Belgium
General Information for Belgium
Geo-political:
Capital City: Brussels.
Nationality: (noun) Belgian, (adjective) Belgian.
Population: 10,414,336.
Communications:
International Direct Dial Code: 32.
Number of Internal Airports: 27.
Major Languages Spoken: Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less than 1%, legally
bilingual (Dutch and French).
Economy:
Currency: 1 Euro (EUR) of 100 Cents.
Exchange Rates:
(as of March 2018)
USD 1.00 = EUR 0.81
EUR 1.00 = USD 1.23
Exchange rates under licence from
XE.com
Main Industries: Engineering and metal products, motor vehicle assembly, transportation equipment,
scientific instruments, processed food and beverages, chemicals, basic metals, textiles,
glass and petroleum.
Environment:
Territorial Sea: 12 n.m.
Other Maritime Claims: Contiguous Zone: 24 n.m. Continental Shelf: median line with neighbors. Exclusive Economic Zone: geographic
coordinates define outer limit.
Coastline Extent: 66 km.
Climate: Temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy.
Natural Resources: Construction materials, silica sand and carbonates.
Natural Hazards: Flooding is a threat along rivers and in areas of reclaimed coastal land, protected
from the sea by concrete dikes.
Terrain: Flat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills, rugged mountains of Ardennes
Forest in southeast.
Average Temperatures:
| Month | High | Low |
|---|---|---|
| January | 4° C | -2° C |
| June | 21° C | 10° C |
| September | 19° C | 10° C |
ISPS COMPLIANCE:
Federal Port Security Committee. Tel: +32 (2) 277 3500. Mobile: +32 475 818 465. Fax: +32 (2) 277 4051.
[email protected]
Reporting Point: Fax: +32 (2) 579 6883.
[email protected]
DEEP SEA PILOTAGE:
Vessels required to use the mandatory route for tankers from North Hinder to the German
Bight refer to the IMO Resolution A.486 (xii), adopted on the 19 November 1981, concerning
the recommendation on the use of adequately qualified Deep Sea Pilots in the North
Sea, English Channel and Skagerrak.
PRE-ARRIVAL INFORMATION:
European Council Directive 2002/59/EC:
European Council Directive 2002/59/EC (as amended) relates to vessels greater than 300 g.t., and any vessel carrying dangerous
or polluting goods bound for or leaving EU ports. Such vessels should report to the
relevant port authority at least 24 hours in advance.
Port State Notifications:
Under European Union (EU) Directive 2009/16/EC, the EU has introduced a reporting
system to be complied with for all vessels arriving/leaving a port or anchorage within
the EU Region.
The operator, Agent or Master shall notify, 72 hours before arrival in port, if vessels
are eligible for an expanded inspection (3 days pre-arrival notification).
Vessels subject to expanded inspections are:
- all vessels with a high risk profile
- any passenger vessel, oil tanker, gas or chemical tanker or bulk carrier, older than 12 years of age.
Directive 2009/16/EC also recalls the obligation to notify, 24 hours before arrival, for vessels bound
for a Member States port (24-hour pre-arrival notifications) or at the latest at the
time the vessel leaves the previous port, if the voyage time is less than 24 hours,
or if the port of call is not known or changed during the voyage, as soon as this
information is available. This obligation falls under
Directive 2002/59/EC establishing a common vessel traffic monitoring and information system throughout
European Community (EC) waters.
Reports shall be sent by the Agent to the competent Port Authority. Failure to report
the requested information is an offence and may also cause a vessel to be targeted
for inspection.
River Information System:
All European inland navigation countries are working on the development of an integrated
shipping guidance and monitoring system. The main objective of the RIS is to improve
safety, efficiency and environmental friendliness of inland navigation by means of
harmonised, interoperable and freely accessible aids and information systems for the
interior waterways.
Inland ECDIS:
Making available reliable and up-to-date electronic charts which meet European standards.
ECDIS contributes to the safety and efficiency of inland navigation and therefore
the protection of the environment. Moreover it reduces the work load of the skipper
compared to traditional navigation and information methods.
Electronic Ships Reports:
Vessel traffic services in Europe are linked to information gathering via various
systems. To relieve the fairway-user as much as possible, a system of an electronic
once-only report is being worked on. The skipper can then use one type of report that
is valid for the whole of Europe.
Notices to Skippers:
To enable an automatic translation of the most important contents of messages in all
languages of the participating countries, with a harmonised structure of data to enable
integration of messages in the voyage planning systems. Also a standard for height
of tide information will be made available. This information will be made available
to the inland barge community, among other things by use of web applications.
Tracking/Tracing:
Tracking and tracing will form the basis for both Vessel Traffic Services and future
RIS-services.
Details of national systems can be found at the following websites:
| Country | Website | |
|---|---|---|
| Austria | nts.doris.bmvit.gv.at | |
| Belgium | nts.flaris.be | |
| voies-hydrauliques.wallonie.be | ||
| www.vts-scheldt.net | ||
| Bulgaria | www.bulris.bg | |
| Croatia | vodniputovi.hr | |
| Czech Republic | www.lavdis.cz | |
| France | www.vnf.fr | |
| Germany | www.elwis.de | |
| Hungary | www.pannonris.hu | |
| Netherlands | www.vaarweginformatie.nl | |
| Poland | www.rzgw.szczecin.pl | |
| Romania | www.roris.ro | |
| Serbia | nts.risserbia.rs | |
| Slovakia | nts.slovris.sk | |
| Switzerland | www.port-of-switzerland.ch | |
| www.elwis.de |
VTS/RADAR:
West European Tanker Reporting System (WETREP):
Western European PSSA Mandatory reporting for all tankers carrying heavy grade oils.
With effect from 1 July 2005, the West European Tanker Reporting System (WETREP) comes
into force in the Western European Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA).
Ships required to participate in the mandatory ship reporting system WETREP: Every
kind of oil tanker of more than 600 d.w. tonnes, carrying a cargo of:
- heavy crude oil, meaning crude oils with a density at 15°C of higher than 900 kg./cu.m.
- heavy fuel oils, meaning fuel oils with a density at 15°C of higher than 900 kg./cu.m., or a kinematic viscosity at 50°C of higher than 180 sq.mm./sec.
- bitumen and tar and their emulsions.
Pursuant to SOLAS, mandatory ship reporting system WETREP does not apply to any warship,
naval auxiliary or other vessel owned or operated by a contracting government and
used, for the time being, only on government non-commercial service.
The geographical coverage of the system, the content of the report and the time at
which and place from where it should be sent are all detailed in
IMO Circular SN/Circ. 242.
Vessel Traffic Service Scheldemond:
(VTS-SM) reporting compulsory for all commercial traffic when entering the VTS Scheldemond
Traffic Areas both inward/outwardbound. Use Dutch or English language only. Compulsory
for all vessels to maintain a continuous listening watch on the appropriate VHF Channel for
the traffic area (including vessels at anchor).
Each Traffic Area provides traffic link-up, traffic information, traffic instructions,
pilotage advice and recommendations. Additional traffic information, radar information
and harbour information can be obtained on the specified VHF Channel.
REGULATIONS:
EU MRV:
The EU MRV (Monitoring, Reporting, Verification) regulation entered into force on
1 July 2015, and it requires ship owners and operators to annually monitor, report
and verify CO
2 emissions for vessels larger than 5,000 g.t. calling at any EU and EFTA (Norway and
Iceland) port. Data collection takes place on a per voyage basis and started 1 January
2018.
The reported CO
2 emissions, together with additional data, are to be verified by independent certified
bodies and sent to a central database managed by the European Maritime Safety Agency
(EMSA). The aggregated ship emission and efficiency data will be published by the
EC by 30 June 2019 and then every consecutive year.
Ship owners and operators shall monitor the CO
2 emissions of their vessels per voyage conducted into, between and out of EU (and
EFTA) ports. A voyage is defined as any movement of a ship that originates from, or
terminates in, a port of call (EU port) and that serves the purpose of transporting
passengers or cargo for commercial purposes.
TIME:
GMT plus 1 hour in winter and 2 hours in summer.
HOLIDAYS:
1 January (New Year's Day); Easter Monday; 1 May (Labour Day); 11 July (Flemish Community
Holiday only in Flanders); 15 August (Assumption of Mary); 27 September (French Community
Holiday only in Wallonia (not a public holiday)); 1 November (All Saints); 2 November
(All Souls Day (not a public holiday)); 11 November (Armistice Day); 15 November (Dynasty
Day and Day of German-speaking Community only in areas of the German-speaking Community);
24 December (Christmas Eve); 25 December (Christmas Day).
AUTHORITY:
Federal Public Services for Transport, Directorate - Maritime Transport, City Atrium,
Rue de Progres 56, 1210 Brussels, Belgium.
Tel: +32 (2) 277 3111.
[email protected]
http://mobilit.belgium.be
