Projet de loi portant exécution du Protocole au Traité sur l'Antarctique relatif à la protection de l'environnement, de l'Appendice et des Annexes I, II, III et IV faits à Madrid le 4 octobre 1991 et de l'Annexe V, faite à Bonn les 7 -18 octobre 1991.
General information ¶
- Submitted by
- PS | SP MR Open Vld Vooruit Purple Ⅰ
- Submission date
- Sept. 6, 2004
- Official page
- Visit
- Status
- Adopted
- Requirement
- Simple
- Subjects
- Antarctica international agreement environmental protection
Voting ¶
- Voted to adopt
- CD&V Vooruit Ecolo LE PS | SP Open Vld N-VA MR FN VB
Contact form ¶
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Discussion ¶
Feb. 3, 2005 | Plenary session (Chamber of representatives)
Full source
Rapporteur Hilde Dierickx ⚙
Mr. Speaker, Mrs. Minister, Mr. Minister, colleagues, I will report on behalf of the Committee on Public Health, Environment and Social Renewal, also on behalf of my colleague Miguel Chevalier, on the draft law on the implementation of the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Convention. The committee discussed this draft law during its meetings of 18 October 2004 and 18 January 2005.
Mr Bruno Tobback, Minister of Environment and Pensions, stated in his introductory presentation that the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Convention on Antarctica translates the Madrid Protocol of 4 October 1991 into Belgian law, which has been in force since 1998.
The Protocol aims to ensure the global environmental protection of Antarctica. Antarctica will become a natural reserve.
The Protocol stipulates the following. First, it sets out the principles of environmental protection for activities in Antarctica. Second, it prohibits commercial acts relating to mineral resources. Third, it shall subject all acts to a prior environmental impact assessment.
The Annexes to the Protocol address, first, the environmental impact assessment, second, the conservation of fauna and flora, third, the treatment and management of waste, fourth, the prevention of marine pollution, and fifth, the management of protected areas.
The implementation of the Protocol belongs to 27 countries, including Belgium. Those countries will actively participate in scientific research on the ground. For example, Belgium will do research in, among other things, climatology, glaciology, oceanography and biology. It was necessary to transpose that provision of the Madrid Protocol into Belgian law.
I come to the costs. Infrastructure costs will be paid by private organizations. The operating costs of the station, about 500,000 euros, will be paid by the government.
The Implementing Act sets out the licensing rules applicable to scientific and tourism activities. Since the protection of Antarctica is only taken into account by a limited number of parties that have signed the treaty, 27 countries, other countries can also ask for permission from Belgium. The responsibility lies with the Minister of Environment, as well as the issuance of the permits and the control of the permitted activities.
Commission President Mayeur asked during the discussion that some technical improvements would be made in the text of the draft law, in accordance with the recommendations of the State Council. Mr Mayeur submitted an amendment.
During the vote, Articles 1 to 4, amendment no. 1, the amended Article 5 and Articles 6 to 14 adopted unanimously. The entire bill was unanimously adopted.