Recognised control bodies for electrical installations

Recognition procedure

The minister in charge of energy may recognise the control bodies in charge of monitoring electrical installations in accordance with the three books of the General Regulations on Electrical Installations (French version), approved by the Royal Decree of 8 September 2019:

• Book 1 - Low voltage and very low voltage installations;
• Book 2 - High voltage installations;
• Book 3 - Installations for transmission and distribution of electrical energy.

This recognition also applies to the monitoring of electrical installations as described in Chapter V of Book III, Title 2 (French version) of the Codex on Well-being at Work with regard to electrical installations at workplaces.

What are the areas of activity of recognised control bodies?

The areas of activity are:

• control of the low voltage and very low voltage domestic installations referred to in Book 1;
• control of the installations referred to in Book 1, Book 2 and Book 3 in areas with a risk of explosion;
• control of the low voltage and very low voltage installations referred to in Book 1 and Book 3 that fall outside the previous areas of activity;
• control of the high voltage installations referred to in Book 2 and Book 3 (excluding high voltage overhead lines);
• control of the high voltage overhead lines referred to in Book 3 (excluding control by thermography as described in Book 3);
• control by thermography of the high voltage overhead lines referred to in Book 3.

What conditions must a control body meet to be recognised?

To be recognised, a control body must:

• have legal personality in the form of a non-profit association or an equivalent legal form under the law of the Member State of establishment within the European Economic Area;
• be accredited in accordance with the criteria of standard NBN 17020 by the Belgian accreditation system Belac or by an equivalent accreditation body within the European Economic Area for the requested area(s) of activity;
• have civil liability insurance;
• the technical manager must hold either a degree in civil or industrial engineering or a master's degree in engineering or industrial sciences, awarded by a Belgian institution of higher education, or a foreign degree recognised as equivalent;
• the technical manager and the visiting representatives must be associated with the recognised control body through an employment contract for an indefinite period of time.

What documents must applicants for recognition submit?

Applicants for recognition must send the following documents by registered mail to the Directorate-General for Energy of the FPS Economy:

• the requested areas of activity;
• a copy of the technical manager's diploma;
• the technical manager's curriculum vitae;
• a copy of the Articles of Association of the control body;
• a copy of the accreditation certificate and the corresponding area of accreditation;
• a statement that the civil liability of the control body is covered by an insurance contract. After obtaining the recognition and before starting the audit work, proof of such coverage must be submitted to the Directorate-General for Energy of the FPS Economy;
• the list of visiting representatives, indicating their areas of activity.

Along with that list, a copy of each visiting representative's diploma, their curriculum vitae and a copy of their employment contract must also be submitted.

How does the recognition process work?

The recognition process involves several stages:

• The file’s contents are examined by the Directorate-General for Energy of the FPS Economy. In this first stage, the competence of the prospective control body is also assessed:

• The technical manager is assessed on his knowledge of electricity and the regulations governing electrical installations in Belgium, as well as the procedures for managing and performing an inspection of an electrical installation. This assessment is based on written and oral evaluation.
• The visiting representative is assessed on his knowledge of the regulations governing electrical installations in Belgium, and on the performance of an inspection of an electrical installation. This assessment is based on oral evaluation.
• In the event of a favourable assessment by the Directorate-General for Energy of the FPS Economy, the file is forwarded to the advisory and supervisory committee on recognised control bodies. This committee issues an opinion on the file’s content.
• In the event of a favourable opinion from the advisory and supervisory committee, the file is forwarded to the minister. The minister decides whether or not the control body is recognised.
• In the event of a favourable decision by the minister, the recognition is announced by ministerial decree.

Recognition is valid for five years and is renewable.

Renewal of recognition

Applications for renewal must be submitted by registered mail to the Directorate-General for Energy of the FPS Economy at least six months before the expiration of the period of validity of the recognition.

Applications must state the area(s) of activity and include the list of authorised visiting representatives.

The recognition procedure is then repeated. This is also the case for applications to extend an existing recognition with a new area of activity.

List of recognised control bodies

All recognised control bodies can be found in the List of recognised control bodies for electrical installations (PDF, 271.37 KB).

Contact

FPS Economy
Directorate-General for Energy
High-level supervision of energy infrastructure and products

Tel.: +32 (0)800 120 33 (free number)
Email: gas.elec@economie.fgov.be