gemeentelijke

Gemeentelijke is the Dutch adjective meaning relating to a municipality. It denotes something that belongs to or is issued by the local level of government. The term is common in official language, policy texts, and media, where it helps indicate that a matter concerns local authorities and local services.

In the Netherlands and in Dutch-speaking parts of Belgium, municipalities are the lowest tier of government and handle local matters such as spatial planning, housing, local roads, waste management, social services, and permits. Common uses of the adjective include gemeentelijke belastingen (municipal taxes), gemeentelijke regelgeving (municipal regulations), gemeentelijke dienstverlening (municipal services), and gemeentelijke begroting (municipal budget). The term also appears in compounds such as gemeentelijke besluiten and gemeentelijk beleid, which describe local rules and policy.

The distinction implied by gemeentelijk is between local governance and higher levels of authority, which are described as nationaal (national) or provinciaal (provincial). While some policy areas are coordinated at higher levels, a large portion of day-to-day administration and service provision occurs at the municipal level, making gemeentelijke terminology frequent in local government discourse and public communication.