Obtaining or renewing certification as the author of an environmental impact assessment (EIA)

APPLICATION FOR CERTIFICATION/RENEWAL OF CERTIFICATION

Submit your application via a paper form, by post or via an online form:

Paper form by mail:

The application for certification (free procedure only available in French) is submitted in triplicate by mail to the Environment Administration:

SPW - Environment

For the attention of the Director-General

Department of Environment and Water - Pollution Prevention Directorate

Avenue Prince de Liège 15, 5100 Jambes

For a certification renewal, the certification application must be submitted, also in triplicate, six months before the end of the current certification (the term of validity of your certification is indicated in the decision you have received. It is a maximum of five years).

How do I submit my application for certification or renewal?

• either by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt
• or by any similar form that allows the dating of the sending and receipt of the document, regardless of the mail delivery service used
• or via delivery against receipt

Online form:

The "My Space" platform allows you to submit your application for accreditation, or renewal of accreditation, online. Log in personally or through your company space. A follow-up of your request is available.  This procedure is completely free of charge, the same deadlines as the paper procedure remain applicable. Do not forget to submit your application for renewal of approval 6 months before the end of the current approval.

In addition, this platform allows you to notify the administration of changes in personnel during your approval period (Articles R. 58 to R.68 and R.76 of Book I of the Environmental Code)

CONTENT OF YOUR APPLICATION/RENEWAL DOSSIER

The application for certification must include the following information:

• Name and address of the applicant
• if a legal entity: a copy of the articles of association and a list of directors or managers
• titles, qualifications and references of the applicant or assistants linked to the applicant by a contract of employment
• titles, qualifications, references and technical resources of any subcontractors
• technical resources available to the applicant
• categories of projects for which the applicant is likely to conduct impact assessments

The application certifies that, within their own organisation or through their subcontractors, the applicant for certification has all the skills and resources necessary for the assessment of the environmental impacts of the project, the coordination of impact assessments and the use of the results of the impact assessment.

In addition to the above, the application for recertification must include the following:

• impact assessments that the applicant has completed
• impact assessments in which it participated as a subcontractor
• requests to conduct or participate in impact assessments to which it has responded and the follow-up
• any warnings and/or challenges issued since the previous certification decision

ANALYSIS OF YOUR DOSSIER (EXPERTISE OF THE DESIGN OFFICE)

We check whether, for each of the requested certification categories, you have the necessary skills to:

• assess, understand and describe the project
• coordinate the impact assessment
• draft the specifications for potential subcontractors
• critically use all the results, including those of subcontractors
• integrate all the results to determine the singular and synergistic impacts of the project on, at a minimum, the following factors:
  • population and human health;
  • biodiversity, with particular attention to species and habitats protected
  • land, soil, subsoil, water, air, noise, vibrations, mobility, energy and climate
  • material assets, cultural heritage and landscape
  • the interaction between all these factors
• analyse the project's impact on the environment

We also verify that the applicant has the technical resources necessary to accomplish their missions.

What about recertification?

We will take into account any impact assessments that were completed or in which you participated as a subcontractor during the previous certification period.

ANALYSIS OF YOUR APPLICATION (COMPLETENESS AND ADMISSIBILITY)

The Environment Administration sends its decision on the completeness and admissibility of the application within 15 days of receipt of the application.

• What if the application is incomplete? We will notify you of the missing documents and information. You then have 30 days from the date of receipt of the request for additional information to provide the Environment Administration with the requested information. Within 15 days of receipt of this additional information, the Environment Administration will send you its decision on the completeness and admissibility of the application. If the environmental authority finds the application incomplete a second time, it will declare it inadmissible.
• If the Environment Administration has not sent the applicant a decision within the required time frame, the application is considered admissible.  In this case, the applicant sends a copy of the application to the Minister.

DOSSIER ADMISSIBLE: REQUEST FOR OPINION

Once declared or deemed admissible, your application is submitted for opinion:

• to the Environment centre:
• to the land use planning administration.

The opinions of these services are sent to the Environment Administration within 30 days of receipt of the request for an opinion. Otherwise, they are deemed to be favourable.

REPORT BY THE ADMINISTRATION

The environmental authority draws up a report and a proposed decision based on the examination of the application and the opinions received. This report and the proposed decision must be sent to the Minister of the Environment within 50 days of the decision on the completeness and admissibility of the dossier.

MINISTER'S DECISION

As the applicant, you will receive the decision of the competent Minister on your application for certification within 30 days of receipt of the report from the Environment Administration.

The decision sets the time duration of the certification and the categories of projects for which the approved design office may carry out impact assessments.

The time duration of the certification cannot exceed five years

The Ministerial Order granting or refusing the certification is published by extract in the Belgian Official Gazette.

See the list of certified environmental impact assessment creators in the "Useful Links" section below.