Implementing the european ias REGULATION on BELGIAN soil
COORDINATIN AND CONSISTENCY COME FIRST
In Belgium, the Federal Government and the Regions (Flanders, Wallonia, and the Brussels Capital Region) share a remit on the European Regulation on Invasive Alien Species (Regulation 1143/2014).
That only makes sense, given how invasive alien species are oblivious to administrative borders. What’s more, most of the Regulation’s provisions require some level of coordination to ensure consistency and legal certainty. Decisions rendered unilaterally by one of the participating partners would make implementation impossible.
For that reason, a cooperation agreement was established in June 2020. This agreement ensures the IAS Regulation’s coordinated implementation in Belgium and facilitates the crucial exchange of information between the parties involved. Click here to learn more about the cooperation agreement’s added value.
THREE BELGIAN ENTITIES FACILITATE THE IMPLEMENTATION
The cooperation agreement laid the groundwork for three new invasive alien species-related national entities – the National Scientific Secretariat, the National Scientific Council, and the National Committee.
- The National Committee on IAS includes representatives from the federal and regional administrations. It ensures that the parties can exchange information and defines Belgium’s positions on IAS-related issues. The Interministerial Conference for the Environment decides on the final Belgian position.
- The Scientific Council on IAS acts as an independent advisory body with scientific experts who provide the National Committee on IAS with advice.
- The National Scientific Secretariat on IAS streamlines the workflow between the different entities and provides the Scientific Council with support in responding to the National Committee’s IAS-related requests.