European Restructuring Monitor (ERM)
Eurofound's ERM database on restructuring-related legal regulations provides information on regulations in the Member States of the European Union and Norway which are explicitly or implicitly linked to anticipating and managing change.
Brussels: 8 December 2016 - Order of the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region on the energy audit of large enterprises and the energy audit of the environmental permit. Flanders: 16 Mei 2014 - Besluit van de Vlaamse Regering tot wijziging van diverse besluiten inzake leefmilieu, wat betreft een aanpassing aan de evolutie van de techniek en aan de CLP-verordening. Wallonia: 8 Septembre 2016 - Arrêté du Gouvernement wallon instaurant une obligation d'audit énergétique en exécution du décret du 9 décembre 1993 relatif à la promotion de l'utilisation rationnelle de l'énergie, des économies d'énergie et des énergies renouvelables.
Large companies are obliged to undertake an energy audit, which is conducted by an approved auditor, when renewing their environmental permit. A mandatory implementation of the cost-effective measures identified during the audit is required. Such measures should be implemented within four years since the permit is issued, extended or renewed.
Each region has their own conditions to determine when companies are considered to be a 'large company':
Brussels: Any building (housing not considered) larger than 3,500m².
Flanders: The energy audit for large companies is mandatory for all establishments that are subject to reporting or licensing requirements and employ more than 250 people or have an annual turnover of more than €50 million and an annual balance sheet total of more than €43 million. On 4 June 2020 the Flemish government added an additional obligation to the measure specifically aimed at supporting and guiding SME's to be more energy efficient. Concretely it became mandatory for all SME's to have an energy audit by 01 April 2023.
Wallonia: A large enterprise is an enterprise that meets at least one of the following two conditions: employs 250 or more full-time equivalents and/or has a turnover exceeding €50 million and an annual balance sheet total exceeding €43 million.
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Eurofound (2021), Belgium: Obligation to undertake energy efficiency audits, Restructuring legislation database, Dublin, https://apps.eurofound.europa.eu/legislationdb/obligation-to-undertake-energy-efficiency-audits/belgium
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