Environmental issues have no borders. Hence,political measures to protect and conserve our environment can only be truly effective when taken at a supranational level. Prior technical and political consultation between the various authorities is essential due to the distribution of Belgian environmental competences. Only in this way can Belgium speak with one voice on the international stage. 
 
This is why the Coordination Committee for International Environmental Policy (CCIEP) was created in 1995. This committee is the result of a cooperation agreement between the Federal State, the Flemish Region, the Walloon Region and the Brussels-Capital Region concerning international environmental policy. 
  
The CCIEP is the most important political body for coordinating international environmental policy. It must ensure the coherence of the international position of the Belgian State and its components during international negotiations. In this way, Belgium is able to defend well-founded and coordinated points of view during negotiations on environmental issues within a number of European and international institutions and organisations. 
 
The CCIEP therefore brings together all the strategic bodies responsible for the environment in Belgium. Day-to-day management is provided by the DG Environment of the FPS Public Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment.

The brochure "CCIEP - One Unique Voice on the International Environmental Scene (.PDF)" provides a concise overview of the work of the Coordinating Committee for International Environmental Policy.