2. Framework of biological diversity monitoring in Belgium

Belgium is a Federal State which consists of Communities and Regions. There are three Communities based on language - the Flemish Community, the French Community and the German-speaking Community, and three Regions - the Flemish Region, the Brussels Capital Region and the Walloon Region.

Environmental responsibilities are shared by the Federal Government and the Regions. The Regions are inter alia competent in the fields of nature and water management, land zoning and nature conservation, spatial planning and public works.

In this context, each Region has been developing its own biological diversity monitoring programme and there is little co-ordinated information or inventory available at national level. Most inventories are conducted in the frame of on-going research projects or at the request of regional governmental administrations or agencies.

In the case of agriculture, some indicators are compiled at national level by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and by the National Institute of Statistics. Research and nature conservation activities related to the North Sea are carried out at the Federal level by the Management Unit of the North Sea Mathematical Models and the Sea Fisheries Department , in cooperation with regional institutions.

For the reason evoked above, this report presents data on biological diversity indicators in Belgium at regional level rather than at national level.