Use one sheet per each type of information submitted
NAME OF COUNTRY or ORGANIZATION
BELGIUM
CONTACT PERSON ON TECHNICAL CONTENTS OF THE INFORMATION
Name of the contact person / Mr. Maurits Vandegehuchte
Name of her/his organization / Agency for Nature and Forest, Flemish government
Postal address of the organization / Koning Albert II-laan 20
1000 Brussel
Phone number
+ (country code)-(area code)-(phone number) / +322 553 03 34
E-mail address /
TYPE OF INFORMATION SUBMITTED – Tick one information source in the right column
Peer reviewed journal publication
Other publication, e.g. case study, legislation, best practice
Unpublished (sharable) / x
Suggested citation in the CBD document(s), if any preference exists
SUGGESTED CATEGORY OF THE INFORMATION SUBMITTED
Tick in the right column for relevant session (multiple answers allowed if needed)
Wildlife trade / x
e-commerce / x
Positive case of biological control on IAS
Negative case of biological control on IAS
A tool on assessing or evaluating social consequences of IAS introduction
A tool on assessing or evaluating economic consequences of IAS introduction
A tool on cost-benefit analysis for eradication of IAS
Management measures on IAS
Control measures on IAS
A tool for examining impact of climate change on IAS establishment/spread
A tool for examining impact of land-use change on IAS establishment/spread
Other
SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE INFORMATION SUBMITTED
The information submitted comprises the relevant Belgian legislation on IAS trade and which actions/projects have been undertaken to address IAS trade.
OTHER INFORMATION, IF ANY
ias.biodiversity.be/species/risk
By submitting this information, I agree that Secretariat of the CBD may use the contents in line with the relevant decisions of the Conference of the Parties.
Trade in wildlife and methods of alerting suppliers and potential buyers
-As of 7 December 2001, an executive act was in force which determines a positive list of 42 mammal species which can be kept by private people as pets for non-commercial purposes (i.e. as a basis for consumption goods) . After a short suspension early 2009, this decree was updated on 16 July 2009 and is still in force. The list was drafted under the responsibility of the minister of animal welfare based on scientific (animal welfare) criteria and accompanied by a stakeholder involvement process. Species selection was based on the following criteria:
- Whether the species concerned is easy to keep and house, taking into account its physiological, ethological and ecological needs;
- To which degree the species concerned is aggressive and/or dangerous by nature or represents a threat to human health;
- Whether, based on clear indications, the species concerned is considered to be able to maintain in the natural environment after escape and therefore forms an ecological threat;
- The availability of bibliographical knowledge on housing the species;
- In case of contradictory data or information on the keeping properties of the species, one or more of the previous criteria is considered not to be fulfilled.
Transitional provisions for owners are foreseen.
Any mammal not on the list cannot be kept by private owners without a permit. Zoos and animal rehabilitation centres are not subject to this restriction. The list still comprises some species with documented invasion histories (sika deer Cervus nippon, axis deer Axis axis) as well as some species which currently have moderate biodiversity impact in Belgium (fallow deer Dama dama, Siberian ground squirrel Tamias sibiricus).
Since 1 July 2014, the competence of animal welfare has been shifted from the federal to the regional level. Currently, the Flemish region is developing an analogous positive list for reptiles. The enforcement of the positive lists are ensured through the inspection service of the animal welfare service.
-Following the law on nature conservation and regional transposition of the Habitats directive (NATURA2000), it is forbidden to introduce any alien species in the wild in any Belgian region, with some exceptions for specimens of plant species used for forestry, agriculture and sometimes horticulture.As such, nature inspection services can sanction keepers of exotic species whenever illegal releases of such species into the environment are detected.
-Within the AlterIAS (Alternatives to Invasive Alien Species) Life+ information and communication project, a Belgian code of conduct on ornamental plant species was developed (Halford et al. 2014). This code of conduct on invasive plants is a document recommending the adoption ofbest practicesto limit introductions and spread of invasive species in parks, gardens, ponds, nurseries or along roadways, railways and riverbanks, which are the starting points of numerous invasions in natural habitats. It is aself-regulatory toolbased onawareness,educationandvoluntary adoptionof preventive measures. It aims at inducing a positivechange of attitudeconcerning the use of invasive plants. Codes of conduct can be adopted by anyone concerned by the use of ornamental plants:horticulture professionals(green sector) or gardeners.
-Detailed risk analysis reports were prepared in 2013 for a selection of alien species in Belgium (overview in Vanderhoeven et al. 2015). Additionally, detailed risk analysis was performed for Sciurus niger L., 1758 (Baiwy et al. 2013d) and Procambarus clarkii (Girard, 1852) (Delsinne et al. 2013) which had not been previously assessed with ISEIA. The Pest Risk Analysis (PRA) reports are accessible through the Harmonia information system ( The process of drafting, reviewing and approving the risk analysis for selected invasive alien species in Belgium was attended by a steering committee, chaired by the Federal Public Service Health, Food chain safety and Environment. The documents have been subject to a peer review process, mostly involving national experts. The risk analysis followed a simplified scheme that was drafted in line with the recommendations provided by the IPPC (FAO 2004). The scheme separates the assessment of entry, establishment, spread and impacts, and also addresses risk management.
-General information on invasive alien species as well as species specific information sheets and best practices for management are available via different online platforms ( The Harmonia information system acts as a versatile communication hub for effective and efficient exchange of information within the scientific community as well as between the scientific, policy and management arena. The website is increasingly used by scientists, decision makers, managers and the general public (Vanderhoeven et al. 2015).
References
Halford M, Heemers L, van Wesemael D, Mathys C, Wallens S, Branquart E, Vanderhoeven S, Monty A, Mahy G (2014) The voluntary code of conduct on invasive alien plants in Belgium: results and lessons learned from the AlterIAS Life+ project. EPPO Bulletin 44: 212–222, epp.12111
Vanderhoeven S., Tim Adriaens T., D’hondt B., Van Gossum H., Vandegehuchte M., Verreycken H., Cigar J., Branquart E. (2015) A science-based approach to tackle invasive alien species in Belgium – the role of the ISEIA protocol and the Harmonia information system as decision support tools. Management of Biological Invasions 6(2): 197–208. doi: