victims of domestic violence due to delays in signature from Minister Yves Coppieters' office.

  • Minister Yves Coppieters' office states that communication was ongoing and emphasizes that project timelines were strict, with a deadline of June 2026 set by the national recovery plan, which allowed no extensions.

  • Although the project claimed to meet all deadlines, delays in ministerial approval—specifically, the signature from Minister Coppieters obtained nearly six months late—compromised the construction schedule and prevented meeting the EU deadline.

  • The Minister's office argues that it was the responsibility of the Walloon government to verify the project's feasibility and compliance before committing funds, citing strict conditions tied to the EU funding.

  • Due to the signature delay, the project also lost an additional 200,000 euros that was self-funded, making it impossible to complete within the EU's deadline.

  • The CPAS had already invested 200,000 euros over three and a half years into developing the project, which now appears to be lost, causing frustration among local officials.

  • As a result of the delays and missed deadline, the project was halted, and the entire subsidy was lost, preventing the community from having a vital shelter for domestic violence victims.

  • The project initially received a grant of one million euros, with about 900,000 euros covered by the EU and the remainder by the Walloon Region, after a successful application.

  • The project involved renovating an existing municipal building to serve as a shelter, but the delayed signature prevented the completion of construction by the June 2026 deadline imposed by the EU.

  • In May 2022, the Walloon Region launched a funding call offering a 90% European subsidy for such projects, which the CPAS of Profondeville applied for to develop this shelter.

  • The incident has sparked criticism towards Minister Yves Coppieters, with local leaders blaming him for negligence that led to the loss of funding and the abandonment of a project seen as crucial for addressing domestic violence.

Summary based on 2 sources


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