Recognition as a refrigeration company

To be recognised as a refrigeration company, the company must fulfil:

• general recognition conditions which apply to all the 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precede the application for the Flemish recognition certificate, no recognition of the applicant with the same subject was revoked due to infringement of the obligations associated with that recognition.
• the following special recognition conditions:
  • employ at least 1 recognised refrigeration technician
  • employ sufficient recognised refrigeration technicians for the expected work volume
  • provide proof that the necessary instruments and procedures are available to the recognised refrigeration technician
  • have passed inspection by a recognised inspection body whereby the 3 recognition conditions listed above are checked. The inspection is carried out using a checklist (in Dutch)(PDF file opens in new window). If the company meets the recognition conditions, the inspection body will issue a ‘European certificate’ and the Flemish recognition certificate.

Your company already has a European certificate as a refrigeration company

A company that has already obtained a European certificate as a refrigeration company outside the Flemish Region (e.g. a registration as a refrigeration company in the Brussels-Capital Region) can also obtain the Flemish recognition certificate as a refrigeration company. However, the company must register with the Flemish administration before starting to work in the Flemish Region.

Validity period and obligations

Recognition as a refrigeration company is valid for an indefinite period. Your company must meet the following obligations, among others, to retain recognition:

• duly and fully complete the installation log book
• check, after every refilling of a refrigeration installation, that the maximum relative leakage loss is not exceeded
• ensure that recognised refrigeration technicians are deployed for work that is subject to recognition
• hold insurance for third party liability, including professional liability, in connection with the use of the recognition
• report any changes in the identification details (such as address, e-mail address) immediately via erkenningen.omgeving@vlaanderen.be(opens in your email application)
• pay the annual fee (in Dutch) for the supervision of the recognition. The first payment is to be made in the year following the year in which the refrigeration company has obtained the Flemish recognition certificate. Failure to pay the annual fee will lead to automatic suspension of the recognition following a formal notice of default. If the fee is still not paid within 30 days of the suspension, the recognition will automatically lapse.

More information on the obligations of refrigeration companies (in Dutch) (in Dutch).

Your company already has a European certificate as a refrigeration company

A company that has already obtained a certificate as a refrigeration company outside the Flemish Region must register via the online recognition desk of the Department of Environment and Spatial Development (in Dutch)(opens in new window) (click on ‘Ga naar het erkenningenloket’; log in with eID).

If you do not have a Belgian eID, you must register the company by registered letter with the Flemish administration before being allowed to work in the Flemish Region. Send your notification by registered letter to Departement Omgeving, Koning Albert II-laan 20/bus 8, 1000 Brussel, to the attention of Team Erkenningen, afdeling GOP.

Attach the following information to your notification:

• a copy of the European certificate as a refrigeration company in Dutch, French, German or English
• the official name of the company
• the company registration number. If the company does not have a company registration number, you should submit the address of the registered office and the VAT number of the company
• the telephone number and the e-mail address.

The recognition will take effect from the date on which this information is submitted to the Flemish administration. The company then receives a Flemish recognition certificate from the Energy and Climate Agency of Flanders and is included on the list of recognised refrigeration companies (in Dutch)(PDF file opens in new window).

The recognised refrigeration company must pay an annual fee (in Dutch) for the supervision of the recognition. The recognised refrigeration company receives an invoice for this by post at the start of the calendar year:

• In 2023, the annual fee is 136 euros.
• That amount is index-adjusted every year.

Flemish regulation on environmental recognitions (VLAREL)