Provisional municipal border reference stock, state 16/05/2018 (valid from 01/01/2019)

The Preliminary Municipal Borders Reference File contains information on the boundaries of the territory of the administrative units in the Flemish Region: Municipalities, administrative arrondissements, provinces and the Flemish Region. Furthermore, this dataset contains meta-information on the origin of the geometry of the municipal borders.The preliminary reference file of municipal borders serves as a geometric and object reference for the administrative divisions in Flanders.For building the geometry of the municipal borders, the best available information is used. In many cases, the geometry of the adp’s (administrative parcels) of the GRB (Grand Scale Reference File) has been used unless there is better established geometric information (e.g. lists of coordinates published in the Belgian Official Gazette at the establishment of borders).The regional and national borders of the Flemish Region, drawn up by AAPD (General Administration of the Patrimonium Documentation, Federal Public Service Finance) were integrated into this version on the basis of the various available sources.The geometry of the border with the Netherlands is established within the framework of a number of border commissions. The geometry of the national border with the Netherlands is therefore officially fixed.The geometry of the border with France was not formally validated with France, however AAPD assumes that it will no longer change.The geometry of the border with the Brussels and Walloon Region still needs to be validated finally, but any changes will be limited to very local adjustments.This version incorporates the mergers as implemented on 01/01/2019.The General Directorate for Statistics Belgium has assigned new NIS codes to these new municipalities. These will be in force on the start date of the merger (on 01/01/2019):- Meeuwen-Gruitrode and Opglabbeek: NIS 72042 (new name: Oudsbergen)- Neerpelt and Overpelt: NIS 72043 (new name: Pelt)- Kruishoutem and Zingem: NIS 45068 (new name: Kruisem)- Aalter and Knesselare: NIS 44084 (new name: Aalter)- Deinze and Nevele: NIS 44083 (new name: Deinze)- Puurs and Sint-Amands: NIS 12041 (new name: Puurs-Sint-Amands)- Waarschoot, Lovendegem & Zomergem: Nis 44085 (new name: Lievegem)