Belgium Opens Probe Into Semois Park Conflict of Interest

The Luxembourg prosecutor’s office has opened a judicial investigation into suspicions of conflict of interest surrounding the selection and financing of an equestrian centre inside the Semois Valley National Park in Wallonia, Belgium. The probe, confirmed on 15 September 2026, centres on whether the park’s co-director favoured a project run by his partner — a case that has already frozen European funding and raised questions about governance at protected natural sites.

According to RTBF, the Parquet du Luxembourg opened the investigation (known in Belgian law as an information judiciaire) following reporting by Le Soir. The Walloon regional administration has launched its own internal inquiry at the request of Nature Minister Anne-Catherine Dalcq, and a report has been referred to the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF).

A Project at the Heart of the Questions

The equestrian station at Saint-Médard, in the commune of Herbeumont, was intended to “develop the equestrian sector for tourism, create endurance routes and a reception station for riders,” and to host Arabian thoroughbred horses. It is the most heavily publicly funded of the park’s 75 projects, drawing roughly EUR 1 million of public money from a global EUR 18 million envelope tied to the EU recovery plan.

The project is carried by the non-profit ASBL Smahf (Saint-Médard Arabians Horses Farm Event), which co-director Nicolas Ancion originally created and presided over before leaving the presidency two weeks after the park won its national park selection. The organisation is now managed by Ancion’s partner, Quentin Oly.

At the centre of the investigation is a single question: did Ancion favour his partner in the selection and financing of the project? TV Lux reported that the judicial inquiry will verify the various elements raised over recent months and seek to establish whether conflict-of-interest and governance rules were respected.

Budget Revisions Raised Eyebrows

The suspicions intensified over the project’s finances. The equestrian station’s initial envelope of about EUR 411,125 excluding VAT was raised in December 2025 to EUR 936,825 excluding VAT — cumulative revisions of EUR 525,000 — with other project budgets reduced to cover the gap, according to TV Lux. The combination of this budget growth and the personal ties between the project’s promoter and the park’s director is what triggered the conflict-of-interest concerns.

A planning permit for the complex had been refused in April 2025 for incompatibility with the agricultural use of the land and its environmental impact, before being granted on appeal in August 2025 by Walloon minister Desquesnes.

Untangling the Legal Process

Belgian legal experts caution that an information judiciaire is an investigation phase conducted under the authority of the King’s prosecutor, and does not mean an offence has been established or that anyone is being prosecuted. As DH/Belga noted, the prosecutor may order hearings, collect documents and request verifications. At the end of the process, the prosecutor may close the case without further action, bring charges, or refer the matter to an investigating judge.

The Director Steps Aside

Ancion has denied any conflict of interest. In comments reported by TV Lux in July, he argued that no financial link exists between him and his partner: “If we are talking about enrichment, about interest, because of the relationship I have with Quentin, that would mean there has to be a link uniting us, allowing me to have a financial interest in his situation. But if he is my partner, we are not married, we are not in a civil partnership, we have no contractual link. He has his assets, I have mine. We don’t mix the two.”

Nonetheless, Ancion was provisionally removed from the park’s co-direction in early July 2026 — on his own proposal, validated by an extraordinary Board of Directors. He remains director of the Parc naturel de Gaume, while co-director Hélène Poncin now effectively runs the National Park. TV Lux reported that the park consulted lawyers and planned a services tender, and that Godfrin described the situation as “damageable” to the park’s image.

Europe Freezes Its Funding

The fallout quickly acquired a European dimension. As soon as the possible conflict surfaced, the EU suspended its 80% subsidies for the project. The global cost of the equestrian complex is around EUR 1.5 million including VAT; the main structural works are finished but on stand-by, since the park cannot fund the remainder alone. Because the projects are partly EU-funded, the matter was referred to OLAF. The park was also required to submit a report with supporting documents to the Walloon Region by 5 August 2026.

Poncin, the co-director now running the park, said: “The National Park confirms its intention to cooperate fully with the judiciary and the CAIF [the audit unit of the finance inspectorate for European structural funds] charged with the external investigation. Our goal is to be able to unblock the situation.”

Political Pressure and the National Park Label

Politically, the case has put the Walloon government under pressure. In a parliamentary commission on 13 July 2026, deputies François Huberty (Les Engagés), Mélissa Hanus (PS), Nicolas Janssen (MR) and Freddy Mockel (Ecolo) questioned Minister Dalcq, with the opposition seeking an external audit. According to TV Lux, Hanus argued that “if everything is in order, an audit will clear those concerned and strengthen the park’s credibility. Conversely, if there are flaws, they must be corrected.”

Dalcq said the presumption of innocence must prevail and that control tools had revealed no conflict of interest, while adding that no funds had yet been released for the project and nothing would be while a thorough analysis was carried out. “Doubt in this matter is not acceptable, and if the facts were confirmed, they would not be admissible,” she told deputies.

The stakes extend to the park’s flagship status. It was partly thanks to the equestrian project that the Semois region obtained its national park label. If irregularities are confirmed, the entire label-award process could be called into question. The park launched on 3 July 2026 with its 75 projects and EUR 18 million for three years, and may now struggle to attract the private donors it had been courting to sustain its work.

What to Watch

Three tracks now run in parallel: the judicial investigation by the Luxembourg prosecutor, the audit requested by the Walloon government, and the OLAF referral in Brussels. None has yet established wrongdoing, and Ancion retains the presumption of innocence. But the outcome will shape how Belgium governs its national parks — and how Europe oversees publicly funded green-label projects at a time when EU recovery money is under scrutiny. A first indicator will be whether the prosecutor closes the file, brings charges, or hands the matter to an investigating judge.