Actors and distribution of competences
The responsibility for the implementation of decisions by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity and the EU biodiversity strategy lies with the federal government, the regions, the communities and the local authorities (provinces and municipalities), depending on their competences:
 |
The regions are in charge of territorial matters. They have significant responsibilities on biodiversity-related issues: nature conservation, forest management, agriculture, exploitation of natural resources, land use and spatial planning, hunting, fisheries, etc. They are also in charge of tourism, which is a competence that has been delegated to them by the communities |
 |
The communities take care of issues linked to culture, research, education and public awareness. |
 |
Provinces and municipalities play an important role in implementation at the local level. |
 |
The federal government is involved in the international dimension, external relations, the North Sea and the follow-up of international trade in threatened and exotic species. The coherence of policy is ensured through the Interministerial Conference Environment (ICE) and the Coordinating Committee for International Environment Policy (CCIEP); its Steering Group Biodiversity Convention specifically deals with elements related to the biodiversity and the Convention. |