BELGIUM Trends and Developments Contributed by: Pieter Puelinckx, Yves Moreau, Bénédicte Deboeck and Melissa Verplancke, Linklaters
tion schemes that apply to individual buildings (such as BREEAM, LEED, WELL or NABERS (the National Australian Built Environment Rat - ing System)). Urban planning and social housing Urban planning regulations in Belgium contain a variety of urban planning prescriptions. Such urban planning prescriptions are diverse. They can include the obligation to design green are - as in a development project, as well as social and public functions. Such obligations are often inserted in the building permits for development projects (eg, the obligation to have a minimum offer of social housing in the framework of a resi - dential development). In parallel, a lot of atten - tion is paid to: • the quality-oriented management of the resi - dential environment; • the efficient use of the soil and its resources; • the preservation and development of the cul - tural, natural and landscape heritage; and • the improvement of the energy performance of the buildings. Moreover, building permits for development projects often contain specific urban planning charges with an ESG angle (such as the con - struction of community parks and green spaces and the redevelopment of public infrastructures). Electromobility Non-residential buildings that have more than ten parking spaces must install at least one electric vehicle (EV) charging station and install cabling for one in every five spots so that EV charging points can be installed at a future date. Non-residential structures with more than 20 parking spaces will be required to install at least one EV charging station for every ten spaces by
the beginning of 2027. Newly built and renovat - ed office buildings must also install at least one EV charging point for every two parking spaces. An existing exemption for SMEs is also removed. In addition, mandatory bicycle parking spaces in new buildings and buildings undergoing major renovation are introduced. This aims to remove barriers to cycling becoming a central element of sustainable, zero-emission mobility. More stringent obligations are being introduced by various Belgian regional governments, imple - menting existing and/or anticipating future EU law. In the Brussels-Capital region, for example, the following obligations have entered into force on 1 January 2025. • For office parking zones – the number of EV charging points must represent 10% of the parking spaces, with a compulsory minimum of two EV charging points. This ratio will gradually increase to 20% by 1 January 2030 and to 30% by 1 January 2035. • For residential parking zones – there is an obligation to install one EV charging point per parking space for residents who have access to the resident parking and after notification of their EV ownership. • For public parking zones – a minimum requirement of 5% EV charging points is mandated, with at least 2 EV charging points. This ratio will gradually increase to 10% by 1 January 2030 (with a minimum of two charg - ing points) and to 20% by 1 January 2035. Changes in the commercial and retail sectors The commercial and retail sectors are undergo - ing changes in the Brussels-Capital and Walloon regions.
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