Belgium's IAS authorities
Nature conservation – that’s Belgium’s key focus in implementing the EU’s Regulation on Invasive Alien Species. And in Belgium, that remit is shared by the Federal and Regional authorities. For example, it covers border control, waterway management, and pet shop and garden centre inspections. This diversity of duties means that several authorities have been tasked with implementing the IAS Regulation in Belgium.
The Federal government enforces border controls (i.e. import, export, and transit, as well as derogation licenses). It also handles anything related to the North Sea (e.g. marine IAS).
The Regions’ mandate extends to national trade, species detention (including related derogation licenses), monitoring, and management:
- Flanders: Departement omgeving, luik Leefmilieu, Natuur en Energie / Agentschap voor Natuur en Bos
- Wallonia: Wallonie Service Public
- Brussels: Leefmilieu Brussel/Bruxelles environment
The Federal government, three language communities, and the regions officially entered a cooperation agreement in June 2020 to streamline the European IAS Regulation’s implementation.