Preparing Belgian Real Estate for Electric Vehicle Regulations Starting in 2025?
Starting from January 2025, non-residential building owners in Flanders, Brussels, and Wallonia, Belgium, will be required to install electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. This requirement is a transposition of the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), specifically Article 14(1).
The new regulations apply to any new or significantly renovated non-residential buildings with more than five car parking spaces. At least one recharging point must be installed in such buildings, with pre-cabling and ducting infrastructure set up to allow for future expansion.
The recharging points installed must support smart charging capabilities and, where appropriate, bi-directional charging (vehicle-to-grid or vehicle-to-building functionality). Belgium has the discretion to decide whether the required recharging points should be normal or high-power chargers based on national decisions, but the minimum baseline remains at least one point per eligible building.
Mixed-use buildings with both residential and non-residential elements will have the flexibility to decide whether to treat the parking spaces under residential or non-residential rules, with the decision lying with the Member States or regions within Belgium.
This regulatory framework is designed to support the EU's sustainable mobility goals by ensuring that EV charging infrastructure is readily available in the non-residential building sector across all Belgian regions.
In addition to the installation of charging stations, the contractual structure for an EV project involves roles such as the e-mobility service provider (eMSP) and the charging point operator (CPO). The eMSP offers a charging service to EV drivers, develops a charging mobile app, and handles payments. The CPO, on the other hand, is responsible for the installation, operation, and maintenance of charging stations.
The initial requirements for car park owners to install a minimum number of charging points will come into force as of January 2025 in all three Belgian regions. Owners can choose from various models for the ownership and management of charging stations and other electrical infrastructure, including CaaS, shared, purchase, self-management, and ownership models.
The trend of increasing popularity of electric vehicles in Belgium is due to new company car policies, changing consumer behaviors, tax incentives, and recent European and national legislation. From 2026, only carbon-emission-free company cars will be tax deductible in Belgium.
Reinforcement or creation of electricity grid connections may be necessary for new charging infrastructure and must be applied for with the electricity system operator. The sale of electricity at charging points is generally exempt from an electricity supply license.
Real estate owners, managers, and developers in Belgium should prepare to meet these new obligations by the deadline. The legislation on ESG and environmental obligations in buildings in Belgium requires the installation of charging station infrastructure in all types of car parks.
[1] Source: [Link to the official legislation] [3] Source: [Link to the official press release]
- In the realm of environmental-science and technology, Belgium is set to witness a transformation with the integration of smart charging capabilities in electric vehicle (EV) charging points, as stipulated by the new regulations.
- Moving forward, the Belgian finance sector would also be impacted, as real-estate owners and developers may need to invest in EV charging infrastructure to comply with the new obligations, due to the legislation on ESG and environmental obligations in buildings.
- With the increasing popularity of EVs in Belgium, fueled by factors like new company car policies, tax incentives, and legislation, the demand for additional finance for developing EV charging infrastructure within the real-estate sector could potentially open avenues for investors to consider.
