Recognition as an environmental expert in containers for gasses or hazardous substances

To be recognised as an ‘environmental expert in containers for gasses or hazardous substances’, you must fulfil:

• general recognition conditions(opens in new window) that apply to all recognitions relating to the environment:
  • in the 3 years that precede the application for the Flemish recognition certificate, the applicant has not been convicted of a criminal offence in a member state of the European Economic Area, for infringements of the environmental legislation concerning the use of the recognition.
  • in the 2 years that precede the application for the Flemish recgonition certificate, no recognition with the same object was revoked due to infringement of the obligations associated with that recognition.
• special recognition conditions:
  • be a natural person
  • having obtained at least a bachelor’s or equivalent degree
    • and having at least 1 year’s practical experience in containers for gasses or hazardous substances, obtained within the 5 years preceding the application for recognition
  • or have obtained at least a secondary education qualification or an equivalent certificate
    • having at least 5 years’ practical experience in containers for gasses or hazardous substances, obtained within the 10 years preceding the application for recognition.
• An additional condition: when you request recognition for performing checks and periodic inspections on vapour recovery systems (domain E):
  • having a favourable assessment from the VITO (Flemish Institute for Technological Research) reference laboratory. The assessment may not be older than 1 year.

Validity period and obligations

The recognition is valid for an indefinite period. As ‘environmental expert in containers for gasses or hazardous substances’ you must meet the following obligations to retain the recognition:

• hold insurance for third-party liability, including professional liability, in connection with the use of the recognition
• pay the annual fee (in Dutch). The first payment is to be made in the year following the year in which you obtained the recognition. Failure to pay the annual fee will lead to automatic suspension of the recognition following a formal notice of default. If the fee is not paid within 30 days of the suspension, the recognition will automatically lapse.

More info on the obligations for recognised environmental experts (in Dutch)

Request your recognition from the Department of Environment and Spatial Development of the Flemish administration.

• Download the application form (in Dutch)(Word file opens in new window) and fill it in.
• Transfer the one-off fee to Account No. BE40 3751 1110 2263 stating ‘OMG-A-MDH + your first name and last name.
• Submit all the documents to the Flemish administration:
  • submit your application and receipt via the online recognition desk (in Dutch) of the Departement of Environment and Spatial Development ( click on “Ga naar het erkenningenloket”; log in with eID or eIDAS).
  • If you do not have a Belgian eID,
    • you can log in at the online recognition desk with eIDAS (in Dutch) if your country is connected through eIDAS;
    • or you can submit your application by registered letter to Departement Omgeving, Koning Albert II-laan 15/bus 551, 1000 Brussel, to the attention of Team Expertise, Afdeling GOP.

You must pay a one-off fee for the application for recognition as ‘environmental expert in containers for gasses or hazardous substances’.

• For 2024, the one-off fee is 683 euros.
• You are not required to pay any additional fee for an expansion of an recognition in the same discipline as the one for which you want to be recognised.

As accredited ‘environmental expert in containers for gasses or hazardous substances’, you must pay an annual fee (in Dutch) for the supervision of your recognition. You will receive an invoice for this by post at the start of the calendar year in your name at your official address.

• For 2024 the annual fee amounts to 137 euros.

Flemish regulation on environmental recognitions (VLAREL)