Description of Organisation
The Belgian Federal Public Planning Service Science Policy (BELSPO) is a Federal Administration that has the following mission:
- preparation, execution and evaluation of science policy and its extensions
- in particular, on Belgian Government instructions, implementation of scientific and technical means in support of Federal Authority competences
- development of a permanent knowledge resource within scientific and technical spheres at the service of the Federal Authority
- support to the 10 Federal Scientific Institutions under control of the Federal Science Policy, and also to the STIS and Belnet, for the administrative, financial and material management, the coordination and valorization of research activities and activities as scientific public service
- in addition, the Prime Minister and the Minister for Science policy agreed in January 2002 to charge the Belgian Science Policy with the question of the cultural goods of the Jewish Community plundered during the war.
The Belgian Science Policy manages an annual budget of about €517 million (€13 million going to the marine sector).
Marine RTD Funding Programme
Marine sciences are financed, since 1970, within structured multi annual research programmes. Currently marine sciences are mainly funded within the programme “Science for a sustainable development (2005-2010)”. 14 research projects are funded at the moment related to marine research with a total budget of 16 M€ for 4 years.
