Apply for accreditation as a "Storage Facilities Expert" in order to inspect service stations

Any natural or legal person who wishes to carry out compliance and leakage checks upon service station tanks and piping. 

In addition to the guarantees to be attached to the accreditation application form (please see "Procedure"), you must meet the following conditions.

CONDITIONS APPLYING TO THE LEGAL ENTITY APPLICANT

      • Is incorporated in accordance with Belgian law or the law of another Member State of the European Community or of a party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area

      • Has not been convicted of any breach of regional or federal environmental legislation or any other equivalent legislation of another EU Member State

      • Its directors, managers or persons with authority to commit the company may only include persons who satisfy the following conditions:
            o they have not been deprived of their civil and political rights
            o they have not been convicted of an offence against regional or federal environmental legislation or any other equivalent legislation in another Member State of the European Union and the conviction is still in force

      • Has, as a partner or in its service, one or more persons responsible for carrying out the in situ tests who satisfy the conditions applicable to natural persons below

      • Notify the Director-General of SPW ARNE immediately by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt of any changes with regard to your original application for accreditation

CONDITIONS APPLYING TO THE NATURAL PERSON APPLICANT

      • Is a national of a Member State of the European Union

      • Has not been deprived of his/her civil and political rights

      • Has not been convicted of violating any regional or federal environmental legislation or any other equivalent legislation of another EU Member State

      • Has sufficient experience and training in the discipline

      • Has the necessary equipment to carry out its assignments

      • Is not in a situation which could compromise its objectivity and the independent exercise of its assignments

      • Notify the Director-General of SPWARNE immediately by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt of any changes with regard to your original application for accreditation

Below you will find the information you need to

1. prepare your application for accreditation
2. submit your application to the administration
3. understand how SPW ARNE will process your application
4. identify the possibilities to appeal
5. renew an existing accreditation

      1. PREPARE YOUR APPLICATION FOR ACCREDITATION

Print and complete the application form for accreditation (see "Forms"), making sure that you provide the annexes requested below which are relevant to you.

If you are applying for accreditation as a legal entity:

      • a copy of the publication of your Articles of Association and the latest appointment of its directors/managers, or a certified copy of the application for publication of the Articles of Association (Annex I)

      • the list of names of the persons who can commit the company in the context of this application (Annex II)

      • for each of the persons mentioned in the previous point, a certificate of good conduct, life and morals, dated less than 3 months ago (annex VII)

      • an extract from the Crossroads Bank of Enterprises or a copy of the main trade register and any changes registered since the main registration. the inspection activity (Nacebel code 71.209) should be included (Annex III)

      • a sworn statement that the applicant has not been convicted of an offence under regional or federal environmental legislation or any other equivalent legislation of another EU Member State (Annex IV)
            o provide a certificate for the company, for each of the directors and technicians covered by the application for accreditation, dated and signed

      • any relevant information to establish that your organisation is not in a situation which could compromise its objectivity and independence in carrying out its tasks (Annex VI)

If you are applying for accreditation as a natural person:

      • an extract from the Crossroads Bank of Enterprises or a copy of the main trade register and any changes registered since the main registration. the inspection activity (Nacebel code 71.209) should be included (Annex III)

      • a declaration of honour, dated and signed by you, stating that you are not in a situation which could compromise your objectivity and independence in the performance of your duties (Annex VI)

Regardless of your status, you must also provide the following:

      • for each person likely to work under the accreditation requested:
            o name, first name, nationality
            o degrees, specialisations and training
            o by way of professional experience, list each project carried out, specifying for each one: the type of project carried out, its date and location, the technique used, the company commissioning the project, the contact person within the company
            o type of contract between the individual and your organisation or company
            o a certificate of good conduct, life and morals (Annex VII a)

      • a copy of the insurance contract covering civil liability incurred in the assignments covered by the accreditation requested (Annex V)
            o The contract mentioning the activities covered and the amounts insured for each of them

      • a note describing the techniques and equipment used (Annex VIII)

      • a note detailing the working method for the control of storage facilities (Annex IX)
            o the note including the list of recommended controls and, for each of them, the method and equipment used

      • a copy of the "Storage facilities" expert accreditation which would have been issued to you in another region or in another Member State (Annex XI)

      2. SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION FOR ACCREDITATION

Send the file which you have compiled to:

SPW Agriculture Ressources naturelles et Environnement
For the attention of the Director-General
Avenue Prince de Liège, 15
B-5100 Jambes

You can:

      • send your file by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt
      • go to the above address and hand in your application in return for a receipt

      3. SPW ARNE PROCESSES YOUR APPLICATION

3.1 Completeness and admissibility of your application

SPW ARNE checks that your application is complete and admissible. It will notify you of its decision by registered letter within 15 days after receiving your application.

Is your application incomplete?

You must provide the missing information, by post or by delivery in return for a receipt, no later than 30 days after receiving the administration's decision. The latter will check once again that your file is complete. If your application is found to be incomplete at this stage, the SPWARNE will declare it inadmissible.

The administration will send you its decision, together with the reasons for inadmissibility, if any, within 15 days after receiving your additional information.

3.2 Decision to grant or refuse accreditation

Once your application has been deemed admissible, the SPW ARNE will analyse your file and grant you accreditation or not. It will notify you of its decision, by registered letter, no later than 45 days after having notified you of the admissibility of your application.

      4. POSSIBILITIES TO APPEAL

Are you not satisfied with the SPW ARNE's decision? Submit an appeal with the Minister for the Environment within 20 days of receiving the decision of the SPW ARNE.

How? By registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt to rue d’Harscamp, 22, B-5000 Namur.

The Minister will notify you of his decision within 60 days after receiving your appeal.

      5. WHAT HAPPENS IN THE EVENT OF A RENEWAL OF THE ACCREDITATION?

In order to apply for the renewal of an existing accreditation, follow the procedure as described above. Make sure that your application is sent to the administration at least 6 months before your current accreditation expires.

• Legislation relating to the accreditation of experts in "Storage Facilities" for the inspection of service stations Article 681 bis/73 of Title III of the General Regulations for the Protection of Labour (consolidated version)