Participants
Vlaamse overheid Departement Leefmilieu, Natuur en energie (FG - ENED)
Flemish Government, Environment, Nature and Energy Department
FG-ENED, the Flemish Government, Environment, Nature and Energy Department, is part of the Environment and Infrastructure Department and works for the Government of Flanders (Belgium) in general and for the Minister of the Government of Flanders for Environment in particular. The Minister for Environment also depends on a number of Flemish Public Agencies, e.g. Flemish Land Agency (VLM), Flemish Environmental Agency (VMM), Flemish Public Waste Agency (OVAM), and the Water Supply Agency for Flanders (VMW). There are also two scientific institutes with which DENE collaborates: The Institute for Nature Conservation (IN) and The Institute for Forestry and Game Management (IBW).
The decree containing the general provisions relating to environmental policy lays down the three objectives of the Flemish environmental policy: the management of the environment, its protection, and the conservation of nature and the promotion of biological and landscape diversity. This places the environmental policy firmly in the context of sustainable development. In this context, it is concerned particularly with preventive care, preventive action, a preference for the source-oriented combating of environmental pollution, the stand-still principle, and the principle that "the polluter pays".
Within the policy area related to the Environment, research is funded by several funds. In order to co-ordinate the many different subjects, funds and clients, a physical programme, Applied Scientific Research into the Environment (TWOL), is drawn up every year by the Research Co-ordinator of FG-ENED, with the support of the fellow co-ordinators at the departments of FG-ENED, the Agencies and the Institutes. This aims to achieve the co-ordination between the research projects carried out by the various institutions. Subjects for research which are considered include: air, water and soil pollution (including acid rain, fertilisers, the thinning of the ozone layer, particulate matter etc.); noise pollution, smells and light pollution; non-ionising radiation, groundwater management - including desertification; environmental planning; environmental law; environmental hygiene; external safety; environmental effect reports; studies carried out by laboratories involving more than just measurements and inventories; forests; hunting and fishing; green areas; forestry research. In addition, forestry surveys; the conservation of nature; land consolidation; land use; hydraulics; water management in agricultural land; soil pollution; the provision of drinking water; waste materials and the use of raw materials are also subjects of research.
Further information can be found on FG-ENED science and research homepage.