Information on the preparation of the report

Please provide information on the preparation of this report, including information on stakeholders involved and material used as a basis for the report.

Belgium is a federal state, consisting of Communities and Regions.

Three Regional Focal Points have therefore been designated besides the National Focal Point:

• For the Flemish Region:
  Dr Els Martens
  Nature Division, Ministry of the Flemish Community
  Koning Albert II-laan 20, B-1000 Brussels
  Tel.: +32 2 553 76 78,
  Fax: +32 2 553 76 85,
  E-mail: els.martens@lin.vlaanderen.be

• For the Brussels Capital Region:
  Dr Machteld Gryseels
  Green Spaces Division,
  Brussels Institute for Management of the Environment
  Gulledelle 100, B-1200 Brussels
  Tel.: +32 2 775 75 61,
  Fax: +32 2 775 76 79,
  E-mail: mgr@ibgebim.be

• For the Walloon Region:
  Ir Catherine Debruyne
  Direction de la Nature,
  Direction générale des Ressources naturelles et de l'Environnement
  Avenue Prince de Liège 15, B-5100 Jambes
  Tel.: +32 81 33 58 60,
  Fax: +32 81 33 58 22,
  E-mail: c.debruyne@mrw.wallonie.be

For more information on the political situation in Belgium and the distribution of competences, we refer to the Second National Report of Belgium to the CBD as well as to the reports and documents annexed to Box II.

Procedure for the preparation of the report

• 26.07.2004: notification 2004-060 of the CBD Executive Secretary on the Third National Reports was forwarded by email to the Belgian Regional Focal Points to the CBD and the federal Ministries of Environment and Foreign Affairs.
• 14.09.2004: a letter referring to the preparation of the Third National Report was sent out to key biodiversity actors within Belgian administrations.
• Begin February 2005: the Third National Report questionnaire was subdivided into thematic parts and articles, completed as much as possible by the CBD-NFP with information from the Second Na-tional Report and thematic reports, and then sent out to the contact group 'National reporting', act-ing under the Steering Committee 'Biodiversity Convention', and some other stakeholders.
• The major part of the answers came in during February/March 2005, but many of them were delayed until June/July.
• 09.06.2005: a meeting of the contact group 'National reporting' was held to harmonise the answers and to address the remaining gaps.
• The Third National Report was submitted to the Coordinating Committee for International Environ-mental Policy and to the Steering Committee 'Biodiversity Convention' for approval on 01.08.2005. The Third National Report was approved on 19.08.2005.

Contributing experts:

• Anselin Anny, Institute of Nature Conservation (IN)
• Branquart Etienne, Research Centre for Nature, Forests and Wood / Belgian Biodiversity Platform (CRNFB / BBPF)
• Breyer Didier, Scientific Institute of Public Health (IPH)
• Cliquet An, Ghent University (UGent)
• Collin Claire, Federal Public Service for Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment
• de Koeijer Han, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS)
• De Schepper Carl, Ministry of the Flemish Community
• Debruyne Catherine, Ministry of the Walloon Region
• Dedeurwaerdere Tom, Catholic University of Louvain (UCL)
• Demolder Heidi, Institute of Nature Conservation (IN)
• Desmeth Philippe, Belgian Science Policy
• D'Hondt Ingrid, Federal Public Service for Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment
• Dumortier Myriam, Institute of Nature Conservation (IN)
• Faveyts Wouter, Ministry of the Flemish Community
• Flandroy Lucette, Federal Public Service for Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment
• Franklin Anne, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS)
• Gryseels Machteld, Brussels Institute for Management of the Environment (IBGE-BIM)
• Hens Luc, Free University of Brussels (VUB)
• Hollebosch Patrick, Belgian Development Cooperation
• Jacquemart Anne-Laure, Catholic University of Louvain (UCL)
• Jacques de Dixmude Arnold, Belgian Development Cooperation
• Kerckhof Francis, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences / Management Unit of the North Sea Mathematical Models (RBINS / MUMM)
• Kyramarios Michael, Federal Public Service for Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment- Laurent Christian, Ministry of the Walloon Region
• Martens Els, Ministry of the Flemish Community
• Massart Serge, Ministry of the Walloon Region
• Neven Hendrik, Ministry of the Flemish Community
• Peeters Marc, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS)
• Rammeloo Jan, National Botanic Garden of Belgium (NBGB)
• Robbrecht Elmar, National Botanic Garden of Belgium (NBGB)
• Samyn Yves, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS)
• Schlesser Marianne, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS)
• Segers Hendrik, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences / Belgian Biodiversity Platform (RBINS / BBPF)
• Seys Jan, Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ)
• Smets Erik, Catholic University of Leuven (KULeuven)
• Sorgeloos Patrick, Ghent University (UGent)
• Rony Swennen, Catholic University of Leuven (KULeuven)
• Tack Jurgen, Institute of Nature Conservation / Belgian Biodiversity Platform (IN / BBPF)
• Van Bocxstaele Roland, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp
• Van Cotthem Willem, TC-Dialogue Foundation
• van der Werf Aline, Belgian Science Policy
• Van Goethem Jackie, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS)
• van Vessem Janine, Institute of Nature Conservation (IN)
• Van Wouwe Katrien, Federal Public Service Economy, SMEs, Self-employed and Energy
• Vanhecke Leo, National Botanic Garden of Belgium (NBGB)
• Verbeken Mieke, Ghent University (UGent)
• Verbeylen Goedele, Institute for Forestry and Game Management (IBW)
• Verwimp Nico, Ministry of the Flemish Community
• Wittoeck Peter, Federal Public Service for Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment