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SOCIAL ASPECTS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN BELGIUM

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• Poverty
• Demographics
• Health
• Education
• Human Settlements

POVERTY

Decision-Making: Coordinating Bodies  

No information is available

Decision-Making: Strategies, Policies and Plans  

Policies for minimum allowances are a Federal competence, while the Regions are responsible for many policy issues related to poverty such as education, housing, culture and welfare, all of them important parts of employment policy. In order to allow for a coordinated poverty policy, the ministers responsible for poverty at the Federal and Regional levels, meet several times a year to decide on policy proposals concerning poverty. Poverty policy in Belgium is developed in close cooperation with the poor themselves, and relies on a combination of improvement of the income position and abolishment of social discrimination in different sectors.

No information is available

Status   

In Belgium 6% of the population is poor. This percentage was calculated according to the usual European Union (EU) norms, indicating that 6% of households do not have half the average income at their disposal. This figure is low from a European perspective. It is mainly due to the system of Social Security that exists in Belgium, insuring employees and their families for unemployment, sickness, and retirement. There is a system of social assistance for those who cannot work or cannot work long enough that guarantees a minimum income fixed by law and, in case of dispute, is settled in labour court.

Last year a variety of measures was taken and implemented. A law was passed allowing for debts to be centralized with one particular judge who can impose a plan for debt relief and who can cancel debts. In several Regions, laws were passed to guarantee a minimum provision of electricity, gas, and water in case of payment difficulties. Measures were taken to stimulate social employment. Measures were also elaborated to better protect people in case of eviction procedures for non-payment of their rent. In addition, negotiations are being conducted on several proposals to improve the access of the poorest to public health and the administration of law.

No information is available

Financing  

Within each Region, considerable budgets were freed in order to cope with social discrimination in cities.

Cooperation

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This information was provided by the Government of Belgium to the fifth session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. Last Update: April 1997.

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DEMOGRAPHICS

Decision-Making: Coordinating Bodies    

No information is available

Decision-Making: Strategies, Policies and Plans  

Belgium does not have explicit and integrated population policies. However, many policy measures, especially within the framework of social security and family policy, have direct and indirect repercussions on demographic dynamics. In general, policies for welfare, family, health, education, environment, immigration, data collection, research, and development aid are largely in accordance with the recommendation of the three international conferences on population. The decline in the immigration rate is largely due to restrictive measures taken within the framework of immigration legislation.

No information is available

Cooperation  

Belgium is an active member of the Commission on Population and Development which is responsible for the follow-up of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) held in Cairo, September 1994. At its annual meetings, the country is represented by the Head of the Population and Family Study Centre (CBGS Centrum voor Bevolkings- en Gezinsstudie) or his replacement.

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This information was provided by the Government of Belgium to the fifth session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. Last Update: April 1997.

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HEALTH

Decision-Making: Coordinating Bodies    

Belgium consists of three language communities : the French Community, the Flemish Community and the German-speaking Community. The Communities are responsible for the policy of care in and outside hospitals, except for the responsibilities of the Federal Government. The Communities are also responsible for health education and promotion, as well as for preventive medicine (except National measures of profylaxis). The Communities are specifically responsible for: the application of agreement and program standards; subsidization; preventive medicine (AIDS, alcoholism, vaccinations, etc.); frontline care; inspections; sport and school medical controls; and follow-up programmes for little children. The responsibilities of the Federal Government are: organic legislation; financial requirements of organic legislation; National health insurance; the base rules for program standards, financing infrastructure, and expensive medical equipment; National agreement standards, only where there are repercussion on financial requirements, health insurance, and the base rules; and fixing conditions in university hospitals.

Decision-Making: Legislation and Regulations 

Recently, the Directorate of Medical Practice has proposed several important new laws, such as the law on blood and the law on physiotherapy.

No information is available

Decision-Making: Major Groups Involvement   

The creation of special structures to promote the dialogue between hospital managers, doctors and insurers brings another challenge of harmonizing policies of health insurance with the policies of the Ministry of Social Affairs, Public Health and the Environment. In addition, these policies should benefit from a more efficient use of available data.

Programmes and Projects   

Several important projects are being developed and should be implemented in the years to come, such as the High Council for Dental Care, the management of available medical services, and the evaluation of medical practice. The Directorate of Medical Practice also has the task of examining the important question of bio-ethics. Norms for the accreditation of emergency services (Medical Emergency Services) and intensive care units will be developed. Furthermore, the law relating to the Emergency Service 100 has been modified to create provincial schools for ambulance paramedics. The policy for emergency services is supported by the National Council for Emergency Services and by the future Provincial Councils, which are currently under development.

Status   

The policies for institutional care are undergoing a dynamic evolution. Over the past ten years different major reforms have been aimed at reducing the supply of hospital services (that is the number of beds and hospitalization days) in favour of alternative and better adapted forms of health care, especially for chronic patients. These reforms have been implemented at the same time in acute hospitals, institutions for ongoing care or chronic hospitals, and in psychiatric hospitals. However, modifying hospital structures was not enough and the financing system is also being revised, although this onerous task is far from complete. The financing system which took into account hospitalization days has been replaced by a system of budgets per hospital. The former budget was based solely on structural elements. This has gradually given way to an adapted budget based on structural elements as well as on activity-related data. The implementation of this financing system required the installation of various databases, such as the registration of minimum nursing data, minimum clinical data, and minimum psychiatric data. At this time, the question of including social data is being considered. The registration of these data would not only be useful for fine tuning budgets, but would eventually lead to better management and improved health care practice.

The regulations for general practitioners have undergone important modifications. In addition, new professions have been created such as emergency specialists and intensive care specialists. The art of nursing has not been neglected, with new titles and special professional qualifications created. A permanent evaluation of the number of doctors and dentists needed in relation to demographic and sociological developments has been planned since 1996. Rules concerning the evaluation of medical practice can be determined.

The Belgian health care system can be subdivided into: a) general hospitals: general hospitals, general hospitals with a university character, university hospitals, exclusively geriatric hospitals, and specialized hospitals; b) psychiatric hospitals; c) rest homes and homes for the elderly; and d) psychiatric rest homes and protected living systems. As of January 1, 1993, the number of official hospital beds was 75,360. This means that there are 7.43 beds for every 1,000 inhabitants: 5.75 in general hospitals and 1.68 in psychiatric hospitals.

No information is available

Financing  

The overall National hospital budget was Bfr 144.88 billion in 1977. Almost the entire budget for Belgian bilateral cooperation concerning population is comprised of programmes for primary health care in general, and for maternal and infant health care in particular. 

Cooperation  

The Belgian contribution to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) was Bfr 75 million (US$ 2.3 million) in 1993.

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This information was provided by the Government of Belgium to the fifth session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. Last Update: April 1997.

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EDUCATION

Decision-Making: Coordinating Bodies    

The Flemish, French, and Germanic Communities are responsible for education at all levels, professional training, and scientific research. The Flemish authorities primarily involved are the Ministry of the Environment (VMM), the Ministry of Education, and scientific institutions. Provincial authorities as well as municipalities often develop various kinds of environmental education initiatives. Unfortunately, at this time, there is no systematic information exchange between the various regions and communities on sustainable development experiences. A significant number of NGOs participate in the consultation and practice of environmental education. The Flemish Educational Forestry Centre, for example, is a non-profit organisation collaborating with the Flemish Forests and Green Spaces Division (AMINAL) concerning the educational aspects of forestry.

A working group on education and Agenda 21, active in the Flemish Region, has been investigating how the recommendations of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) should be implemented in the Flemish Region and Community. The working group attempts to network and develop partnerships with various target groups. The report of the working group, composed of representatives of various interested departments of the Flemish Community, indicates that an important task for the Government and for the administration lies in stimulating and actively supporting environmental education within education as a whole. This should be accomplished by disseminating environmental information, providing advice, recycling, supporting in-service training programmes for teachers, and producing and making available reading materials.

Creating a network of Centers for Environmental Education run by different authorities and private organizations, new working models, and an interdisciplinary approach in schools should be promoted.

No information is available

Decision-Making: Strategies, Policies and Plans  

Given the structure of modern Belgium, there is no such thing as a National Belgian strategy or plan on education and sustainability. The "environment" is to a large extent a matter for which the regions are responsible. In Flanders there is an Environmental Policy Plan 2 with the following provisions: a) Action 60: to hold an information and sensitization campaign to reduce the use of water-harmful products; b) Action 63: to hold an information and sensitization campaign to stimulate rational water management (promotion of the use of rainwater, and of water-efficient apparatus); c) Initiative 146: to develop a nature and environment educative network and to strengthen its content; and d) Action 166: to make a 'sustainable development' scenario for local authorities (developing cooperation between local authorities and NGOs).

As far as energy-saving measures in the household sector are concerned, the recent Draft C0₂ / REG Policy Plan for the Flemish Region attaches importance to information for the public including energy advice. In addition to anticipated media campaigns, the draft plan also lists energy officials, energy offices and the energy-information system "BBT-EMIS" which can be reached on the INTERNET as sources of information.

Decision-Making: Major Groups Involvement   

The principle of good management, including government transparency, is put into practice through, for instance, public hearings and implementation of the Plan for the Environment Policy 1997-2001. The environment division of regional development companies provide environmental information to business.

Programmes and Projects   

All Flemish provinces have nature and environment centres and run environmental campaigns. The Provincial Institute for Environmental Education of Antwerp, for example, has held an exhibition on the wise use of water. About 10,000 pupils from secondary schools visited this centre during 1997. This Institute has educational nature gardens, and excursions to nature reserves and sewage plants are organised. The Flemish municipalities and inter-municipal organizations also take an active part in environmental projects, mostly concerned with nature protection and domestic wastes. Environmental and consumer organizations inform the public about ecologically sound products. Socio-cultural associations and trade unions inform members of their organisations.

In 1995, OVAM supported the Eco-Team Programme in three pilot municipalities. Each Eco-Team involves about ten households willing to try and achieve a more sustainable way of living over a period of about seven months. The households use a manual, and the help and guidance of an Eco-Team guide. It is hoped that the example of these households will help and inspire other families. VMM works with youth organizations at the local level. Every year, 2,100,000 brochures are sent to all households that have to pay a tax on water pollution. In this leaflet, suggestions on consuming and polluting less water are made.

In 1998, there will be a campaign of water management for families. For this project, AMINAL, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), and the Bound of Young and Great Families will be working together, first with several hundred families, and subsequently with all member families (more than 200,000).

Under the Environment Encounter Programme (MOP), a programme of the King Boudewijn Foundation in cooperation with VMM, OVAM, and the Flemish Land Agency (VLM) for1996-1997/1998-1999, schools and the local communities collaborate to organize links between school classes, environment organizations, and companies to have experiences in the field about nature, environment, environmental problems, etc. Two-thirds of municipalities participated in 1996-1997.

Status   

An investigation shows that accessibility of education for the poor in Belgium is still the same as forty years ago. The majority of the poor pursue education to the first degree of secondary education.

Challenges  

According to the report a working group on education and Agenda 21 active in the Flemish Region, the difficulties encountered while attempting to introduce environmental education in primary and secondary schools include the lack of time as a consequence of an overloaded curriculum and the general use of the timetable system (in secondary schools). Both these elements are a hindrance to the promotion of effective environmental education in schools, which should be the subject for interdisciplinary projects.

Capacity-building, Education, Training and Awareness-raising   

There are a large number of initiatives which respond to the present need for environmental education within the education system. One example is the multi-media educational package on air and water put together for all educational levels in primary and secondary schools by the information department of VMM. Separate publications have been prepared for each education level, with books for both pupils and teachers. This can be used to support all subjects, such as biology and other science subjects, and social education, where environmental education may arise. Such packages, containing 5 kg of materials, have been sent to the heads of the 2,600 Flemish primary schools. Public libraries, environmental education centres, the press, and the main environmental organizations also received a pack. The introductory pack was provided free of charge. Additional materials could be ordered at a subsidized price.

Pre-school children and first year primary school pupils have the colourful children's books "Floepje en het water" ("Floepje and the water") and "Floepje en de lucht" ("Floepje and the air"). Floepje is the star of the educational pack. He can fly and swim, and needs pure air and clean water to live. In "Floepje and the water," Floepje leaves his clear pond in the wood and with his friend Sloompje the snail travels to the human world. The polluted water makes him ill. Lien and Bert find him and take him to Lien's father, who takes care of him. Lien's father explains how the water gets polluted and what can be done about it.

In "Floepje and the air," Floepje finds himself in a cloud of smoke and bumps into a chimney. Once again he is taken care of at Lien's house. Lien's father explains how the air gets polluted and what we can be done about it. Floepje goes to school with Lien and Bert and persuades their classmates that they should do their very best to protect the environment. As first editions, 60,000 copies of both books have been printed. The handbook "Floepje en de leerkracht" ("Floepje and the teacher") is intended for teachers for pre-school children and the first level of primary school (children aged 5 to 7). This book deals with the themes of water and air together. There is a discussion of both children's books as well as suggestions for activities with the pupils.

"Waterige bladen" ("Water sheets") and "Luchtige bladen" ("Air sheets") are intended for second and third year primary school pupils. There are also teacher handbooks. "Water sheets" for the second level of primary school pupils lists the different types of water (drinking water, rainwater, salt water, freshwater, etc.), the different forms in which water occurs (ice, snow, rain, fog, etc.), and discusses the various water uses. Children learn where tap water comes from, and how water from watercourses gets polluted, and how it can be restored. The self-cleaning ability of water is explained.

"Water sheets" for the third level of primary school pupils have more or less the same central themes, but these are developed in a different way. Life in salt water and freshwater, the food chain, and the accumulation of toxic material are all discussed. The different uses of water and the distribution of drinking water (from water collection to the home) are explained. The pupils work out how much water they use a day and why and how they pollute water. The principle of environmental taxes is explained. Other topics covered include the self-cleaning ability of water and how sewage treatment plants operate. Different polluters are identified and an action plan is drawn up. Finally, the sheets contain a word game. The teaching material for the pupils contains a list of tips on how to save the environment. The teacher handbooks contain additional information, the answers to the questions in the children's books, and a list of useful books and addresses. For first editions, 30,000 copies of the teaching material for pupils and 15,000 copies of the teaching material for teachers have been printed.

The self-cleaning ability of water is examined in detail in the brochure entitled "Water Treatment at Planckendael Zoo". The brochure forms part of an educational project concerning the small-scale water treatment plant on the Planckendael site. This plant was brought into use last autumn. Fifty-thousand copies of the Planckendael brochure have been printed. The classroom can be brightened with two posters: "Floepje and the water" and "Floepje and the air". Fifteen-thousand copies of each poster have been printed. In the posters, Flopeje is surrounded by things that are "good" and "bad" for the environment to encourage the pupils to discuss the pictures.

Two environmental games have also been produced: "Floepjes domino" ("Floepje's dominoes") for children aged 5 and over, and "Floepjes regenboog" ("Floepje's rainbow") for children aged 10 and over. Both games teach children how to make a distinction between behaviour that is good and behaviour that is bad for the environment. Initially, 10,000 copies have been printed. Both of the children's books 'Floepje and the water" and "Floepje and the air" have also been transformed into video and is broadcast on television (BRTN). A series of tips on how to save water and air have also been filmed. The video "Frans en Els sparen water" ("Frans and Els save water") has been made for pupils of second and third level of primary school. The video shows how we all waste and pollute water and how we can do something about it. The pack is completed with a Floepje puppet. In this way the teacher can bring the little animal to life for the children and it helps to explain what is in the books and teaching material. Six-thousand five-hundred puppets have been made for schools. A further 4,000 Floepje cuddly toys have also been made. In order to encourage interactivity, a competition has been organized. Classes have been asked to work on a creative group project (collage, painting, structure, etc.) on the theme of water pollution and/or air pollution and/or the prevention of pollution. The best projects receive a prize. A competition has also been organized for children who wish to take part individually. Newspapers that have a children's column or pull-out section have been asked to get involved in this initiative and a few important papers have cooperated. As a result of publicity in one paper (Het Volk), 6,000 people ordered the books "Floepje and the water" and "Floepje and the air".

Educational material is also available for the various grades in secondary schools. Teaching material about water and air, and posters will be published for pupils of the first, second, and third level of secondary schools and their teachers. "Floepje's rainbow", which is used with pupils of the third degree of primary school (age 10-12), is still fun for first and second year pupils. "Els and Frans save water" is not only suitable for use with second and third degree of primary school, but also for the first years of secondary schools.

An awareness campaign on waste prevention, involving aspects related to sustainability and consumption patterns, is planned for 1998. The campaign will reach citizens through four advertisements in a variety of newspapers, placards and bills, and radio spots. It will be strengthened and intensified by the distribution of material for municipalities, such as a special manual. The campaign, organised by the Flemish Public Waste Agency (OVAM), wants to accustom citizens to the concept of waste prevention through the medium of simple and familiar tips (for example, avoid using plastic bags, buy fruit and vegetables without packaging, use a bread bin, etc.). Partnerships among the various actors involved in waste management are important to the success of this campaign.

OVAM also targets school children with the "Be Smart, Avoid Waste" material (folder, binder, poster) and with a waste prevention game. The educational game consists of a package (or kit) for the first, second and third year of the lower grades (ages 6 to 8), a package for the fourth, fifth and sixth year of the lower grades (ages 9 to 11), a package for the first, second and third year of the higher grades (ages 12 to 14), and a package for the fourth, fifth and sixth year of the higher grades (ages 15 to 17). The four packages share a common methodology, orientated to the specific interests of the various age groups. The educational game consists of three instruments meant to be offered to the schools inside an "OVAM waste prevention box." The confrontation game tries to make people see that everyone is a waste producer; that there is such a thing as waste prevention; and that waste prevention is of tantamount importance. The children or youths are confronted with statistics about waste production; and they are invited to think deeply about the various types of waste and their respective fates. The waste bin quiz invites children or youth to think about their own waste production and their own attitudes. The quiz involves listening to fragments from life stories and also trying to guess which garbage bag belongs to which character. In the "let's make a deal" game, children and youth are encouraged to think about ways and means of diminishing waste production for their own group (such as a class). They propose concrete measures, draw up agreements, and strike deals. OVAM has used all these elements to develop an INTERNET game, aimed at convincing the user of the necessity of waste prevention and at assisting him with useful tips and advice. The starting point is a game in which various links are made to information and means. The information already available on the OVAM website serves a complementary role vis-à-vis the new game methodology. The user is invited to guess, through the medium of a playful quiz, which person or family produces which type of waste. A link is made between life style and domestic waste. As soon as the user gives correct answers he is "rewarded" with access to tips and useful suggestions.

In the French Community, tools have been developed to introduce concepts required to understand the physical and socioeconomic aspects of environmental problems. For instance, educational files for the teachers of the final years of primary education have been developed around various topics connected to environmental protection. These files contain cards which develop constructive actions, in a multi-disciplinary framework, to inform, sensitize, and provoke reflection and a more responsible attitude in young pupils towards their environment.

Several schools in the Germanic Community have set up so-called "Zukunftwerkstätten" (future-workshops). Here, pedagogy and techniques are employed in the strict sense of sustainable development, for example by working out an Eco-audit, or waste- and energy-balance sheets, etc. Broad environmental education is practiced in all primary and secondary schools in the Germanic Community.

One school, l'Institut Robert Schuman d'Eupen, is distinguished by its numerous initiatives related to sustainable development. It is the largest school of the Germanic Community with 800 pupils. For several years, substantial efforts have taken place to integrate the idea of eco-consumption into the management of the Institute. Beyond regular information and awareness campaigns, the school has established an environmental audit. To achieve more sustainable water consumption, the Institute emphasizes the rational use of water, has a management plan for water circulation, and an information campaign on the use of recycled paper. The Institute is also a pilot school and is often given as an example to other Belgian regions and other countries. In fact, the diverse activities are frequently completed in partnership with schools in Europe, Africa, and America. This beacon experience has a positive influence on other schools in the Germanic region.

In the Flemish, the French and the Germanic Communities, school curricula are being revised at all levels to incorporate environmental issues. Environmental health, safe drinking water, sanitation, food, ecosystems, recycling, and energy savings are issues covered at all levels of the school curricula. The "eindtermen" ("final terms" means something like the normal extent and degree of knowledge students can be expected to possess) with regard to primary education already contain a section about the environment, in which pupils are tested on their knowledge about waste, recycling, prevention, etc. The pupils of the primary school learn about the environment and sustainable development in the lessons on 'World Orientation'. In these lessons, sometimes in projects, several other ecological and social subjects are integrated with the subject of environment. A similar system is prepared for secondary education. For the first grade of secondary education (2 years) 'final terms' and 'development targets' have been introduced from September 1998. The 'development targets' are only for vocational training. Even the 'final terms' as the 'development targets' are 'subject-bound' or 'subject-exceeding'. One of the five 'subject-exceeding final terms and development targets' is Environmental Education.

The schools have to make a school curriculum so that the 'subject-exceeding final terms' or the 'development targets', including those for Environmental Education, are reached.

The second environmental covenant between the Flemish Region and its municipalities (1997-1999) obliges each municipality to sensitize the population in order to prevent domestic waste and to organise the selective collection of these wastes. The municipalities regularly informs the public about these initiatives, the results of collections, and the processing methods. The calling in of "compost masters" to stimulate home composting, is also covered in this covenant.

Specific training, for example, concerning the rational use of energy for energy managers and agents in the building and construction sector, has been organized in Wallonia and Flanders. The Centers for Environmental Education in Flanders also provide workshops and symposia for professionals on ecological themes, such as, small-scale wastewater treatment. Under an agreement between the Ministries of Education and Environment, teachers are sent on secondment to these Centers. From 1995 to 1997, 12 teachers worked on environment education in two Centers and in the central board of the Department of Environment. In 1997, around 30,000 students took part in environmental activities at the two centers. From the beginning of 1998, there will be 21 teachers employed in environmental education, all seconded from the Department of Education. Networking inside Flanders and across the borders is getting increasing attention from several actors in the field of environmental education.

Information   

A summary of the annual reports on the quality of surface water and discharges of waste water will be published every year for secondary school teachers. Twenty-thousand copies of these summaries are printed and distributed to all secondary schools. It is also distributed outside the school system to, for example, local environmental organizations and companies who find it a source of interesting information. The same action is taken for the summary of the annual reports on air quality and emissions. Fifty-thousand copies of the brochure summarizing the Flanders Environment and Nature Report were distributed in 1995. These brochures have been used by teachers and pupils in secondary and higher education.

The Flemish Minister for Education has created a yearly compilation of the most valuable initiatives entitled "Dynamo" in order to coordinate and filter the huge amount of initiatives public and private organizations offer to the schools. One major part gives an overview of a number of the most interesting environmental projects to which schools can subscribe. The "Green School Project" stands for a system of environmental care inside the school as a whole, regarding subjects such as waste management, water pollution, energy, paper saving, and green areas. This project has been developed by the Free University of Brussels for the Flemish Ministry for the Environment and is now being implemented within a larger number of secondary schools after a testing period in a small number of pilot schools. The Ministry has now seconded two teachers to promote the project in schools (today, more than 160 schools are working on the project).

Collaboration and training should increase the degree of professionalism in environmental education, which is, in practice, a voluntary occupation in many cases. For the same reason, scientific research should define profiles of environmental educators, so that specific needs can be answered by modular concept courses which are being developed.

The Federal State and, to a larger extent, the Regions, have a number of initiatives to inform the general public on environmental issues. In the area of energy use and climate change, for instance, a first campaign on the greenhouse effect and possible mitigation measures was set up by the environment administration of the Federal Government. This following the development of the Belgian National Programme for the reduction of carbon dioxide (C0₂) emissions. Since 1979, AMINAL has organized a 'Week of the Forest' each year on a certain theme. In 1997, the theme was "the forest works." The year before the theme was 'forest-friendly working'. Previously, the main attention was focussed on biodiversity issues. A demonstration of the whole cycle of the work in the forest (planting, cleaning, thinning, etc.) was organized for the general public with considerable success (about 10,000 visitors). Schools and the public are informed via educational kits, leaflets, and the media. Other instruments used include audiovisual means, learning paths, visitor centres, information days, papers, periodicals, posters, radio, and television.

The Wallonian Region published a number of information files aimed both at secondary education and the general public in the period after the Rio Conference. The brochures, "Effet de serre et changement climatique" and "l'Ozone, un bien précieux et fragile (Ozone stratosphérique)", are currently being revised and will be published again in 1997. In both Flanders and Wallonia, a number of actions are directed at informing the general public in the area of rational energy use. . In order to disseminate environmental information, a large official Flemish Internet-site offers a wide range of both static information and on-line data. Among the range of instruments to inform individuals on energy saving in Wallonia are television and radio spots, a system of 13 energy offices distributed across the Region, and the publication of energy guides and brochures. For Wallonia, environment information can be acquired from a Regional INTERNET site.

A number of measures to raise public awareness on sustainable consumption and production patterns have been initiated. L'Organisation pour la Protection du Consommateur de l'Est de la Belgique Asbl was created in 1991 and represents 29 members. The aims of the Organization are to provide objective and independent information and advise on the problems of consumption; intervene with authorities and commercial firms in order to defend the rights and interests of consumers; and safeguard the rights of consumers and participate in the protection of their interests. In this task, the emphasis is on environmental protection and the social implication of products. The Organization acts exclusively in the interest of consumers. L'Euro-guichet consommateurs (Verbraucherschutz ohne Grenzen-Consument zonder grenzen) works with the Verbraucher-Zentrale de Rhénanie du Nord-Westphalie (Germany) and l'organisation Planpraktijk (Netherlands) as a European consumer information service with the following objectives: to make the market uniquely accessible to consumers; to foresee difficulties arising from new ventures; to provide legal information (applicable rights, legal responsibilities, legal aid, etc.); and conciliatory regulation of transfrontier litigation. The campaign of the environmental protection association Die Raupe-La Chenille Asbl in cooperation with the Walloon Ministry of the Environment and the Germanic Community Government repeats the recycling movement and eco-consumption in all Germanic schools of the region. It is based on establishing and managing "mini parks of containers" to allow the selective recycling of waste in schools; regular awareness raising on the problems associated with waste for the maximum number of students; continuous evaluation of results; and collaboration with all partners involved in waste management (communities, ministries). Clean Technology Information Days are organized by the Germanic Community in collaboration with the Business Union of Walloon (UWE).

More specialized target groups are reached through the INTERNET and more traditional carriers of information. Engineers, technicians, and municipal representatives can apply techniques from the two elaborate and practical guides concerning Ecological Engineering, developed by the Environment Administration in search of ecological methods for building and managing roads and waterways.

No information is available

Cooperation  

The Agency for European Programmes supports many activities aimed at concrete collaboration with schools in France, Germany, Spain, Burkina Faso, Canada (Quebec), and Mexico. Regular contact exists with the European Environmental Agency.

Flanders maintains close and amicable relations with a great number of friendly countries and regions. Flanders, as represented by AMINAL, collaborates with the World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC), the think tank of the World Conservation Union (IUCN). VMM represents Belgium on the Green Spider Network. The Department of Education reports currently to the European Commission DG 11, and also to the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) about the 'Project Environment and School' initiatives. There is a great deal of collaboration (through a wide variety of channels) with the Netherlands, a traditional neighbour, friend and ally. One of the more formal and official channels, created some five years ago, is called the "Vlaams/Zuidnederlandse samenwerking" or "collaboration between Flanders and the South of the Netherlands". The "Vlaams/Zuidnederlandse samenwerking" includes an active and successful working group on the environment, where civil servants from both sides of the border can exchange ideas and information, and undertake common projects. At this moment the working group on the environment is planning a detailed comparison of each others respective long-term environment policy, plans, and programmes. The aim is to learn more about each others policies, and to identify topics and areas suitable for common action and implementation. (It seems clear, from the preliminary information already gathered, that all of these plans and programmes are governed by principles related to sustainable development). Within this working group (nature) education and training have not been considered as major topics, but there is no reason why they should not be tackled in more depth, should the desire to do so arise. The Flemish Environmental Agency has contacts with South Africa in order to contribute to their educational projects.

Flanders is also involved in the EUROREGION, again created some five or six years ago, which unites Kent (United Kingdom), Nord-Pas de Calais (France), Brussels-Capital, Wallonia, and Flanders. The EUROREGION includes a working group on the environment, a forum where civil servants from all five regions can meet, exchange ideas and information, and undertake common projects. This working group is the author of a joint declaration called the Environment Charter (formally signed in Brussels on December 8, 1992). The Charter contains numerous references to the concept of sustainable development and the need for humankind to adapt itself to the planet.

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This information was provided by the Government of Belgium to the fifth and sixth sessions of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. Last Update: January 1998.

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HUMAN SETTLEMENTS

Decision-Making: Coordinating Bodies    

The principles of sustainable development, particularly since the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), are increasingly influencing National decision making in international responsibilities and in the coordination of Regional Government initiatives. In implementing the decisions of the United Nations, a Belgium National Committee for Human Settlements has been established under the chairmanship of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The 1993 Constitution explicitly states the "right to decent housing" as a constitutional right in Belgium. Each Region further expands the modalities and implementation priorities. The Regions are to a very large degree responsible for policies and implementation related to human settlements, housing matters, and urban development.

Belgium has a strong and unique human settlements and habitat identity. This includes a high degree of urbanization; the urbanization of rural areas; the predominance of medium-size and small towns; a regionally differentiated approach to human settlements and habitat policies; a tradition of socially redistributive human settlements; and a housing policy with high infrastructural services. Household unit requirements are still growing at a substantial rate, despite slow population growth. Physical urban expansion, to the detriment of agricultural land and green areas, has been considerable in the past characterized by suburban development and undiscriminating commercial expansion.

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Cooperation  

International cooperation in the human settlements field is organized on several institutional levels in Belgium. The Federal Government, the Regional Governments, local governments (municipalities, provinces), and a good number of non-government organizations all participate. These levels provide substantial contributions to human habitat through multilateral and bilateral cooperation channels. Belgian development cooperation stimulates training and capacity building programmes, assists international courses and research programmes initiated by universities, and contributes to other training and educational activities, for example, local Agenda 21 programmes.

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This information was provided by the Government of Belgium to the fifth session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. Last Update: April 1997.

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