T rust belts and foreland basins record the main phases of orogenic evolution. T ey are shaped by the coupled inf uence of deep (f exure, plate rheology and - nematics) and surf cial (erosion, sedimentation) geological processes, at dif erent time scales. T rust belts and foreland basins constitute important targets for sci- tists interested in both fundamental and applied (f uids, hydrocarbons) aspects. In the framework of a new cycle of workshops of the ILP task force on Sedim- tary Basins, a three-day meeting on T rust Belts and Foreland Basins was or- nized in December 2005 on behalf of...