The environmental complaints registration and follow-up system MKROS has become a familiar concept among Flemish municipalities. In recent years, many users have been able to become acquainted with the application and its possibilities.
In 2012, MKROS will celebrate its tenth anniversary. Ten years, an eternity in IT terms. Ten years ago, internet applications were still rarities in the Flemish ICT landscape and web technology was still in its infancy. MKROS was such a curiosity, which has evolved step by step since then, still does so and intends to continue to do so in the future. Important challenges await us.
At a time when municipalities are starting to organise themselves both internally and supra-locally in the area of environmental enforcement and the associated environmental complaints management, there is an urgent need to optimise the networking and information exchange between services. In this respect, MKROS can
In any case, story has an important catalytic role to play.
MKROS is now strongly anchored in the environmental cooperation agreement between the Flemish Region and municipalities. The White Paper on internal state reform announces an end, or at least a sensitive adaptation, to this concept. It will therefore be necessary to look for alternative stimuli to continue to realise or improve the exchange of information on environmental complaints.
As a department that prepares policy, we are convinced of the important added value of MKROS within the Flemish environmental landscape. We will therefore make every effort in the coming years to continue to stimulate the growth of MKROS.
In the meantime, you will find here the second report on the reports of environmental nuisance that have been registered in the central database of environmental complaints. This report describes and analyses the environmental complaints registered with the Flemish municipalities and reported during the period 2006 to 2010. This document initially reports on reports to
municipal services (excl. local police). Reports to other authorities are dealt with to a limited extent.
The aim of this report is to give Flemish citizens more insight into the reports of environmental nuisance in their living environment, and into how to deal with them. For administrators, the results can be a reason to strengthen or reorient the nuisance policy. And finally, for those who cause environmental nuisances, this report can possibly have an awareness-raising effect.
This report can also inspire local authorities when they want to work on a report and an analysis of the environmental nuisance reports they receive themselves.