On the 20th of April 2018, the Council of Ministers has adopted the Belgian draft MSP for the period 2020-2026. The advice of the consultative commission, composed of all the competent Belgian federal and Flemish government services, has been carefully scrutinized and many valuable suggestions have been incorporated in the draft MSP. A large-scale and formal consultation process will be initiated in July 2018 and citizens will be invited to send in their comments to the draft plan and to the strategic environmental assessment (SEA). A public hearing will also be organized. As part of the consultation process, the neighboring and interested countries will also be contacted. Hereby, the Belgian Minister for the North Sea, Philippe De Backer, commits to continue the Belgian leading role in MSP. More information will follow in due course.