Regional and international cooperation

Release date	15/02/2006

17. Is your country collaborating/communicating with neighbouring countries in the establishment and/or management of transboundary protected areas?
a) No
b) yes (please provide details)	X

There are several transboundary projects. For example: Grensmaas-Maasland, Scheldt estuary, Kalmthoutse Heide-De Zoom, het Zwin, Stamprooierbroek (Flanders, the Netherlands), duinen en IJzervallei (Flanders-France), Hautes-Fagnes Eifel Natural Park (Wallonia, Germany), Scheldt Lowlands (Plaines de l'Escaut) Natural Park (Wallonia, France), Haute-Sûre Valley Ramsar transboundary site (Wallonia, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg).

Flanders: for the whole northern boundary of Flanders, a study was carried out to list all possible areas with transboundary natural areas and describe possible actions for cooperation. Development of cooperation programmes started in 2002. Similar studies will be carried out for the other regional border lines.

18. Are key protected areas professionals in your country members of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas, thereby helping to foster the sharing of information and experience?
a) No
b) yes	X
c) information is not available

Data as provided by IUCN WCPA database:

National NGOs:
- Centre permanent d'éducation à la conservation de la nature de Mariemont
- Koninklijke Maatschappij voor Dierkunde van Antwerpen
- Université de Liège
- Université Libre de Bruxelles
- World Wide Fund for Nature - Belgium

State:
- The Belgian Federal Science Policy Office

Government Agency with State Member
- Direction générale des Ressources naturelles et de l'Environnement, Ministère de la Région Wallonne
- Flemish Ministry of Environment: membership procedure in process.

19. Has your country provided information on its protected areas to the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre in order to allow for a scientific assessment of the status of the world's protected areas?
a) No
b) yes	X

Yes, but the data provided are out of date. Work is on-going to update the data through the European project 'Common Database of Designated Areas' (for more information on CDDA, see: http://nature.eionet.eu.int/activities/products/cdda).

20. If your country has protected areas or other sites recognized or designated under an international convention or programme (including regional conventions and programmes), please provide copies of reports submitted to those programmes or summaries of them.

Areas under international status: Ramsar Convention. See:

• http://www.ramsar.org/cop8_nrs_belgium1.pdf (2002)
• http://www.ramsar.org/cop8_nrs_belgium2.pdf (2002).

Areas under European status:

• Belgium has to report to the European Commission as regards the Natura 2000 network
• The Hautes-Fagnes nature reserve in Wallonia has been awarded the 'European Diploma' from the Council of Europe. This requires annual reporting on the state of the fauna and flora and any changes which have taken place.

21. Do you think that there are some activities on protected areas that your country has significant experience that will be of direct value to other Contracting Parties?
a) No
b) yes (please provide details)

(no answer given)