The environmental permit

This page has been automatically translated from French into English by a translation software. Automatic translations are not as accurate as translations made by professional human translators. Nevertheless these pages can help you understand information published by the City of Brussels.

   

The classified installations

Approximately 200 installations are subjected to an environmental permit. For example: the tanks of fuel oil, car parks, the butcher's shops, the treatment of metals, printing offices, the high-voltage cabins, (lists of the classified installations (PDF).

These installations are distributed in 5 classes (1A, 1B, 1C, 2 or 3) according to the effect of the installation on the environment. The procedure for the granting of an environmental permit depends on this classification (class 1C applies only to the construction sites of removal of asbestos).

If a technical and geographical unit of exploitation includes several installations of different classes, a unique demand is introduced and treated according to rules applicable to the installation of the strictest class.

The compulsory environmental permit

The environmental permit is compulsory in case of exploitation of one of the installations in these lists below:

• Prescription of the Government of April 22nd, 1999 fixing the list of the installations of class 1A (Belgian Statute Book in August 5th, 1999)
• Order of the Government of the Brussels Capital-Region of March 4th, 1999 fixing the list of the installations of class 1B, 1C, 2 and 3 (Belgian Statute Book in August 7th, 1999)

Environmental certificate?

If you wish to receive a principal decision on a running project of class 1A or 1B, you can seek an environment certificate on the basis of a more limited file.

It is about a principal decision defining the main lines of behavior. The applicant still has to obtain an environmental licence.

In the case of a mixed project, the environmental certificate is required if a planning certificate is introduced and vice versa.

The mixed project

A mixed project is a project which requires at the time of its introduction an environmental permit of class 1A or 1B and a planning permit. 2 demands must be simultaneously introduced and in a different way at the counters of the planning permit and the environmental permit. Both demands will receive a partially common treatment (in particular for the public inquiry and for the Consultation Committee).
None of the 2 permits is valid without the other one. The works or the exploitation can begin only after the obtaining of each permit.