Espicom's in-depth medical device market reports are ideal for executives wanting to understand the key drivers in medical markets and have access to a wealth of statistical data. Each report opens with an outlook section that provides analysis of the market, 5-year market forecasts, national data projections, market outlook and key developments such as regulation, health facilities and government policy. The report also provides extensive background information, population trends, health status, health expenditure, organisation & administration, hospital services, medical personnel, healthcare development, market access information, trade data and essential industry contacts. Included with the report are 3 free quarterly updated outlook reports, enabling you to keep up to date with market developments for a year. The Belgian market is divided into two linguistic regions, with a combined population of 10.4 million; the northern Dutch speaking region of Flanders and the southern French speaking region of Wallonia. The capital, Brussels, is situated in the Dutch region but has bilingual status. With GDP per capita in excess of US$38,000, Belgium is one of the wealthier EU countries and has one of the most open economies in the world. The Belgian market is served by a network of experienced local distributors, many of which are also involved in re-export activities, and by the manufacturing and sales subsidiaries of multinational (particularly U.S.) groups. Many distributors of medical equipment and supplies in Belgium are members of UNAMEC, which has been in existence since 1959.

Public sector hospital purchasing is usually undertaken by the Centres Publics d'Assistance Sociale (CPAS). Tenders are advertised in the Official Journal (Moniteur Belge) and the Official Supplement to the European Journal. Legislation stipulates that all public sector purchasing contracts have to be publicly announced. In the past, only contracts which exceeded certain thresholds, as stipulated by European directives, had to be announced. Public sector purchasing encompasses all publicly subsidised organisations (including hospitals), and services such as information technology, insurance and consultancy