Message 001
Communication from the Commission - TRIS/(2026) 2007
Directive (EU) 2015/1535
Notification: 2026/0394/BE
Notification of a draft text from a Member State
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Does not open the delays - N'ouvre pas de délai - Kein Fristbeginn - Не се предвижда период на прекъсване - Nezahajuje prodlení - Fristerne indledes ikke - Καμμία έναρξη προθεσμίας - No abre el plazo - Viivituste perioodi ei avata - Määräaika ei ala tästä - Ne otvara razdoblje kašnjenja - Nem nyitja meg a késéseket - Non fa decorrere la mora - Atidėjimai nepradedami - Atlikšanas laikposms nesākas - Ma jiftaħx il-perijodi ta’ dewmien - Geen termijnbegin - Nie otwiera opóźnień - Não inicia o prazo - Nu deschide perioadele de stagnare - Nezačína oneskorenia - Ne uvaja zamud - Inleder ingen frist - Ní osclaíonn sé na moilleanna
MSG: 20262007.EN
1. MSG 001 IND 2026 0394 BE EN 23-07-2026 BE NOTIF
2. Belgium
3A. FOD economie
3B. Vlaams Energie en Klimaatagentschap
4. 2026/0394/BE - B00 - CONSTRUCTION
5. Ministerial decree amending various provisions of the ministerial decree of 28 December 2018 laying down general provisions on energy performance regulations, energy performance certificates and certification of contractors and installers
6. BACS (building automation and control systems)
7.
8. The document contains a number of changes to the energy performance and certification regulations, the training requirements for certificates of competence and EPB and EPC methodologies.
Certificates of competence: a course is available for the biomass stove certificate, for which the same experience requirements apply as for biomass boilers. The required training and examination conditions are also further clarified. For the new certificate for solar panels, home batteries and smart charging infrastructure, the material requirements for examination centres will be aligned with those for training centres.
Building label for apartment blocks: in accordance with the Flemish Coalition Agreement 2024-2029, a building label is being introduced for apartment blocks and other buildings for which an Energy Performance Certificate for Common Areas (EPC GD) is required. The label is intended to encourage renovation and is determined on the basis of indicators relating to insulation, building services and solar energy. The label runs from A to F, with A reserved for fully fossil-free buildings. In the absence of an EPC for Common Areas, an F label is automatically assigned. The absence of an EPC does not mean the property cannot be let or sold, but it may result in an administrative fine. New-build properties are exempt for a period of ten years.
For the Non-Residential EPC, a calculated energy label is introduced. In addition, provision is made for supporting documents to be handed over when an EPC is issued, so that future energy assessors do not have to collect all documentation again. The structure of the form is being amended to ensure that, among other things, energy storage, zero-emission buildings and renewable energy communities are accounted for properly.
Inspection protocol adjustments: the inspection protocols for EPCs are further clarified. Additional specifications will be included regarding digital plans, project files, site visits, photographs, floor plans, partition walls and product characteristics. In addition, rules for ventilation, solar boilers, lighting and equivalent units for industrial or agricultural buildings are being amended.
Technical amendments to the EPB regulations:
Various annexes to the EPB regulations are updated:
- Addition of normative references in the transmission reference document.
- Inclusion of CO₂ detection as a method for presence detection in wet rooms.
- Clarification of terms such as dimensioning note and dimensioning calculation.
- Adjustment of the calculation method for external heat supply to ensure that heat losses through pipework within buildings are also adequately taken into account. As a result, there continues to be incentive to limit these losses.
9. The ministerial decree of 28 December 2018 laying down general provisions on energy performance regulations, energy performance certificates, certification of contractors and installers and the renovation obligation is a coordinating decree in relation to EPB, EPC, the certification of installers and the renovation obligation. This decree was published in the Belgian Official Gazette on 29 January 2019.
The present amending decree introduces a number of changes in the decree of 28 December 2018 concerning, among other things, the quality requirements for training institutions and examination centres for certified contractors and installers, the EPC label limits for non-residential buildings, the transmission reference document for EPB, the formulation structure and inspection protocol for residential and small non-residential buildings and common areas and the inspection protocol for non-residential buildings.
9a. The ministerial decree contains a number of measures to improve the current energy performance framework, such as clarifications to the inspection protocols and determining how many hours of continuous training experts must undertake next year. In addition, this MB also introduces a building label, with the aim of evaluating the energy performance of existing apartment buildings. This is not a specific requirement of the EPBD directive, but it does contribute to achieving the targets set by the EPBD: a zero-emission building stock by 2050. In the case of apartment blocks in particular, energy-efficiency renovations are difficult when there is only an energy performance certificate for individual flats, as the owners of each flat wish to prioritise their own specific aspects based on their own certificate. For example, an owner of a ground-floor flat is unlikely to be willing to contribute towards the costs of renovating and insulating the building’s roof. The building labelling scheme is an appropriate measure to achieve the intended objective, namely improving the energy performance of existing apartment blocks and encouraging energy-efficiency renovations. The building label provides owners, co-owners, prospective buyers and prospective tenants with a simple and transparent overview of a building’s overall energy performance. Setting minimum requirements for this label creates a clear incentive to invest in energy-saving measures. This means that the co-owners’ association is required to invest in the energy performance of the building as a whole. Without this label, such investments are often postponed or blocked by the various individual interests of the owners. The label is aligned with existing EPC data and objective energy performance indicators, thereby contributing directly to the objective to improve the energy efficiency of the building stock. Furthermore, the building label is derived from the EPC for Common Areas, a tool resulting from the transposition of the European directive on the energy performance of buildings (EPBD). The measure therefore builds on an existing European policy framework aimed at improving the energy performance of buildings. The measure is applied in a consistent and systematic manner to buildings for which an EPC for Common Areas is required.
9b. The measure does not go beyond what is necessary to achieve the intended objective. The existing EPC for Common Areas contains technical information on the energy quality of a building. However, this information is not always easy for owners, prospective buyers or prospective tenants to interpret, which does not sufficiently encourage decision-making within the co-owners’ association. The building label fills this gap by translating complex information into a clear and easily comparable classification. Laying down clear requirements on this classification will lead to concrete investments in the building, which are necessary to achieve a zero-emission building stock by 2050. Less far-reaching alternatives, such as simply raising awareness or maintaining the current system of providing information without a label, do not offer sufficient assurance that the energy performance of buildings will be made visible and comparable. Furthermore, the measure relies solely on information already available in the EPC for Common Areas and does not require any additional inspections or administrative procedures. The impact on the free movement of goods and services within the single market therefore remains limited.
9c. The measure does not impose any excessive burdens on owners, co-owners’ associations or market participants. The building label is automatically derived from data already contained in the EPC for Common Areas, which is already mandatory for all apartment blocks. The existing information is summarised in a parameter that is easy to understand and compare. No additional audits, measurements or certifications are required. The administrative and financial impact therefore remains very limited. On the other hand, there is an important public interest at stake, namely the implementation of European and Flemish energy efficiency targets, support for the energy transition and greater transparency in the property market. Without a clear building label, the information contained in the EPC for Common Areas would be less accessible and less useful to many users, which would significantly reduce the EPC’s contribution to renovation decisions. Given the limited additional burden and substantial social benefit, the measure is proportionate to the objective pursued.
10. Numbers or titles of the basic texts: There are no basic texts.
11. No
12.
13. No
14. No
15. No
16.
TBT aspects: No
SPS aspects: No
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European Commission
Contact point Directive (EU) 2015/1535
email: grow-dir2015-1535-central@ec.europa.eu
