International transport

The International Transport Policy Directorate of the FPS Foreign Affairs (B4) deals with issues related to international transport and traffic, in collaboration with the relevant services of the FPS Mobility and Transport, Defence, the private sector and business organizations, the European institutions, our foreign interlocutors, and of course our diplomatic missions abroad. It contributes that way to the positioning of Belgium as a major logistic hub and to the development of our ports, airports and transport companies.

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Air transport

Belgium has concluded around 100 air transport agreements which are regularly updated and modified through bilateral consultations held at the request of Belgium or its foreign partners:

  • preparation of negotiations and follow-up of agreements (signature, parliamentary approval procedure);  
  • contact point for airline companies (providing information on the political situation in certain countries, sanctions, embargoes, etc.); 
  • interlocutor for the Belgian Representation at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO);  
  • participation in meetings of the National Security Council, for questions related to the safety and security of civil aviation 
  • issuance of diplomatic clearances for overflight and landing of foreign civil State aircraft;
  • interface between the Belgian Air Component and our diplomatic missions abroad, for the requests of overflight and landing of Belgian military aircraft abroad and of foreign military aircraft in Belgium.

Maritime transport

The Belgian-Luxembourg Economic Union has concluded some 40 maritime agreements. 

  • preparation of negotiations and follow-up of agreements (signature, parliamentary approval procedure)  
  • participation in the joint committees set up under the agreements;
  • point of contact for information on specific issues (embargoes, sanctions, conflicts); 
  • follow-up of multilateral agreements concluded in the framework of the International Maritime Organization; 
  • participation in the meetings of the Federal Committee on the Security of Port Facilities (Comité fédéral pour la sûreté des installations portuaires);
  • interface between the Belgian-Dutch Naval Component and our diplomatic missions abroad, for the requests of diplomatic clearances for Belgian naval vessels abroad as well as for foreign vessels in Belgium.

Road transport

  • participation in the negotiation of bilateral agreements – in Belgium or abroad – on road transport (approx. 30) and follow-up of the agreements : signature, parliamentary approval procedure; 
  • participation in the joint committees set up under these agreements.

Rail transport

  • member of the Intergovernmental Committee set up under the Cross-Channel Agreement.
  • follow-up (parliamentary approval procedure) of the multilateral conventions adopted by the Intergovernmental Organization for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF).

Driving licences and road-vehicle registration certificates

  • participation in the negotiation of agreements on mutual recognition or exchange of driving licenses; 
  • transmission to the relevant municipal authorities of some 3,000 to 4,000 driving licences per year, held by Belgian nationals living abroad who have exchanged their driving license. Similarly, the road-vehicle registration certificates of cars registered abroad are transmitted to the Road-vehicle Registration Directorate (DIV);
  • substantial volume of correspondence on all kinds of questions concerning the recognition or exchange of driving licenses or road-vehicle registration certificates.

Diplomatic clearance procedures

  • implementation of procedures concerning overflight clearance and landing permits for Belgian military aircraft abroad and overflight clearance and landing permits for foreign military aircraft in Belgium; 
  • implementation of diplomatic clearance procedures for Belgian and foreign naval vessel.