Table of Contents
What is the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises?
The Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (CBE) is a database owned by the FPS Economy containing all the basic data concerning companies and their business units. The purpose of the CBE is twofold:
- increasing the efficiency of public services; and
- simplifying administrative procedures for companies.
Method of operation
The CBE centralises the basic data of companies and business unit and disseminates it to several competent authorities. The CBE assigns a unique identification number to each company and business unit. This identification number allows authorities to exchange information. Consequently, companies need to submit their data to the authorities only once.
For whom?
Specific services have been developed for each target group. Services exist for:
New authorisation for itinerant activity at the consumer’s home in the Brussels Capital Region – 01.04.2024
A new authorisation ”Itinerant activity at the consumer's home (Brussels Cap. R.)” with corresponding entrepreneurial skill have been created. Registration in the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (CBE) of this new authorisation and entrepreneurial skill are done by the enterprise counters as of 01/04/2024.
Two new codes have been added in the code tables:
- Authorisation 50518 ”Itinerant activity at the consumer’s home (Brussels Cap. R.)” in code table ”Data for Characteristic/ Authorisation/ type of activity” (XLSX, 119.59 KB)
- Entrepreneurial skill 20048 “Itinerant activity at the consumer’s home (Brussels Cap. R.)” in code table ”Legal data” (XLSX, 173.58 KB)
These new features follow the reform of the regulations on itinerant and fairground activities in the Brussels Capital Region on 01.04.2024.
Discontinuation of 5 professional competences with corresponding authorisation - 31.03.2024
The obligation to present proof of professional competence for five regulated professions (wholesale meat trader, dry cleaning - dyeing services, pedicure, masseur/masseuse and dental technician) will be abolished in the Brussels Capital Region on 31.03.2024. This obligation had previously been abolished in the Flemish and Walloon Regions.
As a result, the following professional competences in code table ”Legal data” (XLSX, 173.58 KB) have been discontinued on 31.03.2024:
- 20010 Wholesale meat trader
- 20035 Dry cleaning - dyeing services
- 20303 Pedicure
- 20304 Masseur/masseuse
- 20306 Dental technician
The corresponding authorisation in code table ”Data for Characteristic/ Authorisation/ type of activity” (XLSX, 119.59 KB) have been discontinued on 31.03.2024:
- 50145 / 50146 Professional competence of butcher – wholesaler
- 50108 / 50109 Sectoral professional competence of dry cleaner-dyer
- 50139 / 50140 Professional competence of pedicure
- 50141 / 50142 Professional competence of masseur
- 50143 / 50144 Professional competence of dental technician
Finally, the above-mentioned professional competences and authorisations registered in the CBE will be discontinued on 31.03.2024.
Displayed capital- 15.02.2024
Since 1 January 2024, CSLLs (SCRL/CVBA) no longer have capital.
As a consequence, for CSLLs active on that date, the capital has been automatically converted to 0 and is no longer visible in the various CBE applications, except for CBE Select and Public Search, where the displayed capital corresponds to 0.
For CSLLs that ceased operations before 1 January 2024, the amount of registered capital remains available.
New “reason for ex-officio striking off”: Striking off due to non-compliance with UBO obligations - 29.01.2024
As a result of the entry into force of the law of 5 November 2023 containing various provisions on economy, the CBE management service may ex-officio strike off entities that have not complied with the obligations for entering or updating their data in the register of ultimate beneficial owners (UBO register).
Code 005 - Striking off due to non-compliance with UBO obligations, previously added to the code table Reasons for ex officio actions, (XLS, 74.5 KB) can thus be entered in the CBE since 21 December 2023.
The ex-officio striking off will be withdrawn, once, according to FPS Finance, the relevant obligations have been completed in the UBO register.
Finally, striking offs and withdrawals of striking offs are accessible via the applications and services made available to public administrations, the file containing all the public data available for reuse, and are also published in the annexes to the Belgian Official Gazette.
Information on the striking off of an entity is also available through the "Public Search" application.
More information about the “UBO register”
Companies and Associations Code and changes to legal forms and function -12.01.2024
The law of 23 March 2019 on the Introduction of the Companies and Associations Code containing various provisions sets out that from 1 January 2024, legal entities that have adopted certain legal forms will be automatically transformed into other legal forms. The Crossroads Bank for Enterprises has therefore added, in the section on legal forms, an indication of the entity’s legal form following its automatic transformation.
Furthermore, the aforementioned act provides that, for partnerships limited by shares, the function of managing director must, from 1 January 2024, be read/considered as director when the partnership is managed by a sole managing director.
In this case, the CBE has added the function as it is meant to be read/considered, as well as the start date and, if applicable, the end date.
The new company registration numbers now start with 1 – 19.09.2023
The first company numbers starting with 1 have been assigned! When registering in the CBE, each new entity will now receive a company number starting with 1. Nevertheless, existing entities will keep their company number starting with 0.
New version of CBE Select - 23.02.2023
The new version of CBE Select will be available on 23.02.2023. It allows you to create your own lists of registered entities and/or establishment units in a simple, user-friendly and fast way with just a few clicks. Besides better performance and ergonomics, the application's functionality has also been improved.
Want to know more? Then go to the CBE Select web pages:
You want to use this new version, but your service does not yet have access? If so, fill in the access request form and send it to the CBE’s Management Service.
New codes of reasons for ex officio striking off, reason for the end of a function and modified descriptions of codes – 26.01.2023
On 26.01.2023, two new codes were added to the code table “Data for ex officio actions” (XLS, 74.5 KB). There are two new reasons for ex officio striking off: “Striking off after two letters without effect” (006) and “Striking off based on an authentic source” (007).
When erroneous data is identified, the management department of the CBE may ask the entity by letter to correct the data. The entity is then given 30 days to adjust the data.
If the entity does not respond and the management department of the CBE does not have a valid judgment, investigation report or official report to strike off the data, a second letter will be sent. If there is no response, the management department of the CBE will strike out the data concerned 30 days after sending the second letter, with the reason for striking off: “Striking off after two letters without effect” (006).
If the incorrect data is an address that is not included in an authentic source of addresses, the striking off may occur 30 days after the first letter is sent with the reason for strike off: “Striking off based on an authentic source” (007).
In addition, a new code “998 - Discontinuation of function” will be added to the “Legal data” (XLSX, 173.58 KB) code table, on the tab “the reason for the end of a function”.
This reason for termination of the function can only be entered by the management department of the CBE , and only for specific cases where no other reason for cessation of the function is applicable.
Finally, the descriptions of certain legal situations, reasons for the cessation of an entity or function and reasons for ex officio actions have been modified for reasons of uniformity. The modified descriptions can be accessed through the code tables “Legal data” (XLSX, 173.58 KB) and “Data for ex officio actions” (XLS, 74.5 KB). The meaning of the codes remains unchanged.
Registration of all branches and their names – 23.10.2022
As a result of the entry into force of that Royal Decree, the registry of the company court must now register all addresses of branches in Belgium of the same foreign entity (legal form 030). The name (branch name or abbreviation) of the branch must also be registered if it differs from the name of the entity. The branch name is of type "004 - Branch name".
The Royal Decree of 14 September 2022 amending the Royal Decree of 29 April 2019 implementing the Companies and Associations Code, among other things, pursuant to the transposition of Directive (EU) 2019/1151 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 amending Directive (EU) 2017/1132 as regards the use of digital tools and processes in company law, was published in the Belgian Official Gazette of 13 October 2022 and entered into force on 23 October 2022.
CAC and adaptations to legal forms and functions - 10 .06.2022
The Act of 23 March 2019 introducing the Companies and Associations Code (CAC) has made a series of changes relating to legal forms and functions.
This act provides that, from a certain date, some legal forms and functions (within certain legal forms) must be considered/read differently, even before the filing of the articles of association to comply with the provisions of the CAC and/or, as regards functions, even before the filing of the instrument of appointment or renewal.
Therefore, for certain legal forms and functions, the CBE has added the legal form/function as it should be read/considered, as well as the starting date of that form/function and, where applicable, the ending date (for functions only).
Link added to the statutes and powers of representation of authentic legal forms for legal persons- 10.06.2022
A link to database of the statutes and powers of representation is added to the CBEwi, My Enterprise, Public Search and Mobile Public Search applications. The link is added to "external sources", "other information sources" and "external links" respectively.
This link appears for registered entities legal person and refers to the statutes of legal entities and their updates (coordinated statutes) as well as the powers of representation of legal persons with regard to third parties, when they result from notarial acts.
COSTA: link added to the statutes of authentic legal forms for legal persons- 28.01.2022
As of 28/01/2022, a new link to the “COSTA” database will be added to the CBEwi, My Enterprise, Public Search and Mobile Public Search applications. The link is added to "external sources", "other information sources" and "external links" respectively and will only appear for registered entities legal person. In this database you will find the statutes of legal entities and their updates (coordinated statutes) insofar as they concern notarial deeds filed from 01/05/2019.
Conversion of NSSO-LPA activities and capacities – 22.11.2021
Following the merger between the SSSSO (formerly ONSS-APL) and the NSSO, the "00294 – Employer NSSO-Local and Provincial Administrations" capacities (recorded at entity level), and the "Activities NSSO-LPA” (recorded at entity level and at the level of the business units) are converted into NSSO capacities and NSSO activities as of 1 January 2022.
The codes of the "00294 - Employer NSSO-Local and Provincial Administrations" capacity and of the "005 - PPO001 - Activities NSSO-LPA" activity group will be discontinued with 31 December 2021 as end date.
Branches in Belgium of a foreign entity: new data structure and possibility to register several branches - 10.09.2021
The registration of branches in the CBE has been amended to allow the registration of several branches for the same foreign entity (legal form 030). The main goal is to enable the exchange of information on branches within the European BRIS (Business Registers Interconnection System).
Branches are identified by their address. From now on, the designation (name or abbreviation) of the branch may be registered, provided that it differs from the designation of the entity. A new code “type of name”: “004 - Branch name” has been created.
The contact details of the branch are no longer registered at the branch level, but at the level of the corresponding business unit.
All branches already registered in the CBE are migrated to the new data structure. The “contact details of the branch” have been migrated to the corresponding business units.
Note, however, that the registration of several branches and branch names are subject to the entry into force of a Royal Decree (RD) amending the Royal Decree of 29 April 2019 implementing the Companies and Associations Code, which has not yet been published.
Modification of the announcement of a foreign entity or a registered natural person entity - 20.11.2020
The announcement process of foreign entities and registered entities natural persons, now, requires the registration of:
- a characteristic;
- an authorisation;
- an application for a characteristic;
- or an application for an authorisation.
The registration of this (application for a) characteristic or authorisation also allows to know the reason for announcement of the entity in the CBE.
The following data can no longer be registered:
- The characteristic 00001-ESD service provider;
- The characteristic 00002-non-EU service provider;
- ESD-activities.
Those data are linked to the scope of the services directive and are, therefore, too restrictive. All (applications for) authorisations/characteristics must be able to be registered with the CBE, regardless of whether or not they fall within the scope of the services directive.
The "00001-ESD service provider" and "00002-non-EU service provider" characteristic codes as well as the "ESD001" activity code are, therefore, discontinued in the code tables "characteristic" and "activities" respectively.
Code 019 "Discontinuation of a ESD-non-EU entity " is also discontinued in the code tables "legal status" and "reason for discontinuation of the entity".
Those codes will be discontinued on the date of the release (i.e. 20/11/2020).
Finally, the aforementioned characteristics and activities will be discontinued in the CBE.
Modification to the "Services for All" - 01.10.2020
Changes were made to the Open data files and the Public Search web services.
The address of the oldest business unit is no longer included as the address of the head office of the entities ‘natural person’.
However, the addresses of the establishment units of these entities are still provided at the establishment units data level.
Modification of the "Services for everyone" – 06.07.2020
Non-structural changes have been made in some applications for everyone. For more information, please visit the Public Search and Public Search Mobile news page.
Revocation of the dissolution – 29.05.2020
When a judicial dissolution has been pronounced and it appears that the conditions for the dissolution were not met, a judgment may declare the said judicial dissolution. We will then talk about “Revocation of the dissolution”.
From 29 May 2020, company courts can register judgments relating to a withdrawal of a judicial dissolution in the CBE by entering a new event “Revocation of the dissolution" in the legal status "Judicial dissolution or nullity" for registered entities legal person.
As a result, the legal status and status of the entity will change into the legal status and status that were valid prior to the registration of the dissolution.
That new event is available in the code table “Legal data”, on the “Events” tab.
Privacy statement – 29.05.2020
You can read our Privacy statement via the new section “Privacy statement”. It informs you on how the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises processes and uses personal data, on the rights of the person involved and how to exercise these rights.
New legal situation / reason for the cessation - 07.02.2020
The foreign entities, which are located in the European Economic Area (EEA) and have a branch in Belgium, can be automatically deleted in the CBE when they are stopped in their registry of origin. The automatic deletion is only possible with a notification of the discontinuation from the European Business Registers Interconnection System (BRIS).
In concrete terms, the CBE performs the following operations:
On the date mentioned in the notification:
- stopping of the foreign entity, with “Deletion following the stopping in a registry of the EEA” as stopping reason;
- stopping of the branch (address);
- registration of the legal situation “Deletion following the stopping in a registry of the EEA”.
Afterwards, the deletion is published in the Annexes to the Belgian Official Gazette.
The new reason for the cessation and legal situation are available in the table of codes “Legal data”.
Display of the capital - 01.01.2020
From 1 January 2020 on, private limited liability companies will no longer have capital. As a result, the capital of these entities, active on that date, will automatically be converted to “0” and will no longer be visible in the different applications of the CBE, except for CBE Select, where the displayed capital corresponds to “0”.
For private limited liability companies discontinued before 01.01.2020, the amount of the registered capital remains available.
Companies and Associations Code - 01.05.2019
The entry into force of the Companies and Associations Code on 01.05.2019 causes certain changes to the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (CBE) and its applications.
Legal forms
The code table “legal data” is adapted. New codes of “legal forms” have been created while other codes have stopped. Corrections are also brought to some abbreviations. These adaptations are available in the code table “Legal data” , subpage “legal forms”. In addition, the search list by legal form has been adapted in the “search by name” module of the Public Search.
Legal functions
New codes of “legal functions” have been created. They are available in the code table “Legal data”, subpage “functions”. The list of persons authorised to represent the registered entity has also been adapted.
Email address and website
From now on, legal persons referred to in the Companies and Associations Code may include an email address and a website in their founding act (or later deed). New characteristics have therefore been created to distinguish these email addresses and websites from the declarative data that can be registered without specific procedures via the My Enterprise application or via the business counters. They are available in the “Contact information” code table. Please note that these changes are only visible in BCE wi, Web Services and My Enterprise applications.
Reopening of liquidation proceedings
In case of a deficit liquidation and if it appears that one or more assets have been forgotten, the company court can order a reopening of the liquidation proceedings. As a result, the legal person regains the legal personality. A registered entity “legal person” may now, when it is discontinued in conclusion of the liquidation, get an active status, with “Reopening of the liquidation proceedings” as legal situation.
This new legal situation is available in the “Legal data” code table, sub “legal situation”.
Adaptation of the denominations
As far as non-profit associations are concerned, the term “operation centre” is replaced by “branch”.
Registration of the company in the foreign register
When a Belgian legal person transfers its registered office to a foreign country, it must provide its foreign identification number, which will be included under the heading “external identification number”.
Removal of the capital
The capital of the legal forms referred to in the Companies and Associations Code is removed from the CBE except for the limited companies, the European companies and the European cooperative partnerships.
Address modification in the CBE - 01.01.2019
At the beginning of January 2019, some active addresses were automatically converted in the CBE. These modifications are the result of:
- the merger of 15 municipalities in the Flemish Region (more info)
- new district boundaries in Antwerp and Ekeren
- the change in the composition of the administrative districts in Hainaut (more info)
What are the consequences for the CBE data?
- The addresses of registered entities Natural person, registered entities Legal person, establishment units and branches were automatically modified in the CBE provided the address is correctly registered in the CBE and it can be linked to an address which is officially recognized by the municipality.
- These ex officio adaptations of addresses will be published automatically and free of charge in the annexes to the Belgian Official Gazette if your registered entity is subject to a publication obligation.
In short, good news! The registered entity must take no steps to adapt the address in the CBE or to publish this change in the annexes to the Belgian Official Gazette.
For further information regarding the address modifications in the CBE, please contact the CBE helpdesk at helpdesk.kbo@economie.fgov.be.
Companies and associations must however adapt their statutes. This can be done at the time of the next amendment of the statutes, after the publication of this address change. For further information on this obligation, please contact the FPS Justice.
Company law reform - 01.11.2018
The entry into force on 01/11/2018 of the company law reform implies a number of important changes for the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (CBE) and its applications.
-
The concept of 'enterprise' disappears.
From now on the term 'enterprises' will no longer be used in the CBE, but will be replaced by 'registered entities' or simply 'entities'. The terms 'enterprise number' and 'Crossroads Bank for Enterprises', on the other hand, are retained.
-
The terms 'craft business’ and ‘(non-)commercial’ characteristic are abolished.
As a result of the abolition of the concepts of trader and craftsman, the characteristics of ’commercial company’, ‘non-commercial company under private law' and 'craft business’ operating on 31 October 2018 will be converted into the new characteristic of 'enterprise subject to registration'. In other words, on 1 November 2018 the new characteristic of 'enterprise subject to registration' will be automatically granted.
-
The distinction between the civil and commercial character of the company disappears.
On 1 November 2018 legal forms starting with 'Civil company in the form of' will automatically be converted into a legal form that no longer refers to the civil nature.
-
Several contact details can be registered in the CBE.
An entity can have several contact details of the same type in the CBE. For example, an entity can have two or more e-mail addresses or telephone numbers. An entrepreneur can also change these data free of charge at any time via My Enterprise.
