This dataset represents the location of the Princess Elizabeth zone in the Belgian Part of the North Sea as described in the Royal Decree of May 22th, 2019, establishing a marine spatial plan for the period 2020-2026. Art. 8. § 3.

This dataset is part of the 2018 Belgian submission for the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) linked to descriptor 6, criterion 1. This dataset describes and maps the the physical loss of the seabed in the Belgian part of the North Sea (BPNS) in the period 2011-2016. The dataset combines the different human activities responsible for a loss of seabed, including wrecks, measuring piles and radar stations, pipelines, power and telecommunication cables with their rock dump, and wind farms. The area lost is mapped and quantified per year, per activity and per benthic broad habitat.

This dataset represents the exact location of electrical cables installed in the Belgian Part of the North Sea, including these for for the wind farms.

The Royal Decree of 22 May 2019 establishing a marine spatial plan defines 20 shipping and ports zones: Shipping regular regime (Art. 10§1), Northbound traffic flow starting at separation line 'Noordhinder Sud' (Art. 10§2.1°), Separation zone 'Noordhinder Sud' (Art. 10§2.1°), Precaution zone 'Near Thornton and Blighbank ' (Art. 10§2.10°), Northbound traffic flow starting at separation zone 'Off Noordhinder' (Art. 10§2.2°), Separation zone 'Off Noordhinder' (Art. 10§2.2°), Southbound traffic flow starting at separation line 'Off Noordhinder' (Art. 10§2.2°), Precaution zone 'Noordhinder Jonction' (Art. 10§2.3°), Eastbound traffic flow starting at separation line 'At West Hinder' (Art. 10§2.4°), Eastbound traffic flow starting at separation zone 'At West Hinder' (Art. 10§2.4°), Precaution zone 'At West Hinder ' (Art. 10§2.4°), Separation zone 'At West Hinder' (Art. 10§2.4°), Westbound traffic flow starting at separation line 'At West Hinder' (Art. 10§2.4°), Area to be Avoided 'At West Hinder' (Art. 10§2.6°), Deep water route 'Westerschelde approach' (Art. 10§2.7°), Border line 1 of two-way shipping lane 'Westpit' (Art. 10§2.8°), Border line 2 of two-way shipping lane 'Westpit' (Art. 10§2.8°), Precaution zone 'At Gootebank' (Art. 10§2.9°), Anchoring zone 'Oostdyck' (Art. 10§3.1°), Anchoring zone 'Westhinder' (Art. 10§3.2°). It replaces the 2014 Marine Spatial Plan, which is included for completeness. The Royal Decree of 20 March 2014 establishing a marine spatial plan defines in its Art. 9, nine zones with regards to shipping and ports: seven shipping zones (Shipping regular regime, Art. 9 § 1; Shipping route Northhinder South, Art. 9 § 2.1°; Shipping route Northhinder junction, Art. 9 § 2.2°; Shipping route Westhinder, Art. 9 § 2.3°; Shipping route Westhinder precautionary area, Art. 9 § 2.4°; Shipping route Westhinder area to be avoided, Art. 9 § 2.5°; Deep water shipping route Western Scheldt approach, Art. 9 § 2.6°) and two anchorage places (Anchorage place 'Oostdyck', Art. 9 § 4.1° and Anchorage place 'Westhinder', Art. 9 § 4.2°). These zones are made available digitally in the resource described by this metadata document. Please refer to the Belgian official gazette (\"Moniteur belge/Belgisch Staatsblad\") for official reference information.

The Royal Decree of 20 March 2026 establishing the marine spatial plan for the period 2026 to 2034 in the Belgian marine areas defines 1 radar tower: Oostdyck radar tower (Art. 25§3). It replaces the 2020 Marine Spatial Plan. Please refer to the Belgian official gazette ("Moniteur belgeBelgisch Staatsblad") for official reference information.

This dataset represents the location of the windfarms concessions in the Belgian Part of the North Sea.

This dataset is part of the Belgian submission for the 2018 Marine Strategic Framework Directive (MSFD) and reports on descriptor 1, criterion 6. This dataset describes the soft benthos analysis performed in the Belgian part of the North Sea between 2010 and 2016. Information on the location, date and procedure used for the sediment sampling is povided as well as the description of the species found in the samples. Based on this dataset, the Belgian MSFD reporting concluded that the benthic habitat quality is clearly lower in areas where a certain activity interferes with the environment in an intensive way.

The Royal Decree of 20 March 2026 establishing the marine spatial plan for the period 2026 to 2034 in the Belgian marine areas defines 20 shipping and ports zones: IMO shipping zones (Art. 14§2), Traffic separation schemes (Art. 14§2), IMO traffic separation scheme "Noordhinder South" (Art. 14§2.1°), IMO precautionary area "in the vicinity of Thornton and Blighbank" (Art. 14§2.10°), Other routes and traffic flows (Royal Decree) (Art. 14§2.11°-19°), IMO traffic separation scheme "Off Noordhinder" (Art. 14§2.2°), IMO precautionary area "Noordhinder Junction" (Art. 14§2.3°), IMO traffic separation scheme "At Westhinder" (Art. 14§2.4°), Separation line "At West Hinder" (Art. 14§2.4°), IMO precautionary area "At Westhinder" (Art. 14§2.5°), IMO area to be avoided "At Westhinder" (Art. 14§2.6°), IMO deep-water route "Approach to the Scheldt" (Art. 14§2.7°), IMO two-way route "Westpit" (Art. 14§2.8°), IMO precautionary area "At Gootebank" (Art. 14§2.9°), Anchorage area "Oostdyck" (Art. 14§3.1°), IMO anchorage area "At Westhinder" (Art. 14§3.2°), Maritime safety research zone: Zone 1 (Art. 14§5.1°), Maritime safety research zone: Zone 2 (Art. 14§5.2°), Maritime safety research zone: Zone 3 (Art. 14§5.3°). It replaces the 2020 Marine Spatial Plan. Please refer to the Belgian official gazette ("Moniteur belgeBelgisch Staatsblad") for official reference information.

This dataset represents the exact location of gas pipelines installed in the Belgian Part of the North Sea.

This dataset is part of the 2018 Belgian submission for the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) linked to descriptor 6, criterion 2. This dataset describes and maps the physical disturbance to the seabed in the Belgian part of the North Sea (BPNS) between 2011 and 2016. The dataset combines different layers of human activities leading to a disturbance of the seabed, including power cables with its rock dump, dredging and dumping, extraction, war ammunition stocking and wind farms. The area disturbed is mapped and quantified per year, per activity and per benthic broad habitat.