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| 1969, May 28 |
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| A linguistic and cultural compromise reestablished French faculties at Louvain and provided for a new Flemish Free University of Brussels. | 1 |
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| 1970, Dec |
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| Parliament introduced constitutional amendments (implementation of which began in July 1971) to ease friction between the French-speaking and Flemish communities. Bills connected with these amendments included laws on setting up and defining the powers of cultural councils for the two major language groups. | 2 |
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| 1973, July |
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| Parliament passed a bill for the establishment of a cultural council for the German-speaking community. | 3 |
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| 1979, July–1980, July |
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| REGIONAL DEVOLUTION AIMED AT CREATING A FEDERAL STATE. The government of Wilfried Martens introduced a three-phase plan for the devolution of extensive central government powers and the establishment of regional parliaments based on linguistic groups. In August 1980 Parliament approved limited autonomous rule for Flanders and Wallonia. The devolution plan, which aroused political ire and caused the collapse of Martens's government, began to be carried out in the late 1980s. The first stage of devolution took place in August 1988, when the three regions (French-speaking Wallonia, Flemish-speaking Flanders, and bilingual Brussels) were given control over their own education, economic policy and development, and public works. In January 1989 Parliament approved a second stage of devolution whereby the regions acquired financial resources. The final phase of devolution, specifying the powers of the national government, was completed in 1993. | 4 |
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| 1981, July |
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| The voting age for parliamentary elections was lowered from 21 to 18. | 5 |
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| Aug. 27 |
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| The government announced the abolition of the death penalty. | 6 |
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