MGV-ALT

Partner 14: Belgium, Ministerie van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap – Administratie Land- en Tuinbouw (MGV – ALT)

The Ministry of the Flemish Community (MGV), one of three regional governments in the Federalised State of Belgium, is a public body responsible for financing and managing fisheries research and for fisheries management in the Flemish Region (the only region in Belgium that has sea fisheries). 

The Administratie Land en Tuinbouw (ALT) is a policy-supporting directorate-general, of the Ministry of the Flemish Community. The directorate-general has four divisions, including the division on agriculture and fishery policy. The overall mission of the directorate-general is to:

1. follow up on the European policy on rural affairs,
2. follow up on the European policy on information, guidance and sale promotion of agricultural and fishery products and the European policy on quality assurance,
3. implement collaboration agreements with Middle- and Eastern-European countries and third countries,
4. support the juridical aspects of the ALT-divisions,
5. provide management supporting services.

The Sea Fisheries Department is a policy-supporting research organisation, established in 1962 as one of the satellites of the Centre for Agricultural Research (CLO) in Ghent. Until 2001, the CLO was part of the federal Ministry of Agriculture, Traders and Small Enterprises, but since 2002, it has been assigned to the Ministry of the Flemish Community. The Sea Fisheries Department is the only sea fisheries research institute in Belgium and is allocated all of the Ministries funds for marine fisheries research.

The main task of the Sea Fisheries Department is to provide the scientific basis for (i) the rational and sustainable exploitation/management of living marine resources, from a biological, technical and socio-economic point of view, (ii) the protection of the marine environment as a habitat for these resources; and (iii) the quality control and assurance of fishery products. The Sea Fisheries Department is the only centre of excellence in Belgium in the fields of fisheries and fishery-related environmental research. Throughout its existence, it has played a critical role in defining the long-term research policy of its successive patronizing Ministries.

Role:

• Co-leader of Work Package 8