News

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:

On the 24^th of November, the Compendium for Coast and Sea 2015 was successfully presented at the Flemish Parliament in the presence of a.o. Mr. Carl Decaluwé, governor of the Province West Flanders, Mr. Eric Sleeckx, Advisor at the Office of the Flemish Minister for Economy and Innovation, and Bart Dumolyn, assistant to the director at the Department of Economy, Science and Innovation (EWI) of the Flemish Government.

The Guide on Funding Instruments for Marine Research and Innovation Projects has been launched on the VLIZ Young Marine Scientists' Day 2015 (20^th February). This publication (currently only available in Dutch) overviews the most relevant funding channels for marine research and innovation projects on a European, federal and Flemish level.

The new coalition agreement of the Federal Government (2014) was presented on Thursday 9 October 2014. This agreement stipulates major policy decisions for the next legislature. It also includes actions and measures affecting (marine) research and marine and maritime policy. An overview of some actions is given in the Dutch news section.

The new coalition agreement of the Flemish Government (2014-2019) was presented on Wednesday, July 23, 2014. This agreement stipulates major policy decisions for the next legislature. It also includes actions and measures affecting (marine) research and marine and coastal policy. An overview of some actions is given in the Dutch news section.

On April 4^th 2014, the law regarding the protection of underwater cultural heritage was adopted, followed by the adoption of the Royal Decree of April 25^th 2014. The texts of the thematic chapter ‘Maritime and coastal heritage’ and Chapter 3 ‘marine science – policy interface’ were therefore adapted based on the new rules of law.

Photo: research on 'De Kogge' (Flanders Heritage Agency)

The Compendium secretariat was manning an info desk at the Invasive Alien Species conference on April 1th in Ghent and on the 28th conference of the European Cetacean Society on April 7th in Liège.