The Flemish Government has officially recognised nine nature parks throughout Flanders, Environment Minister Zuhal Demir announced on Friday.
The four national parks are Bosland, Brabantse Wouden and Hoge Kempen (Limburg province) and Scheldevallei (East Flanders). The controversial Taxandria National Park near Turnhout (Antwerp) is not on the list, due to opposition from one of the three coalition parties, the CD&V, which defends the interests of local farmers.
In the national parks, the emphasis is on nature and biodiversity. The areas, which should eventually form a natural domain of 10,000 hectares, must be sufficiently robust to provide sustainable protection for the exceptional nature they house.
The government has also recognised five "landscape parks": Grenzeloos Bocageland, on the borders of the Fourons and the Pays de Herve in Wallonia and Dutch Heuvelland, Haspengouw and Maasvallei (Limburg), Vlaamse Ardennen (south of the province of East Flanders) and Zwinstreek (West Flanders, near the Dutch border).
An annual budget of €608,000 has been set aside for the national parks and €489,000 for the landscape parks.
