Due to the division of powers among different authorities in the environmental field, dialogue is vital. This is the only way to ensure that Belgium speaks with a single voice in the international arena.

The Coordination Committee for International Environmental Policy, or CCIEP, was set up in 1995 to meet this need. It is the result of a cooperation agreement on international environmental policy between the Federal State, the Flemish Region, the Walloon Region and the Brussels-Capital Region. CCIEP therefore regroups all relevant strategic bodies involved in environmental matters in Belgium. Daily management is ensured by the DG Environment of the FPS Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment.

Besides the preparation of Belgian positions, these partners also share other tasks by consensus. The organisation and the functioning of the CCIEP are defined in an internal regulation.

The CCIEP enables Belgium to put forward concerted views on environmental matters within numerous international organisations and bodies. The brochure "CCIEP: A unique voice on the international environment scene" summarises the functioning of the CCIEP.

The Coordination Committee for the International Environmental Policy (CCIEP) organizes twice a year a stakeholder’s dialogue ( SHD) with the different Belgian stakeholders. This SHD is the platform where the federal authority and the regions exchange with representatives of industries, NGO’s and labor organisations. The objective is to inform and to exchange with these stakeholders on priority European and multilateral dossiers on the occasion of every new European presidency (rotation every 6 months), as well as on certain dossiers high on the agenda.