4.4 Scientific knowledge

Assessment criterion:

• Scientific results (in particular on Interdisciplinary research on ecological, social and economic aspects of protected areas) disseminated and shared (e.g. to the clearing‑house mechanism).

• Scientific publications on ecological aspects of Natura 2000 sites have been published by each of the regions and the federal authority.  The Institutes for scientific research in the different regions and the NGO’s also publish on a regular basis reports on the evolution of nature reserves and management implications and on the status of nature, forests, water systems– information available on respective websites given below.

• Scientific information exchange and networking – via platform on biodiversity research: EBPRS – BE:

http://www.biodiversity.be

• The Belgian Clearing-House Mechanism for CBD handled by the National Focal Point at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural  Sciences provides an overall website for information on biodiversity aspects in Belgium and for indicating the links to regional and federal authorities as well as to NGO’s : http://www.bch-cbd.naturalsciences.be

As of May 2007, the new address of the website will be http://www.biodiv.be

• Flemish Region: 2-yearly Nature Reports NARA, 2-yearly environment reports MIRA, yearly update of nature indicators and publication of report on the EU Headline Indicators for Biodiversity

      http://www.natuurindicatoren.be;  http://www.nara.be

      http://www.mira.be

      http://www.natuurenbos.be

• Walloon Region: Etat de l’environnement wallon

       http://natura2000.wallonie.be/ ;

       http://mrw.wallonie.be/dgrne/sibw/sites/home.html ;

       http://environnement.wallonie.be/

• Brussels Region: Etat de l’Enviuronnement – Report 2004-2006 – To be published in 2007.

             http://www.ibgebim.be

• Federal marine area:  monitoring of ornithological importance of marine areas to prepare designation of Special Protection Areas (SPAs) took place by the MUMM (Management Unit of the North Sea Mathematical Models), reports and atlases on the North Sea area of Belgium

             http://www.mumm.ac.be

             http://www.VLIZ.be

             http://www.interregnorthsea.org  or www.euregioscheldemond.be