Belgium
Portals and directories of museums
Basic information and links to the websites of the major Federal museums can be found on the website of the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office: http://www.belspo.be/belspo/res/institut/esf2_en.stm
Lists of the museums of the French Community can be found on the official portal for museums in Wallonia (htpp://www.lesmuseesenwallonie.be) and on the websites of some museum associations, i.a.:
the Association "Musées et Société en Wallonie" (MSW) (Museums and Society in Wallonia): http://www.msw.be
The administration of the Flemish Community has built a website giving information on ca. 300 museums in Flanders and in Brussels. A separate list of the museums officially recognized by the Flemish Community is provided (ca 50 museums): http://www.tento.be
The Brussels Museum Council ("Brusselse Museumraad/Conseil Bruxellois des Musées" - BMR-CBM) was created in 1995. This umbrella organization aims at promoting the museums located in the Brussels-Capital Region (approx. 80 federal, community, private and municipal museums). The Council operates a website on which a short description of all members can be found: http://www.brusselsmuseums.be
ICOM Belgian National Committee
The two following professional associations form the Belgian National Committee of the International Council of Museums (ICOM):
Vlaamse Museumvereniging (VMV) in Flanders: http://www.museumvereniging.be
Association francophone des musées de Belgique (AFMB) in the French Community: http://www.muse.ucl.ac.be/Icom/ICOMBelgique.html
The VMV and AFMB provide a framework for consultation between Belgian museums, on the one hand, and with foreign museums, on the other hand. Both organizations are mainly concerned with exchanging experience and practices, organizing museological workshops, discussing professional problems and being an interface with government agencies.