The Royal Decree of 22 May 2019 establishing a marine spatial plan defines 7 fishery management zones: Professional fisheries (Art. 13), Passive fisheries area (Noordhinder Noord) (Art. 14§4), Passive fisheries area (Noordhinder Zuid) (Art. 14§4), Passive fisheries (Fairybank) (Art. 14§4), Search area 1 for fisheries techniques (Art. 6§1), Search area 2 for fisheries techniques (Art. 6§1), Search area 3 for fisheries techniques (Art. 6§1). 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. 6, six fisheries management areas: Regular regime, Art. 6 § 1; Fisheries management area 1, Art. 6 § 1.1°; Fisheries management area 2, Art. 6 § 1.2°; Fisheries management area 3, Art. 6 § 1.3°; Fisheries management area 4, Art. 6 § 1.4°; Fisheries management area 5, Art. 6 § 3. 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 dataset contains the borders of the Belgian marine waters in the North Sea and the different geographical areas (‘reporting units’) used when reporting in the frame of the the Marine Strategy Framework Directive 2008/56/EC (MSFD) and the Water Framework directive 2000/60/EC (WFD). The ecological status in the frame of WFD is reported for the coastal waters, defined as the one-nautical mile area, while the chemical status needs to be reported for the territorial waters (up to 12 nautical miles). MSFD requires information for the whole area, encompassing the territorial waters and the Belgian Exclusive Economic Zone. For some descriptors, results have been reported separately for the WFD subdivisions during the update of the initial assessment in 2018.

The Royal Decree of 22 May 2019 establishing a marine spatial plan defines 8 scientific research, recreation, radars and masts zones: Scientific research (Art. 19§1), Area for test projects (Art. 19§2), Calibration of acoustic measuring devices (Art. 19§3), Industrial research and demonstration projects (Art. 19§4), Reference zone for monitoring impact of windmills and sand exploitation (Art. 19§5), Recreative activities (Art. 20§1), Recreative fisheries (Art. 20§2), Beaconing and installation of measuring poles, radars and masts (Art. 21§1). 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. 15, four zones designated for scientific research, recreative activities, radars and masts: one for scientific research (Art. 15. § 1, the whole Belgian Part of the North Sea), one for recreative activities (Art. 15. § 2, the whole Belgian Part of the North Sea) and one for radars and masts (Art. 15. § 4, the whole Belgian Part of the North Sea) and one for industrial research, experimentations in realistic conditions and demonstration projects (Art. 15. § 5, the whole Belgian Part of the North Sea). 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.

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

The Royal Decree of 22 May 2019 establishing a marine spatial plan defines in its Art. 11. five dredged material disposal sites (Dredged material disposal site S1, Art. 11 § 1.1°; Dredged material disposal site S2, Art. 11 § 1.2°; Dredged material disposal site Bruggen en Wegen Oostende, Art. 11 § 1.3°; Dredged material disposal site Bruggen en Wegen Zeebrugge Oost, Art. 11 § 1.4°; Dredged material disposal site Bruggen en Wegen Nieuwpoort, Art. 11 § 1.5°). Futhermore, additional zones are defined for the future replacement of dredging areas as defined in Art. 11 §3, §5, §7 and §9. 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. five dredged material disposal sites (Dredged material disposal site S1, Art. 9 § 6.1°; Dredged material disposal site S2, Art. 9 § 6.2°; Dredged material disposal site Bruggen en Wegen Oostende, Art. 9 § 6.3°; Dredged material disposal site Bruggen en Wegen Zeebrugge Oost, Art. 9 § 6.4°; Dredged material disposal site Bruggen en Wegen Nieuwpoort, Art. 9 § 6.5°). 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.

This dataset represents the exact location of disused telecommunication cables installed in the Belgian Part of the North Sea.

The Royal Decree of 22 May 2019 establishing a marine spatial plan defines 12 sand and gravel extraction zones: Sand and gravel exploitation sector 1a (Thorntonbank) (Art. 15§1), Sand and gravel exploitation sector 2br (Buiten Ratel) (Art. 15§1), Sand and gravel exploitation sector 2kb (Kwintebank) (Art. 15§1), Sand and gravel exploitation sector 2od (Oostdyck) (Art. 15§1), Sand and gravel exploitation sector 3a (Sierra Ventana) (Art. 15§1), Sand and gravel exploitation sector 3b (Sierra Ventana) (Art. 15§1), Sand and gravel exploitation sector 4a (Noordhinder) (Art. 15§1), Sand and gravel exploitation sector 4b (Oosthinder-noord) (Art. 15§1), Sand and gravel exploitation sector 4c (Oosthinder-zuid) (Art. 15§1), Sand and gravel exploitation sector 4d (Westhinder) (Art. 15§1), Sand and gravel exploitation sector 5 (Blighbank) (Art. 15§1), Zone for research of the potential of the exploration and exploitation of sand and gravel (Art. 15§4). 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. 11., eleven Management zones with regards to sand and gravel extraction: ten sand and gravel exploitation zones (Thorntonbank, Art. 11 § 1 Sector 1a, Kwintebank, Art. 11 § 1 Sector 2kb, Buiten Ratel, Art. 11 § 1 Sector 2br, Oostdyck, Art. 11 § 1 Sector 2od, Sierra Ventana, Art. 11 § 1 Sector 3a, Sierra Ventana, Art. 11 § 1 Sector 3b, Noord Hinder, Art. 11 § 1 Sector 4a, Oosthinder-noord, Art. 11 § 1 Sector 4b, Oosthinder-zuid, Art. 11 § 1 Sector 4c, Westhinder, Art. 11 § 1 Sector 4d) and one reference zone for monitoring impact of windmills and sand exploitation (Art. 11 § 3). 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 22 May 2019 establishing a marine spatial plan defines 6 measuring poles: Measuring pole MOW.0 (Art. 21§2), Measuring pole MOW.1 (Art. 21§2), Measuring pole MOW.2 (Art. 21§2), Measuring pole MOW.3 (Art. 21§2), Measuring pole MOW.4 (Art. 21§2), Measuring pole Westhinder (Art. 21§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. 15. §3, one set of measuring pole locations. These locations 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 22 May 2019 establishing a marine spatial plan defines 1 radar tower: Radar Oostdyck (Art. 21§3). Please refer to the Belgian official gazette (\"Moniteur belge/Belgisch Staatsblad\") for official reference information.

This dataset represents the exact location of active telecommunication cables (verified in 2010) installed in the Belgian Part of the North Sea.