Van Parys was part of the 1988 parliamentary commission looking into the "ways that banditry and terrorism suppression are organized [in Belgium]." Together with Philippe Laurent of the Parti social chrétien he wrote the main report that detailed the results.
He was elected as a member of the Belgian Senate in 2007.[1] Van Parys succeeded Erik De Lembre as chairman of the board of directors of Ghent's Arteveldehogeschool in October 2011.[2]