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Permitra • Belgium • Flanders, Wallonia, Brussels
Waste Transport Permit in Belgium: Three Regions, Three Systems
Belgium has no single national registration for waste carriers. Each region has its own legislation, its own authority and its own register of carriers. What a particular company needs depends, among other things, on the regions on the route, the type of waste and the authorisations the company already holds.
- Legal position as of: 10 November 2026
- OVAM • SPW • Bruxelles Environnement
- Regulation (EU) 2024/1157
The short answer
Each region has its own rules
Flanders, Wallonia and the Brussels-Capital Region regulate waste transport separately. Each region has its own legal act, its own authority and its own register of carriers. In Wallonia the type of authorisation depends on the waste: registration for non-hazardous waste, agrément for hazardous waste.
Which registrations a particular company needs depends, among other things, on the regions on the route, the types of waste and the authorisations the company already holds. This is determined case by case.
Before accepting a job
Four questions
- Region: where are the loading and unloading points, and which regions does the route pass through?
- Waste: hazardous or non-hazardous?
- Authorisations: which registrations does the company already hold, and what do they cover?
- Procedure: Annex VII, notification or a domestic movement?
Why Belgium has three systems
In Belgium, waste management is a regional responsibility. Each region has its own legal act, its own authority and its own register of carriers. For imports and exports of waste, the same regional authorities are the competent authorities within the meaning of Regulation (EU) 2024/1157. The exception is transit under the notification procedure, which is handled by a joint interregional body (section 05).
| Region | Authority and legal act | Carrier authorisation | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flanders | OVAM; VLAREMA (Flemish Government Decree of 17 February 2012), Chapter 6 | Carrier registration (vervoerder) | 10 years |
| Wallonia | SPW ARNE, Département du Sol et des Déchets; Decree of 9 March 2023 on waste | Non-hazardous waste: registration (enregistrement); hazardous waste: agrément | Registration 5 years; agrément 5 years at most |
| Brussels | Bruxelles Environnement; Ordinance of 14 June 2012 and the “Brudalex” Order of 1 December 2016 | Carrier registration | Unlimited, with confirmation every 5 years |
So when someone says “I have a permit for Belgium”, you need to clarify which region the document relates to and which types of waste it covers.
Flanders: OVAM and VLAREMA
Under Article 6.1.2.1 of VLAREMA, a waste carrier must hold a carrier registration. For the purposes of VLAREMA, a carrier is an entity that transports waste professionally on behalf of third parties (Article 1.2.1). The registration is valid for 10 years (Article 6.1.2.3) and cannot be transferred to another entity (Article 6.1.2.4). The rules on carrier registration do not distinguish between hazardous and other waste; for hazardous waste, ADR requirements apply in addition.
OVAM publishes on its website a register of waste carriers registered in the Flemish Region (Article 6.1.2.1). The authority may require a carrier to demonstrate that it holds the required authorisation.
If a transport company itself collects waste, trades in it or acts as a broker for waste moved from or within Flanders, the rules require it to be registered as a collector, dealer or broker (Article 6.1.3.1).
For waste transport in Flanders, the transport document is the identification form (identificatieformulier). From 1 January 2023 it must be a digital form generated in a system approved by OVAM (Articles 6.1.1.2 and 6.1.5.1 of VLAREMA).
Wallonia: registration and agrément
In Wallonia, a waste activity that requires registration or agrément may be carried out only once these have been obtained (Article 83 of the Decree of 9 March 2023). Such authorisations are, as a rule, issued for a maximum of 5 years (Article 84) and cannot be transferred to another entity (Article 83).
Enregistrement
Professional transport requires prior registration, valid for 5 years (Article 2 of the Walloon Government Order of 13 November 2003). A registered carrier submits an annual declaration of the waste transported by the 60th day after the end of the year and keeps a copy for at least 5 years.
Agrément
Professional transport of hazardous waste requires an agrément (Article 100 of the Decree of 9 March 2023), issued for a period of no more than 5 years (Article 84). A registration for non-hazardous waste does not replace it.
Older information stating that the Walloon registration has no time limit is out of date.
The Brussels-Capital Region
In the Brussels-Capital Region, the register of waste carriers is kept by Bruxelles Environnement. Registration is needed by anyone who transports waste professionally on behalf of others. The Brussels registration covers both non-hazardous and hazardous waste.
The registration is unlimited in time, but every 5 years the carrier confirms that it is continuing its activity.
Transporting waste within or to the Brussels-Capital Region requires a traceability document, completed and signed before the shipment. The carrier keeps a register of these documents for at least 5 years.
Cross-border shipments: Annex VII, notification, DIWASS
Since 21 May 2026, shipments of waste between countries have been governed by Regulation (EU) 2024/1157. Regional carrier registration and the shipment procedure are two separate matters: one does not replace the other.
- Annex VII (Article 18): eligible waste destined for recovery. All parties complete the document, and the organiser has a contract with the consignee. If the information is not available online, the organiser and the carrier make it available in the vehicle by other means.
- Notification: the shipment requires the prior consent of the competent authorities. For imports and exports these are OVAM, SPW or Bruxelles Environnement. For transit through Belgium it is the Commission interrégionale de l’Emballage (CIE/IVC).
- DIWASS: OVAM states that the electronic Annex VII is mandatory from 1 January 2027, and that transport notifications under the notification procedure have been digital since 21 May 2026. The carrier performing the shipment must be named in the document.
For the wider context of a route through several countries, see: Waste transport across Europe in 2026/2027.
Inspections and risks
Waste transport inspections are carried out by the regional environmental inspectorates: in Flanders the Departement Omgeving, in Wallonia the SPW’s police and enforcement department, in Brussels Bruxelles Environnement. They check the carrier’s authorisation in the given region, the transport document and whether it matches the load.
One authorisation “for the whole of Belgium”
The carrier assumes that a document from one region, or from its country of establishment, is enough for the entire route, and does not check the rules of the other regions.
Consequence: risk of transporting without an authorisation that a given region requires.
Hazardous waste in Wallonia
A registration for non-hazardous waste does not replace an agrément.
Consequence: no authorisation for the specific load.
The role of the organiser
The transport company itself collects the waste, buys or sells it, or acts as a broker.
Consequence: in Flanders, a registration as a collector, dealer or broker is needed.
The wrong transport document
For domestic transport, no digital Flemish form or Brussels traceability document; for international transport, no Annex VII.
Consequence: the vehicle is held until the matter is clarified, and proceedings follow.
Penalties. Regulation 2024/1157 (Article 63) requires Member States to provide for effective, proportionate and dissuasive penalties, at a minimum fines and the withdrawal or suspension of authorisations. In Wallonia, a registration or agrément can be suspended for up to 6 months or withdrawn (Article 86 of the Decree). We do not give amounts, because they depend on the regional rules and the circumstances of the case.
Questions to be settled for a specific company
- Scope of registration. Which regional registrations are needed depends, among other things, on the regions on the route, the types of waste and the authorisations the company already holds. The answer is determined case by case for the company’s business model.
- Waste classification. In Wallonia, whether the waste is hazardous determines the type of authorisation (registration or agrément). A classification error means the right authorisation is missing.
- Carrier or organiser? A company that itself collects waste, trades in it or acts as a broker may need different authorisations from a carrier working on behalf of others.
- Paper Annex VII in 2026. The deferral until 31.12.2026 was announced by OVAM. For a route from Wallonia or Brussels and through other countries, the position of each competent authority matters.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need three separate permits in Belgium?
Each of the three regions has its own rules, its own authority and its own register of carriers. Which registrations a particular company needs depends, among other things, on the regions on the route, the types of waste (hazardous or other) and the authorisations the company already holds. This is determined case by case.
Who approves waste transit through Belgium?
Under the notification procedure, the competent transit authority is the Commission interrégionale de l’Emballage (CIE/IVC), not the regional authorities. Notification relates to the shipment, not to the carrier’s authorisation: which regional registrations a particular route requires is assessed separately.
How long are Belgian registrations valid?
Flanders: 10 years. Wallonia: 5 years, and an agrément for hazardous waste is likewise valid for 5 years at most. Brussels: unlimited, with confirmation of activity every 5 years.
Does hazardous waste require a different authorisation?
In Wallonia, yes: professional transport of hazardous waste requires an agrément, not a registration. In Flanders, the carrier registration rules do not distinguish between types of waste, and in Brussels the registration covers both non-hazardous and hazardous waste. For the transport of hazardous waste, ADR rules also apply.
Does registration in DIWASS replace regional registration?
No. DIWASS is used to exchange shipment documents between countries. An authorisation to transport waste in a given region is a separate obligation.