Country information
Basic facts on marine waters
- Territorial sea (12 NM): 1 437 km²
- Exclusive Economic Zone: 2 017 km²
Technical resources related to MSP
Overview of MSP related maritime uses
Current main uses:
| Ammunition storage sites | Offshore renewable energy |
| Aquaculture | Ports |
| Cables and pipelines | Radars |
| Coastal protection | Scientific research |
| Fisheries | Shipping |
| Military | Tourism and leisure |
| Nature conservation | Underwater cultural heritage |
Which marine spatial plans exist?
Name of the plan (year) |
Royal Decree establishing a marine spatial plan, 20 March 2014 (2014) |
|---|---|
Scale of the plan |
National |
Pre-planning |
Status: Completed |
Assessments for planning |
Status: Completed |
Plan development
|
Status: Completed |
Plan completion
|
Status: Completed |
Plan approval
|
Status: Completed |
Plan implementation |
Status: Completed |
Plan review
|
Status: Completed |
Name of the plan (year) |
Royal Decree establishing the marine spatial planning for the period 2020 to 2026 in the Belgian sea-areas, 22 May 2019 (entry into force on 20 March 2020) (2020) |
|---|---|
Scale of the plan |
National |
Pre-planning |
Status: Completed |
Assessments for planning |
Status: Completed |
Plan development
|
Status: Completed |
Plan completion
|
Status: Completed |
Plan approval
|
Status: Completed |
Plan implementation |
Status: Underway |
Plan review
|
Status: N/A |
National authority in charge of MSP |
Minister of the North Sea (administrative authority: Marine Environment Service, FPS Health) |
Governmental funding |
Marine Environment Service |
External funding |
N/A |
Public-Private funding |
N/A |
Size of planning area |
3 454 km² |
Time required to complete the planning document |
Three years |
Main issues that led to the adoption of MSP (drivers) |
Renewable energy
Blue economy Nature protection |
Stakeholder engagement activities |
Stakeholder workshops; bilateral meetings; public consultation; etc. |
Sectors included in planning |
Offshore renewables; fisheries; nature conservation; sand extraction; cables and pipelines; blue economy; shipping; ports; military activities |
Articulation between MSP and coastal zone management |
Separate, coastal management is a competence of the regional level |
Articulation between MSP and marine protected areas |
Included, MPAs are established through the MSP |
Articulation between MSP and sustainable blue economy |
N/A |
Plan approval process |
Federal level |
Legal status of the plan (guiding or legally binding) |
Legally binding for all through Royal Decree |
Plan review process |
Every six years |
Performance monitoring and evaluation |
Yearly monitoring of the execution of the plan through a committee with all competent authorities |
Legal framework
The planning process at the national level has a legal basis in the Marine Environment Act, amended in 2012 to include the development of a MSP. Its name was also amended to “Act for the protection of marine environment and for the organization of maritime spatial planning in the maritime regions under the Belgian jurisdiction”. A Royal Decree of 20 November 2012 dictates the establishment of an advisory committee and the procedure for the adoption of an MSP in the Belgian maritime regions. The Royal Decree of 20 March 2014 adopts the MSP.
In the spring of 2017, the review process of the Belgian MSP for the period 2020-2026 kicked off with an informal consultation. The received reactions were transformed into a first draft of the new plan and the revision process entered into its formal phase in the same year. A pre-draft of the plan was presented to the advisory committee, a dedicated committee consisting of all competent Belgian federal and Flemish government services, in autumn 2017. Their comments and suggestions were included in an adapted version.
On 20 April 2018, the Council of Ministers adopted the pre-draft MSP (thus becoming a draft) and a large-scale formal consultation process was launched in July 2018. The public sent in around 150 different contributions as regards content and more than 40,000 contributions via petition letters and automatic emails. As part of the consultation process, a public hearing was organized and the neighboring and interested countries were contacted to provide their thoughts on the draft plan.
After studying the comments made by the public, other government services, the industry and NGO’s, the plan was finalized and signed on the 22nd of May 2019. The plan entered into force in spring 2020.
Currently the Marine Environment Act is under revision and will change the duration of the MSP from six to eight years. After adopting the new law, the Royal Decree regarding the procedure will be evaluated and reissued.
Contact
Federal Public Service
Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment – Marine Environment Service
Mr. Jesse Verhalle – Marine Attaché