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Protected areas or areas where special measures need to be taken to conserve biological diversity - System of protected areas
| Release date | 15/02/2006 |
|---|
| 1. What is the relative priority afforded to development and implementation of a national system of protected areas in the context of other obligations arising from the Convention and COP Decisions? | |
| a) High | X |
| b) Medium | |
| c) Low | |
| 2. Is there a systematic planning process for development and implementation of a national system of protected areas? | |
| a) No | |
| b) in early stages of development | |
| c) in advanced stages of development | |
| d) yes, please provide copies of relevant documents describing the process | X |
Areas under international status. Sites designated under the Ramsar Convention process (Flanders, Wallonia, North Sea).
Areas under EU status. Special areas of conservation (pSCI) under the EU Habitats Directive, special protection areas (SPAs) under the EU Birds Directive. Both types of areas make up the Natura 2000 network:
- pSCI have been proposed for all three regions and for the North Sea (one site). A list of sites has been sent to the European Commission for adoption (on-going process, via the 'bio-geographic seminars' for the Atlantic and Continental regions). For marine areas, the draft list has not been completed yet at European level as common criteria for designation of sites in the marine area are still being developed.
- SPAs have been proposed only for Flanders and Wallonia. For the North Sea, a scientific study is on-going for the delimitation of three zones.
Areas under national status. Belgium's three regions each have their own process and procedures for the designation of protected areas. Protected marine areas are foreseen in the 1999 'Marien Milieu Marin' (MMM) law, but none has been established yet.
| 3. Is there an assessment of the extent to which the existing network of protected areas covers all areas that are identified as being important for the conservation of biological diversity? | |
| a) No | |
| b) an assessment is being planned for | |
| c) an assessment is being undertaken X | (on-going process) |
| d) yes, please provide copies of the assessments made | X (on-going process) |
Areas under EU status. Under the Natura 2000 process at EU level, the aim of bio-geographical seminars are to evaluate whether nationally designated areas are representative for the main species and habitats of European interest. Belgium takes part in the seminars for the Atlantic (Flanders, Brussels, Wallonia, North Sea) and Continental (Flanders, Wallonia) regions.
See the website of the Biodiversity Information Server of Wallonia for a
description of the methods used for the selection of sites in Wallonia: http://mrw.wallonie.be/dgrne/sibw/sites/Natura2000/methodo.html.
The information on the Natura 2000 sites in the Flemish region can be
consulted on the following websites:
http://www.mina.vlaanderen.be/wiedoetwat/aminal/taken/natuur/natura2000.htm
and http://www.natuur.be; moreover, the
maps and the site specific information can also be consulted on http://www.gisvlaanderen.be/geo-vlaanderen/natura2000.
Areas under national status. The assessment of the adequacy of the network of protected areas is an on-going process.
- Flanders: the 'Flemish Ecological Network' (VEN), still under development, aims to have a representativity of sites wherein management practices are oriented towards the conservation and development of high standard nature. Nature has the primary function in these sites, which also include nature and forest reserves. It is going to be supported by an 'integral, interweaving and supportive network' (IVON), composed of high-quality nature areas (where human activities such as agriculture, forestry, military operations and the extraction of drinking water are allowed on a controlled basis only), and of interconnecting and corridor areas. Besides other activities, nature is one of the functions in these sites. The first phase of the designation of the ecological network, for 87.000 ha (VEN), is now in procedure for final approval. Detailed information on the networks can be found on: http://www.ven-ivon.be/, http://www.natuur.be, and on the website of the Institute for Nature Conservation (http://www.instnat.be).
- Wallonia: the programme 'Inventory of Sites of Great Biological Value' (SGIB) in Wallonia aims to provide a scientific basis for the selection of sites to protect. The goal is to give all these SGIB a protection status. See the description on the Biodiversity Information Server of Wallonia: http://mrw.wallonie.be/dgrne/sibw/organisations/OFFH/progSGIB/home.html.
- Brussels Capital Region: in the framework of its 'green network', the region has carried out an inventory of its green spaces, with the view to categorize the sites in function of their biological value. Sites of 'high biological value' make the core of the urban ecological network. A description of the programme is found on the website of the Brussels Institute for the Management of the Environment: http://www.ibgebim.be/francais/contenu/content.asp?ref=855.