Federal Council for Sustainable Development
(FRDO-CFDD)

Federale Raad voor Duurzame Ontwikkeling
Conseil Fédéral du Développement Durable

Federale Raad voor Duurzame Ontwikkeling /  Conseil Fédéral du Développement Durable  (FRDO-CFDD) Liefdadigheidsstraat 33 Rue de la Charité  B-1210 Brussels (Sint Joost ten Node). Tel. +32 2 743 31 50 Fax +32  2 743 31 59 mail@frdo-cfdd.be www.frdo-cfdd.be

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Current and Future Activities

Establishment and Mission

Council Members and Staff Members

Working Style

List of Selected Publications 

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Current and Future Activities

Present and Future Priority Fields

In the framework of its policy advice assignment, following pieces of advice and activities are scheduled from autumn 2008 and forward:

• Advice on Clean Air
• Advice on Green fiscality;
• Advice on Public Procurement
• Advice on Product policy;
• Advice on Sustainable food;
• Seminar on Indicators for Sustainable Development in Belgium
• Annual forum entitled 2050, a zero emission target to protect the climate? Which transition is necessary to reach an energy system compatible with Sustainable development?

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Background and Mission

Establishment

The acronym FRDO-CFDD comes from the Dutch Federale Raad voor Duurzame Ontwikkeling and the French Conseil Fédéral du Développement Durable. The FRDO-CFDD was founded in 1997, in succession to the National Council for Sustainable Development which functioned as from 1993. The FRDO-CFDD was established by the Law of May 5, 1997, to regulate the co-ordination of the federal policy on sustainable development.

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Mission

The Council, in addition to its advisory duties, acts as a multi-stakeholder forum to encourage the sustainable development debate (symposia, seminars, roundtables with members of the government, etc).

The Council pays particular attention to the implementation of Belgian's international commitments such as Agenda 21, the Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Joint Plan of Implementation of Johannesburg and the Doha Development Agenda. The Council was also given the task of sensitizing organisations and citizens on the subject of sustainable development.

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Council Members

The multi-stakeholder FRDO-CFDD has 78 Council Members (37 of those with voting right) representing social partners, environmental, consumers' and development NGOs, representatives of scientific bodies, trade unions, employers, business and scientific community. Representatives of federal and regional ministers also participate as observers to the work of the Council. The term for council members started in June 2006 and it expires in mid-2009.

Chairman Theo Rombouts	Chairman Flemish Welfare Association, FWA
Vicechairmen Jean Yves Saliez	Secretary General  of Inter-Environnement Wallonie, IEW
Anne Panneels	Belgian Federal Socialist Trade Union, FGTB
Isabelle Callens	Head of economic department of the VBO
Members
Environmental NGOs
Geoffroy de Schutter	World Wide Fund for Nature - Belgium, WWF
Jacqueline Gilissen	Inter-Environnement Bruxelles, IEB
Jacqueline Miller	Inter-Environnement Wallonie, IEW
Marc-Olivier Herman	Greenpeace Belgium
Jan Turf	Bond Beter Leefmilieu, BBL
Roland de Schaetzen	Natagora
DevelopmentNGOs
Bart Bode	Broederlijk Delen
An Heyerick	Flemish Think-Tank for Sustainable Development, VODO
Brigitte Gloire	Oxfam-Solidarité
Oumou Ze	CNCD
Vacant	ACODEV
Bogdan Vanden Berghe	11.11.11
Consumers’ NGOs
Catherine Rousseau	Centre of Research and Information on Consumers Organisations, CRIOC
Christian Rousseau	Test Aankoop
Trade Unions
Jehan Decrop	Confederation of Belgian Christian Trade Unions, CSC
Vacant	Liberal Trade Union, CGSLB
Vacant	GeneralBelgian Trade Union, ABVV
Ilse Dielen	Christian Trade Union, ACV
Claude Rolin	Confederation of Belgian Christian Trade Unions, CSC
Daniel Van Daele	Belgian General Federation of Work, FGTB
Employers organisations
An Nachtergaele	Foodstuff Industry Federation, FEVIA
Isabelle Chaput	Chemical Industry Federation, FEDICHEM
Arnaud Deplae	Middle-class Trade Union
Marie-Laurence Semaille	Walloon Agricultural Federation
Piet Vanden Abeele	Organisation for the Self-Employed and SMEs, UNIZO
Olivier Van der Maren	Federation of Enterprises in Belgium, VBO
Energy suppliers
Hilde de Buck	Electrabel
Frank Schoonacker	Joint Company for Eletricity Production, SPE
Academia
Prof. Monique Carnol	University of Liège, ULg
Prof. Reinhart Ceulemans	University of Antwerp, UIA
Prof. Lieve Helsen	Catholic University of Leuven, KUL
Prof. Jean-Pascal van Ypersele de Strihou	Catholic University of Louvain, UCL
Dr. Dries Lesage	University of Ghent, UG
Prof. Edwin Zaccaï	Free University of Brussels, ULB

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Staff Members

The FRDO-CFDD has a secretariat with around eight staff. Jan de Smedt is the Executive Secretary.

For more information about the composition of the Secretariat, click here.

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Work Style

Tasks of the Council

The FRDO-CFDD main activity, policy advice, emanates from its legally assigned advisory duty. The Council prepares its advice - at the federal government's and parliament's request, as well as on its own initiative - for the Belgian federal authorities about the federal policy on sustainable development.

The Council’s policy impact is strengthened by contacts with cabinets, presidents of the Belgian Chamber and Senate and by participating in the parliamentary debate on the consultation on the progress of the government policy on SD and the monthly coordination platform for SD of the Foreign Affairs department. The government has to state its reasons for any deviation from the Council’s opinions. Each year, the first General Assembly also gives an opportunity to discuss with the representatives of the federal government the implementation of the Council’s opinions.

The Council also plays an complementary role in the public debate on SD. The FRDO-CFDD acts as a forum to encourage the sustainable development debate, for instance by means of organizing symposia. Main target groups are the members of the stakeholder organizations represented in the Council. Experts in the area, representatives of government and civil society, and a wider public have the opportunity to explain their point of view and to dialogue. The Council makes use of the results when formulating advice. Also, for several years now, the Council is asked by members of the government to organize round tables with its members. The goal of those round tables is to offer to the Council’s members the opportunity to communicate their positions about several issues (e.g. WTO issues, Spring Council EU,…) to the government to give information about those issues. The Council also has an awareness raising function and maintains contacts with other councils (networking function).

Further, to enhance quality and efficiency of its activity, members of the Council and its staff monitor progress related to international obligations and agreements, participate on positions for meetings of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) and other international meetings, participate at international events and gather, disseminate and exchange information.

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Substructure and Working Groups

The work of the FRDO-CFDD is prepared within working groups. Six permanent working groups are operative, one working group gathers on an ad hoc base:

• Strategies on sustainable development;
• Energy and climate;
• International relations;
• Scientific research and sustainable development;
• Awareness and communication;
• Products' standards;
• Biological diversity and forests (ad hoc);
• Biomass (ad hoc).

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Council Meetings

The FRDO-CFDD organises five General Assemblies annually. The Working Groups meet regularly but they have different schedules. For a complete information on this year’s calendar click here.

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Type of Advice

The FRDO-CFDD develops its sustainable development approach, in giving attention to the three pillars. It advices the Government and the Parliament at the request of these two bodies or at own initiative. The Council formulates consensual advice (67%) as well as non-consensual advice. Some advice are about cross-cutting issues (e.g. advice around World Summit SD Johannesburg), others concern very specific issues (e.g. products standards).

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Activities in the EEAC Network

The FRDO-CFDD joined EEAC in 2004. 

It is an active member of the Working Groups Sustainable Development, Energy and Governance and an observer to the Working Group Biodiversity.

Jan de Smedt, Executive Secretary, is a member of the EEAC Steering Committee since September 2006.

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List of Selected Publications

You can search for the full list of policy advice in our Search Engine which also includes the titles in English of publications available in original language only.

2008 Advice:

•  Opinion on biomass, (July 2008);

• Opinion on the proposal for the third federal plan for sustainable development, (July 2008);

2007 Advice:

•  Advice on the sustainable development set of indicators at federal level, (September 2007);

• Advice on the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM), (September 2007);

• Advice on the progress report 2007 for the Lisbon Strategy - Implementation of the National Reform Program for Belgium (September 2007);

• Advice on the decoupling of growth / the use of resources and environmental pressure, (June 2007);

• Evaluation and recommendations concerning the federal sustainable development policy, (May 2007);

• Advice on the provisional report of the Energy Commission 2030, (February 2007).

2006 Advice:

• Opinion on the preliminary draft action plan for Corporate Social Responsibility, (September 2006);

• Second Opinion on the Review of the European Sustainable Development Strategy, (April 2006);

• Opinion on the European Union Thematic Strategy on natural resources, (February 2006).

• Opinion on the Belgian National Biodiversity Strategy, (February 2006).

2005 Advice:

• Opinion on the effects in Belgium of climate change - particularly heat waves, floods and ozone pollution – on health, (December 2005);
• Third opinion on a strategy for the prevention of climate change beyond 2012: Belgian policy in the European framework (November 2005); 
• Opinion on the national reform programme for transposition of Integrated guidelines for growth and Jobs 2005 – 2008, (August 2005);
• Opinion for the preparation of the Sixth WTO Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong, (July 2005);
• Opinion on the annual assessment of the federal policy for sustainable development, (February 2005).

2004 Advice and other publications:

• Opinion on a strategy for the prevention of climate change after 2012, (November 2004);
• Opinion on the proposal for a European Directive on energy end-use efficiency and energy services (COM (2003) 739 final), (October 2004); 
• Opinion on the European Sustainable Development Strategy Review, (October 2004);
• Opinion concerning a draft of a Royal Decree on the subject of names and characteristics of bio-fuels for motorised vehicles and mobile machines not designed for use on public roads, (June 2004);
• Opinion on the policy note by Minister Verwilghen “putting business to work to combat poverty and favour development”, (May 2004);
•  Advice on the Preliminary Draft of the federal plan for sustainable development 2004 – 2008, (May 2004);
• Opinion on the assessment of local projects for sustainable development, (May 2004);
•  Framework opinion on making mobility compatible with sustainable development, (February 2004);
• Opinion on the participatory development of a Sustainable Development Scoreboard for Belgium, (February 2004). 

2003 Advice and other publications:

• Advice on the vertical integration of sustainable development and multilevel governance, (December 2003);
•  Framework opinion on obstacles to implementing economically cost-effective measures to curb greenhouse gas emissions (“no regret” measures), (May 2003); 
• Opinion on the need for development of a consultation strategy and recommendations for consultation on the preliminary draft of the Second Federal Plan for Sustainable Development, (May 2003);
• Memorandum to the new federal government, (May 2003).

2002 Advice and other publications:

• Study on the existence of a social foundation for sustainable development: final report: general conclusions, (June 2002); 
• Second advice for the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, (June 2002);
• Advice for the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, (April 2002).

2001 Advice:

• Advice on the European Commission's White Paper on the Strategy for a future Chemicals Policy, (May 2001);
• Advice on the European Commission's Green Paper on Integrated Product Policy, (May 2001);
• Advice on the European Union Strategy for Sustainable Development, (April 2001).

2000 Advice:

• Summary of the Advice on the policy plan for development cooperation Quality in solidarity. A partnership for sustainable development, (June 2000);
• Summary of the Advice on state concessions for wind turbines at sea, (June 2000);
• Summary of the Advice on the 6^th Environmental Action Programme of the European Union, (June 2000);
• Summary of the Advice on the preliminary draft of the federal plan to fight acidification and tropospheric ozone, (April 2000); 
• The ten priorities of the Advice on the Preliminary draft of the federal sustainable development plan 2000-2003, (April 2000). 

1999 Advice:

• Summary of the Advice on Taxation within the Framework of Climate Change Policy, (October 1999);
• Summary of the Advice on the Flexibility Mechanisms in the Kyoto Protocol, (October 1999);
• Summary of the Advice on the implementation in Belgium of the Convention on Biological Diversity, (February 1999).

1998 Advice:

• Advice on the Guidelines for Consumer Protection of the Commission for Sustainable Development, (December 1998);
• Advice on the Implementation in Belgium of the Kyoto Protocol to Curb Greenhouse Gas Emissions, (September 1998).

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Last update 3 November 2008.