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    The advantages of the law

    How does this law represent an advance on Federal Belgian law? It has three obvious advantages: the assessment of the effects in overall terms, the inclusion of environmental...
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    The field of application of the law

       Plans and programmesWhich documents will be subject to the law of 13 February 2006 (.PDF)? In other words, which types of plan and programme will need to be assessed and entail...
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    Advisory committee

    In order to find out whether the implementation of its plan or programme will have effects on the environment, the preparing authority submits it to the advisory committee. After...
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    Environmental report

    This is the main new contribution of the law of 13 February 2006 (.PDF): a report on the environmental effects of the draft plan or programme must be compiled. This report is...
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    Public participation

    This is one of the very important stages of the law. During the assessment, public consultation is organised about the draft plan or programme as well as about the environmental...
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    After the consultation

    All of this information is analysed by the competent authorities, which take a decision and follow up on it. In particular, they will issue a declaration summarising the way in...
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    Fish to be protected

    More than 140 fish species occur in the Belgian part of the North Sea. These constitute an important natural resource. Many fish species - such as plaice and sole - are therefore...
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    Our sea in a nutshell

    The Belgian part of the North Sea is about as big as an average Belgian province (3,454 km2). It covers about 0,5% of the total area of the North Sea and includes the territorial...
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    A world on and under the water

    The Belgian part of the North Sea is a shallow sea with a depth between 20 and 45 meters. Under the water surface, our sea can best be compared to a gently rolling landscape with...
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    Biodiversity of the North Sea

    BIODIVERSITY OF THE NORTH SEA The North Sea is home to a rich biodiversity. It is teeming with life: from sea anemones and seahorses through cod and porpoises to seals and many...