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In March 2018, the FWO has signed an agreement with the São Paulo Science Foundation (FAPESP) on the funding of new research projects with a duration of three years open to fundamental research in all disciplines. Project proposals have to be submitted both at FWO by a research group from Flanders and at FAPESP by a research group from Brazil (State of São Paulo).

On Wednesday, February 1, 2018, the compendium secretariat organized its intermediate expert group meeting. At this intermediate process evaluation, the secretariat reported on the progress made within the Compendium 2018 trajectory and also brought new ideas to the table. With this new edition of the Compendium, the secretariat intends to focus even more on meeting the expectations of its target audience. This is done, among other things, by implementing a thorough refurbishment of the various publications and a refreshment of the Compendium house style.

Every year, in the framework of the Compendium for Coast and Sea, the compendium secretariat of VLIZ reports in the form of a policy-informing brief (PIB) on the current state of marine research in Flanders and Belgium.

At the naval base of the Port of Zeebrugge the long-awaited Long-Term Vision North Sea 2050 was presented. The goal was to produce a strong, widely supported vision for the future of our North Sea originating from a bottom-up approach and working closely with different stakeholder. In view of the general success of this process and the rapid developments taking place in the North Sea, a continuation of this trajectory is facilitated in a "ThinkTank North Sea" to support science based decision making.

At the initiative of the Secretary of State for North Sea (Philippe de Backer), stakeholders from different sectors (private sector, NGOs, local governments, knowledge centers, civil society, media and administrations) were gathered within the “North Sea Forum” to brainstorm and work towards a shared "North Sea 2050" vision text. The forum was subdivided into three working groups (Nature, Multiple Spatial Use and Blue Economy and Innovation), resulting in three independent reports. These reports were subsequently integrated into one coherent vision text to be included in the MSP 2020.

Eight months after the start of the North Sea Forum the final reports of the working groups are presented to Secretary of State for North Sea, Philippe de Backer. The reports pave the way towards an integrated ‘North Sea 2050’ vision. The stakeholders are very pleased with the constructive atmosphere and ambitious goals envisioned for our North Sea. 

In the autumn of 2018 a new version of the Compendium for Coast and Sea will be launched. In view of this next version, the Compendium Secretariat organized the first Expert Group Meeting (EG) of the new preparation process on the 24^th of May. The EG, which is responsible for the strategic follow-up of the process and the quality assurance of end products, is expanding with some newly represented organizations (overview members) related to the extension of the renewed VLIZ mandate.

On June 2^nd 2016, the new policy statement from the Secretary of State for Combating social fraud , Privacy and North Sea, Philippe De Backer, was published. The policy statement can be downloaded here.

The Secretary of State will implement a.o. the following issues during his term: