COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Energy Union Factsheet Belgium Accompanying the document COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE, THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS AND THE EUROPEAN INVESTMENT BANK Third Report on the State of the Energy Union
Date: 2017-11-23
Institutions: European Commission, Secretariat-General
Subjects: Belgium, climate change policy, competitiveness, economic and social cohesion, energy cooperation, energy policy, innovation, investment, regional cooperation, single market

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 23.11.2017 SWD(2017) 385 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Energy Union Factsheet Belgium  Accompanying the document  COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE, THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS AND THE EUROPEAN INVESTMENT BANK  Third Report on the State of the Energy Union  {COM(2017) 688 final} - {SWD(2017) 384 final} - {SWD(2017) 386 final} - {SWD(2017) 387 final} - {SWD(2017) 388 final} - {SWD(2017) 389 final} - {SWD(2017) 390 final} - {SWD(2017) 391 final} - {SWD(2017) 392 final} - {SWD(2017) 393 final} - {SWD(2017) 394 final} - {SWD(2017) 395 final} - {SWD(2017) 396 final} - {SWD(2017) 397 final} - {SWD(2017) 398 final} - {SWD(2017) 399 final} - {SWD(2017) 401 final} - {SWD(2017) 402 final} - {SWD(2017) 404 final} - {SWD(2017) 405 final} - {SWD(2017) 406 final} - {SWD(2017) 407 final} - {SWD(2017) 408 final} - {SWD(2017) 409 final} - {SWD(2017) 411 final} - {SWD(2017) 412 final} - {SWD(2017) 413 final} - {SWD(2017) 414 final}  
 
 
                              Energy Union – Belgium 

Belgium 

                     Energy Union factsheet1 

1.  Macro-economic implications of energy activities 

Energy and transport are key sectors for the overall functioning of the economy as they provide an 
important input and service to other sectors. The combined activity in these two sectors2 accounted 
for 6.9% of the total value added of Belgium in 2015. Similarly, their share in total employment3 was 
5.7% in 2015, of which 5.3% in the transport sector and 0.4% in the energy sector.  

(source: Eurostat) 

The  decarbonisation  of  the  energy  and  transport  sectors  will  require  significant  investments  and 
economic  activity  beyond  the  remit  of  these  sectors  themselves.  The  energy  transition  implies  a 
structural  shift  in  economic  activity.  Energy-related  investment  and  jobs  will  in  part  migrate  from 
traditional  fossil  fuel  based  activities  towards  construction,  equipment  manufacturing  and  other 
services related to the deployment of low carbon and clean energy technologies. At the moment, the 
efforts related to the low-carbon and clean energy transition in sectors beyond energy can only be 
partially quantified and are therefore not included in this analysis. 

In the case of renewable energy sector, both the direct as well as the indirect effects on employment 
are being estimated. According to EurObserv'ER, in 2015, the share of direct and indirect renewable 
energy  related  employment  in  total  employment  of  the  economy  in  Belgium  was  0.5%,  which  is 
comparable to the EU average of 0.54%. The turnover of the renewable energy industry in the same 

1  
The indicators used in this country factsheet largely build on indicators developed for the Commission 
Staff  Working  Document  "Monitoring  progress  towards  the  Energy  Union  objectives  –  key  indicators" 
(SWD(2017) 
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/sites/beta-political/files/swd-energy-union-key-
indicators_en.pdf  
2   Gross value added and employment in NACE sectors D-Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply 

final) 

32 

and H-Transportation and storage 

3   National accounts, Eurostat 

1 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                            
 
                              Energy Union – Belgium 

year was estimated at around EUR 1.72 billion, the biggest part being attributed to wind, followed by 
biofuels and biomass industries. 

(source: EC based on Eurobserv'Er and Eurostat) 

An  indication  of  the  level  of  efforts  made  and  challenges  encountered  by  Belgium  in  the  energy 
sector  is  given  by  the  gross  fixed  capital  formation  (GFCF)4.  Investments  in  the  electricity  and  gas 
sectors  taken  as  reference  sectors  were  stable  at  around  0.7%  during  2008-2013  but  dropped  to 
around 0.5% of the country's GDP in 2015, a similar level as in the pre-crisis period.  

(source: Eurostat) 

In terms of trade, Belgium is a net importer of fossil fuels and electricity. The trade deficit in energy 
products  has  fallen  from  about  4.3%  of  GDP  in  2005  to  2.7%  in  2015.  The  largest  decrease  is 
accounted for by petroleum products, but the trade deficit for gas has also fallen from 1.5% of GDP in 
2005 to 1.0% of GDP in 2015, under the influence of lower energy prices. 

4   Gross fixed capital formation consists of resident producers´ acquisitions, less disposals, of fixed tangible or 
intangible  assets.  This  covers,  in  particular,  machinery  and  equipment,  vehicles,  dwellings  and  other 
buildings.  It  also  includes  foreign  direct  investment  (FDI).  Steam  and  air  conditioning  supply  are  also 
included  in  the  figures  mentioned  above  as  Eurostat  reports  electricity,  gas,  steam  and  air  conditioning 
supply together. 

2 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                            
                              Energy Union – Belgium 

 (

(source: Eurostat) 

2.  Energy security, solidarity and trust 
2.1. 

Energy mix 

The  energy  mix  of  Belgium  differs  from  the  one  of  the  EU-28,  as  Belgium's  energy  mix  is 
characterised by a lower share of coal and other solid fuels, a lower share of renewable energy and a 
higher  share  of  petroleum  products  and  nuclear.  Compared  to  1995,  the  share  of  renewables  in 
Belgium increased more than EU average (from less than 1% to 6.9% of the energy mix), but remains 
at  rather  low  levels,  while  the  share  of  natural  gas  increased  by  6  percentage  points.  The  main 
decrease concerns the use of solid fuels (11 percentage points).  

 (source: Eurostat) 

2.2. 

Import dependency and security of supply 

Belgium' import dependency remains above the EU average for all fuels, and in particular for gas and 
petroleum  products.  Belgium  imports  all  of  its  natural  gas,  with  Norway  as  its  largest  non-EU 
supplier. A part of the imports concern transit as gas transfers represent more than four times the 
Belgian domestic use. Overall, the country supplier concentration index is relatively high for Belgium.  

3 

 
 
 
 
 
                              Energy Union – Belgium 

 (source: Eurostat) 

Imports of uranium and nuclear fuels are not included in Eurostat's energy balances and therefore 
import  dependency  cannot  be  calculated  in  the  same  way  as  for  the  main  fossil  fuels.  Hence, 
complementary  information  is  provided  on  imports  of  uranium  and  nuclear  fuels.  Provision  of 
conversion services is ensured by EU (40%), Russia (28%), and North America (32%). The Provision of 
enrichment services is ensured by EU (60%] and Non –EU countries (40 %).  

The security of gas supply Regulation requires that, if the single largest gas infrastructure fails in one 
Member State, the capacity of the remaining infrastructure is able to satisfy total gas demand during 
a day of exceptionally high gas demand. Belgium complies with this rule thanks to various options for 
gas import sources.  

(source: gas coordination group) 

4 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                              Energy Union – Belgium 

3.  Internal market 
3.1. 

Interconnections and wholesale market functioning 

3.1.1. 

Electricity 

 (source: EC based on ENTSO-E 
scenario outlook and adequacy 
forecast 2014) 

(sources: EC services based on Eurostat for the left graph  and based on 
Platts and European power exchanges for the right graph) 

The  interconnection  level5  for  electricity  based  on  the  import  capacity  was  19%  in  2017.  Various 
projects,  notably  Projects  of  Common  Interest,  are  under  preparation  to  develop  electricity 
interconnections between Belgium and its neighbours.  

The Nemo project involves the construction of a 1,000 MW direct current submarine cable between 
Richborough in the UK to the "Gezelle" substation in Belgium. For Belgium, this means that energy 
can be exchanged directly with the UK, which should lead to greater security of supply in view of the 
diversification  engendered  by  a  new  interconnection.  The  final  investment  decision  was  taken  in 
spring 2015.  Construction  started in September 2016, thus making it technically possible to deliver 
the new connection by the end of 2018. The PCI ALEGrO (Aachen Liege Electric Grid Overlay), is a DC 
cable with a capacity of about 1,000 MW between Belgium and Germany. The new interconnection, 
the first one between Belgium and Germany, can result in price convergence within the CWE region. 
Moreover, ALEGrO can play an important role in facilitating the integration of an increasing number 
of renewable energy sources. The permit granting process is ongoing and the project is expected to 
be  commissioned  in  2020.  In  addition,  two  projects  of  common  interests  (internal  lines)  aim  at 
strengthening  the  northern  Belgian  border  connections  to  allow  for  better  integration  of  the 
electricity from offshore wind in the area as well as ensuring electricity supply around the Antwerp 
area in light of increasing industrial demand6. 

5 The interconnectivity level is calculated as a ratio between import interconnection and net generation capacities 
of the country (i.e. the 2017 value is the ratio between simultaneous import interconnection capacity [GW] 
and net generating capacity [GW] in the country at 11 January 2017, 19:00 pm as resulted from ENTSO-E 
Winter Outlook 2016/2017) 

6 More information: 

5 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                            
                              Energy Union – Belgium 

The  level  of  market  concentration  for  power  generation  significantly  decreased  over  the  recent 
years,  and  is  now  below  EU  average.  Wholesale  electricity  prices  are  now  below  EU  average,  and 
decreasing.  As  far  as  electricity  is  concerned,  the  average  price  in  Belgium  has  been  following  the 
average price in the neighbouring countries since 2013. 

3.1.2. 

Gas 

Belgium  occupies  a  strategic  position  in  the  European  gas  grids  and  serves  as  an  important  transit 
country,  attracting  international  trade  as  a  collection  of  connection  points  of  several  pipelines  and 
has  an  important  LNG  terminal  (in  Zeebrugge),  which  contributes  significantly  to  the  security  of 
supply in North-West Europe. Belgium is well interconnected with its neighbours. As a consequence, 
market concentration on wholesale gas markets is low in Belgium.  

The average wholesale gas price in Belgium remains constant at approximately 14 EUR/MWh above 
the average of the neighbouring countries. Overall, it is slightly lower than the EU average.  

(source: ACER for the left graph and EC services based on on Platts, gas hubs, Eurostat for the right graph) 

In the gas sector, Belgium has no PCIs. Its projects in the gas sector mainly concern conversion of the 
whole gas system to H-gas; the expansion of the Zeebrugge LNG terminal and the construction of a 
transmission line to the new LNG terminal in Dunkirk. 

3.2. 

Retail electricity and gas markets 

Retail  markets  for  gas  and  electricity  have  become  significantly  more  dynamic  in  recent  years,  as 
reflected in lower market shares, higher switching rates and higher entry rates. This was triggered by 
several  government  measures  such  as:  a  modification  of  the  energy  law  making  it  easier  to  switch 
provider; a campaign organised together with local communes informing and assisting consumers in 
using  comparison  tools  for  comparing  energy  prices;  and  promotion  of  joint  energy  purchases. 
Current  regulatory  guidance  specifies  that  contract  termination  can  take  place  at  any  moment 
without cancelation fees (as long as the one month notification period is respected).  

 http://www.elia.be/mercator-horta;  http://www.elia.be/~/media/files/Elia/Projects/brabo/Brochure_Het-Brabo-
II-project_201611.pdf  

6 

 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                                                                                                                                                          
 
                              Energy Union – Belgium 

3.2.1. 

Electricity 

(source: ACER) 

(source: Eurostat)  

(source: Eurostat) 

Annual switching rates were at 12.2% in 2015, well above EU average, and at a higher level compared 
to  2011.  That  means  that  consumers  in  Belgium  are  well-aware  of  their  rights.  The  very  high 
switching rate of consumers tends to reduce the market share of incumbent suppliers.  

Domestic  retail  prices  for  electricity  are  above  the  EU  average.  This  is  notably  due  to  consecutive 
increases  in  the  non-energy  component  (mostly  distribution  and  transport  tariffs,  as  well  as  VAT). 
The reduction in the VAT rate on household electricity consumption from 21 % to 6 % introduced in 
April  2014  was  reversed  in  September  2015.  Intercommunales,  which  include  utility  suppliers,  are 
subject to corporate income taxes since 2015 and have increased distribution charges as a result. In 
Flanders, owners of green energy installations have been required to pay a fixed surcharge for use of 
the distribution network since 2015. Finally, in 2016 Flanders increased a general energy contribution 
and abolished the free electricity all households were receiving.  

Given  the  outcome  of  the  cost-benefit  analysis,  not  all  the  Belgian  regions  have  so  far  decided  to 
proceed with the wide-scale roll-out of smart meters in the electricity and gas markets. The Flemish 
did however and decided to proceed with a wide-scale roll-out of smart meters in the electricity and 
gas markets after a positive outcome of the cost-benefit analysis. This roll-out will start in 2019. The 
other Belgian regions (Walloon and Brussels-capital region) have so far not started to proceed with 
the wide-scale roll-out of smart meters. Nevertheless, at political level, the Walloon Region decided 
to encourage the roll-out of smart meters for which a legal framework should soon be established. 

3.2.2. 

Gas 

Retail market for gas has become more dynamic in recent years, as reflected in lower market shares, 
higher  switching  rates,  higher  entry  rates  and  lower  household  gas  prices.  This  was  triggered  by 
several government measures to enhance price-consciousness and make it easier to switch provider 
which  have  stimulated  competition  on  the  market.  Domestic  gas  prices  are  lower  than  EU-28 
average. The share of taxes and levies in household gas price is at 23 % which is lower than for the 
EU28 as a whole.  

7 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                              Energy Union – Belgium 

(source: ACER) 

(source: Eurostat)  

(source: Eurostat) 

3.2.3. 

Market performance indicators 

According to the periodical survey of the European Commission, Belgian consumers of electricity and 
of gas are satisfied in line with EU average. On the period of reference (2015 compared to 2010), a 
slight increase in satisfaction, notably for gas markets, was visible.  

(source: DG JUST survey) 

3.3. 

Energy affordability  

Electricity  prices  contributed  significantly  to  the  acceleration  of  inflation  in  2015-2016.  Indeed, 
electricity  alone  was  responsible  for  0.3  pp.  and  as  much  as  0.7  pp.  of  total  inflation  in  2015  and 
2016. Although energy price increases are subject to the ‘safety net mechanism’, the impact of this 
price control mechanism is limited, especially on electricity prices. This is because almost two thirds 
of contracts are fixed-price contracts to which the mechanism does not apply. Moreover, non-energy 
components account for a large and increasing percentage of the retail energy prices. Around 75% of 
consumer  electricity  prices  are  network  charges  (distribution  and  transmission  costs),  levies,  taxes 
and VAT, which are not subject to the price control mechanism.  

The  energy  poverty  problem  is  less  acute  than  in  other  Member  States.  However,  it  has  received 
increased  visibility  over  the  last  years  due  to  the  action  of  vocal  civic  organisations  and  to  rising 
energy  prices.  Between  2005  and  2014  the  share  of  expenditure  of  lowest  income  households  on 

8 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                              Energy Union – Belgium 

energy increased from 6.6% to 7.8% in Belgium, in comparison to the EU average change from 7.1% 
to  8.6%.  In  2015,  14.8%  of  the  lowest-income  population  reported  to  be  unable  to  keep  home 
adequately  warm,  in  comparison  to  the  EU  average  of  22.7%.  Important  progress  was  made  since 
2005 where this rate was 29%. 

Energy poverty in Belgium is mainly approached by several measures. First consumers are provided 
with protection of access to energy, through disconnection safeguards. In addition Belgium applies a 
system of social tariffs which is intended to refer to market prices in order to limit the impact of the 
public's intervention on electricity market.  

 (source: ad-hoc data collection of DG ENER based on HBS with the support of Eurostat and national statistics) 

4.  Energy efficiency and moderation of demand 

In 2015, Belgium's primary energy consumption was 45.7 Mtoe. Final energy consumption was 35.8 
Mtoe. This is an increase compared to 2014, which could be explained because of  a colder winter, 
increasing  the demand for  heating.  Hence,  there is  still a  gap  between Belgium's  primary  and  final 
energy consumption and its indicative national 2020 targets (43.7 Mtoe in primary consumption and 
32.5  Mtoe  in  final  energy  consumption).  Therefore,  there  is  still  the  need  to  reduce  at  higher  rate 
energy  consumption  in  2016-2020  compared  to  2005-2015  in  order  to  reach  the  energy  efficiency 
target. 

Belgium  has  made  some  progress  in  developing  relevant  energy  efficiency  policies.  In  2015,  the 
country is on track to achieve savings obligations under Article 7 (efficiency obligation schemes) of 
the Energy Efficiency Directive. However, more needs to be done.  

In this context, the work that has started (end of January 2017) on the "Energy Pact" constitutes an 
opportunity for the federal and regional energy ministers to build the energy transition and vision for 
the  longer  term.  It  should  result  in  a  set  of  concrete  policy  measures,  based  on  a  clearly-defined 
policy path, ensuring the combination of four energy visions (of the 3 regions and the federal level) 
and their compatibility. In addition, the intention is that the Energy Pact will consult all stakeholders 
to come to a widely supported agreement. This process will also feed the Belgian integrated energy 
and climate plan which is required under the proposal for the Regulation on Governance. 

9 

 
 
 
 
                              Energy Union – Belgium 

(source: Eurostat) 

Overall primary energy intensity has decreased in line with EU average over the last ten years, and 
remains  slightly  above  EU  average.  Regarding  the  split  of  final  energy  consumption  per  sector, 
Belgium  shows  a  higher  consumption  in  industry  than  for  the  EU  as  a  whole.  Conversely, 
consumptions by the other sectors are  below EU average. This shows again the key role played by 
energy-intensive industries in Belgium's economy.  

(source: Eurostat) 

In terms of energy efficiency, some progress can be observed in the final energy intensity in industry 
services, as well as in the final consumption per m2 for the residential sector. 

(source: Eurostat)  

(source: Eurostat)  

  (source: Odyssee database) 

10 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                              Energy Union – Belgium 

Over  the  period  2005-2015,  the  final  energy  consumption  in  transport  increased  at  an  annual 
average  rate  of  0.5%,  while  GDP  increased  by  1.2%  per  annum  on  average.  Passengers  transport 
activity increased in 2015 by 3.1% as comparing to 2005, similar with freight transport activity and 
with  the  increase  of  energy  consumption  in  transport  (excl.  aviation).  In  addition,  the  share  of 
collective passengers land transport has slightly decreased, indicating a relative higher use of private 
transport. 

(source: Eurostat)  

        (source: Eurostat and DG MOVE pocketbook) 

(source: Eurostat)  

The  management  and  development  of  the  road  network,  the  waterway  network  and  local  and 
regional  public  transport  are  a  regional  competence.  In  2016,  the  Walloon  Region  started  to 
implement  its  Plan  Infrastructure,  which  is  focusing  on  the  upgrade  of  the  road  and  waterway 
network. The Brussels-Capital Region will mainly invest in public transport and cycling routes in the 
following  years.  More  specifically,  for  the  Flemish  road  network,  the  Government  is  preparing  the 
capacity  increase  of  the  ring  roads  of  Brussels  and  Antwerp,  but  elsewhere  they  are  also  tackling 
bottlenecks and missing links. Moreover, in April 2016 all three regions implemented road pricing for 
road haulage.  

11 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                              Energy Union – Belgium 

Belgium is facing a growing problem of peak-hour traffic congestion, which undermines the country’s 
attractiveness  for  foreign  investors  and  has  major  economic  and  environmental  costs.  Public 
transport  has  been  identified  as  instrumental  for  a  modal  shift  in  passenger  transport.  In  Brussels, 
the modernisation and expansion of the metro and tram networks is ongoing and 8,000 park & ride 
spaces  will  be  added  in  the  years  to  come.  To  the  north  of  the  city,  Flanders  is  preparing  the 
construction of a regional light rail network (Brabantnet). 

The  waterway  network  has  also  an  important  role  in  the  modal  shift  from  road  haulage  and  the 
reduction  of  congestion.  In  2017,  works  will  start  on  the  Seine-Scheldt  link  in  two  regions.  Besides 
this, works are ongoing throughout the country on the old canals and on several sea and inland locks. 

Contrary  to  local  and  regional  public  transport,  the  railway  network  is  a  federal  competence. 
Currently negotiations are ongoing about a new, multiannual investment plan. The plan is aimed at 
investments  for  the  next  five  years,  where  priority  will  be  given  to  the  completion  of  the  Regional 
ExpressNet (GEN/RER) around Brussels. 

5.  Decarbonisation of economy 
5.1.  GHG emissions 

The  Effort  Sharing  Directive  target  for  Belgium  is  to  reduce  greenhouse  gas  emissions  in  non-ETS 
sectors by 15% relative to 2005 levels. According to the latest (2017) national projections based on 
existing  measures,  the  2020  target  is  expected  to  be  missed,  with  non-ETS  emissions  only  11.5% 
lower than 2005 levels in 2020. While Belgium would therefore miss the 2020 target itself, it expects 
to generate a small surplus based on emission levels over the whole compliance period 2013 to 2020.  

The  use  of  inter-temporal  flexibilities  (banking  of  allowances  during  the  first  part  of  2013-2020  – 
resulting in part from the  economic  and financial crisis  – compensating for excess emissions in the 
latter part of the period) would therefore allow Belgium to comply with the ESD rules. 

The various  entities of Belgium  develop policies and measures. However, an  internal  effort sharing 
agreement between federal and regional authorities has now been reached.  In accordance with this 
so-called  Cooperation  Agreement  on  the  national  burden-sharing  2013-2020,  the  federal 
government  is  committed  to  pursue  existing  policies  and  measures  allowing  a  total  reduction  of 
emissions of 15.250 kt CO2-equivalent for 2013-2020 and to implement new policies and measures 
resulting  in  an  additional  reduction  of  at  least  7.000  kt  CO2-eq  for  the  period  2016-2020.  On  25 
January  2017  a  national  debate  on  the  introduction  of  "carbon  pricing"  in  non-ETS  sectors  was 
launched.  Regarding  the  ETS  sector,  the  accumulated  revenues  from  the  auctioning  of  emission 
allowances  under  the  ETS  (according  to  Belgium's  own  reporting  amounting  to  around  EUR  354 
million in 2015) will now be distributed among the Federal State and the regions and used for climate  
and energy purposes.  

Belgium’s  non-ETS  emissions  are  mainly  caused  by  direct  fuel  consumption,  predominantly  for 
residential and commercial purposes. The renovation of the inefficient building stock remains a key 
sectorial  challenge.  In  turn,  the  continued  favourable  treatment  of  company  cars  contributes  to 
pollution, congestion and greenhouse gas emissions. 

12 

 
 
 
 
                              Energy Union – Belgium 

(source: EC and EEA)   

(source: EC and EEA)   

Preliminary accounts under the Kyoto Protocol for Belgium show overall removals of -0.3 Mt CO2-eq. 
as  an  annual  average  in  the  period  2013-2015.  For  comparison,  the  annual  average  of  the  EU-28 
accounted  for  removals  of  -119.0  Mt  CO2-eq.  It  should  be  noted  that  in  this  preliminary  simulated 
accounting exercise, removals from Forest Management did by far not exceed the accounting cap.  

Emissions  by  Deforestation  clearly  exceed  removals  by  Afforestation  and  are  also  higher  than 
removals by Forest Management. Overall, there is a slightly increasing trend in removals mainly due 
to  increasing  removals  by  Afforestation.  This  is  partly  compensated  by  very  minor  increases  in 
emissions  by  Deforestation,  while  removals  by  Forest  Management  remained  constant  over  the 
course of the three-year period. 

13 

 
 
 
 
 
 
                              Energy Union – Belgium 

Note: Forest Management credits are capped and presented as yearly averages when the total Forest 
Management credits of the considered period exceed the simulated cap over the same period. 

(source: EC and EEA) 

CO2 emissions in transport and alternative fuelled vehicles 

CO2  emissions  from road  transport are 31%  higher  than  in 1990  in Belgium, having stabilised since 
2005.  Average  CO2  emissions  from  new  cars  registered  in  Belgium  have  decreased  by  around  25% 
since 2005. In 2016, average CO2 emissions from new cars were 115.9 g CO2/km (EU fleet-wide target 
is 130 g CO2/km by 2015 and 95 CO2/km by 2021). 

 (source: European Environment Agency) 

Over the last four years, the number of electric charging points in Belgium has increased from 378 in 
2013 to 1472 units in 2016.  

14 

 
 
 
 
 
 
                              Energy Union – Belgium 

 (European Environment Agency)  

       (European Alternative Fuels Observatory) 

National Policy Frameworks under Directive 2014/94/EU on alternative fuels infrastructure have to 
establish targets, objective and measures for the development of the market of alternative fuels in 
the  transport  sector  and  the  deployment  of  the  relevant  infrastructure.  Belgium  has  submitted  its 
National Policy Framework as requested under article 3 of the Directive 2014/94/EU.  

A detailed assessment of the Belgian National Policy Framework in terms of its compliance with the 
requirements  of  Directive  2014/94/EU  on  alternative  fuels  infrastructure,  its  contribution  to 
achievement  of  long-term  energy and  climate objectives  of  the  Union  and  coherence of  its  targets 
and objectives in terms of cross-border continuity has been published as part of the Communication 
on  Alternative  Fuels  Action  Plans  (COM(2017)652)  and   the  related  staff  working  document 
SWD(2017) 365.  

5.2.  Adaptation to climate change 

Belgium adopted a National Adaptation Strategy (NAS) in 2010. It is a science-based document with a 
systematic  and  sectoral  approach.  A  draft  National  Adaptation  plan  (2016-2020)  was  adopted  in 
December  2016  and  is  foreseen  to  be  finalised  in  2017.  Based  on  a  comprehensive  risk  and 
vulnerabilities assessment as well as competence sharing between the different entities, Belgium has 
identified a  number of  vulnerable  sectors  that will  need  to  adapt,  such  as  agriculture,  biodiversity, 
built  environment,  coastal  areas,  crisis  management,  development  cooperation,  energy, 
environment,  fisheries,  forests,  health,  infrastructures,  industry  &  services,  research,  tourism, 
transport, water management. It has not yet developed its monitoring system and related indicators 
to monitor action in the vulnerable sectors. 

5.3. 

Taxes on energy and transport and fossil fuel subsidies 

The overall tax burden on energy and transport in Belgium amounts to 1.9% of GDP, which is over 0.4 
percentage points lower than the EU average. It is particularly the tax burden on heat and electricity, 
and, to a lesser extent, the fuel taxation that is lower. Taxation of transport vehicles, on the other 
hand,  is  above  the  EU-average,  despite  a  decrease  since  2005.  The  tax  burden  on  vehicles  and 
transport  fuels  has  also  fallen  since  2005.  Belgium  does  not  apply  a  carbon  component  in  the 
taxation of fuels. The vehicle taxation includes environmental components reflecting, inter alia, CO2 
emissions, with different rules across the regions. 

15 

 
 
 
 
 
                              Energy Union – Belgium 

(source: Eurostat) 

The “tax shift” adopted by the federal government in July 2015 included only two measures related 
to climate change mitigation: an increase of the VAT on electricity and of the excise duties on diesel. 
The  environmental  benefit  of  this  reform  is  likely  to  be  limited,  as  compared  to  the  broader 
challenges  associated  with  congestion,  air  pollution  and  greenhouse  gas  emissions  from  the 
transport sector.  

(source: OECD Inventory of Support Measures for Fossil Fuels 2015)  

Fossil fuel subsidies showed no decrease in Belgium in the past decade, with even some increasing 
trend in the last year.  

5.4. 

Renewable energy  

In 2015, for the first time, Belgium's renewable energy share decreased, compared with the previous 
year. This is notably due to decreases in RES shares in the heating and cooling and transport sectors, 
and  also  explained  by  the  drop  of  biodiesel  supply  by  42%  compared  to  2014  because  of  the 
invalidation of the law specifying the rules for the mixing of biofuel in diesel in June 2015.  

Although the RES share in 2015 is above the 2015-2016 indicative target, such a tendency would not 
be  compatible  with  a  timely  target  achievement.  Therefore,  there  is  a  need  to  take  adequate 

16 

 
 
 
 
 
 
                              Energy Union – Belgium 

measure to foster developments in all sectors. Moreover some technologies, such as offshore wind, 
are  still  lagging  behind  and  additional  use  of  their  potential  could  be  made.  Agreement  has  been 
reached  on  dividing  responsibility  for  meeting  the  13%  target  between  the  different  regions,  but 
attention should be paid to monitoring implementation of the sub-targets. 

 (source: Eurostat-SHARES) 

(source: Eurostat-SHARES) 

Thanks to the deployment of renewables since 2005, it is estimated that Belgium has consumed in 
2014  about  6.7%  less  fossil  fuels  than  they  would  have  otherwise.  In  addition,  it  is  estimated  that 
GHG  emissions  have been  6.5%  lower7.  Such  results  are  lower  than  the  EU  average,  due  to  slower 
deployment of renewable energy in Belgium than in the rest of the EU.  

7   Avoided  GHG  emissions  mentioned  here  have  a  theoretical  character  as  these  contributions  do  not 
necessarily  represent  'net  GHG  savings  per  se'  nor  are  they  based  on  life-cycle  assessment  or  full  carbon 
accounting. 

17 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                            
                              Energy Union – Belgium 

Source: EEA Report No 3/2017 

5.5. 

Contribution of the Energy Union to better air quality 

Air  quality  in  Belgium  continues  to  give  rise  to  human  health  concerns.  For  the  year  2013,  the 
European Environment Agency estimated that about 10,050 premature deaths were attributable to 
fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations and 2,320 to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations8.  

For NO2, Belgium reported exceedances of the binding EU air quality standard9. For the year 2015, 
Belgium  reported  exceedances  of  the  limit  value  for  NO2  in  2  out  of  the  11  air  quality  zones  in 
Belgium10. 

(source: EEA) 

The health-related external costs from air pollution in Belgium have been estimated to be more than 
EUR 8 billion/year (income adjusted, 2010), which includes the intrinsic value of living a healthy life 

8  European  Environment  Agency,  2016,  Air  Quality  in  Europe  –  2016  Report,  table  10.2.  The  report  also 
includes details as regards the underpinning methodology for calculating premature deaths.    
9 Directive 2008/50/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 May 2008 on ambient air quality 
and cleaner air for Europe, OJ L 152, 11.6.2008, p.1-44 
10  Compliance  data  as  reported  by  the  Member  States  as  part  of  their  official  annual  air  quality  report  for  the 
calendar year 2015 (available on the European Environment Agency's (EEA) Eionet/Central Data Repository), 
http://cdr.eionet.europa.eu/be/eu/aqd  

18 

 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                            
                              Energy Union – Belgium 

without premature death as well as the direct costs to the economy such as healthcare costs and lost 
working days due to sickness caused by air pollution11. 

The  Energy  Union  has  the  potential  to  substantially  contribute  to  addressing  these  air  quality 
problems  through  measures  reducing  emissions  of  both  GHG  and  air  pollutants  such  as  PM  and 
nitrogen oxides (NOx) from major contributing sectors such as (road) transport, energy production, 
industry and residential heating (e.g. stoves and boilers) as shown below12. 

(Source: EEA. This table reflects only sources of primary PM2,5 emissions.)  

6.  Research, innovation and competitiveness  
6.1. 

Research and innovation policy 

An  'energy  transition  fund'  is  active  in  Belgium  at  the  federal  level  to  finance  innovative  energy 
research, development and demonstration (RD&D) projects such as for renewable energy generation 
in  marine  areas  or  biofuel  production  from  algae.  Other  areas  identified  for  funding  are  nuclear 
(fusion,  fission,  and  nuclear  waste  management),  energy  storage,  demand-side  management,  and 
smart  transport  networks.      In  recent  years,  public  funding  to  support  energy  R&I  has  increased 
mainly at the regional level, particularly in renewables and energy efficiency. 

In the Flemish Region, energy research is mainly financed via two funding agencies, the Agency for 
Innovation  by  Science  and  Technology  (IWT)  and  the  Research  Foundation  Flanders  (FWO).  In 
Wallonia, energy-related RD&D focuses on: efficient fossil fuel combustion, including combined heat 
and electricity production; biomass, wind energy, solar energy and fuel cells; hybrid energy systems 
to  integrate  new  and  renewable  energy  sources  into  traditional  energy  systems;  technologies  to 
improve the efficiency of final energy use; and new energy storage technologies. 

Finally,  in  the  Brussels-Capital  region,  Innoviris  funds  energy-related  research  under  the  following 
schemes:  ANTICIPATE  (e.g.,  developing  new  knowledge  about  the  complex  urban  environment  of 

11 See also the EU Environmental Implementation Review Country Report for Belgium, SWD(2017)34 final of 
3.2.2017 
12 National emission data as reported by the Member States to the EEA (available on the EEA's Eionet/Central 
Data Repository), http://cdr.eionet.europa.eu/be/eu/nec_revised/ 

19 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                            
 
 
                              Energy Union – Belgium 

Brussels),      BRIDGE  (funding  strategic  platforms  with  applications  for  relevant  economic  sectors  in 
Brussles)  and  CO-CREATE  (funding  projects  in  applied  research  and  innovation  that  work  within  an 
interactive  co-creation  dynamic),  as  well  as  under  the  bottom-up  industrial  research  schemes  and 
the European P2P schemes in which Innoviris participates. 

Belgium is an active contributor to the ongoing work of the Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan. It 
participates in all temporary working groups for the implementation of the integrated SET Plan, co-
leading the one dedicated to nuclear safety. 

Regarding  the  Horizon  2020  programme,  Belgium  has  received  so  far  5.1%  of  the  EU  contribution 
devoted  to  the  'secure,  clean  and  efficient  energy'  part  of  the  programme.  As  of  September  2017, 
233  participants  from  Belgian  organisations  have  been  awarded  EUR  92  million  in  Horizon  2020 
energy  projects.  This  includes  a  grant  of  EUR  8.3  million  to  GeoSea  for  its  participation  in  project 
DEMOTIDE  (ocean  tidal  arrays),  and  a  grant  of  EUR  6.6  million  to  ArcelorMittal  Belgium  for  its 
participation in project STEELANOL (bio-ethanol from steel industry exhaust gases). 

6.2. 

Investments and patents in the Energy Union R&I priorities  

In  2015,  public  (national)  investments  in  the  Energy  Union  R&I  priorities  reached  EUR  162  million 
having decreased by 3% compared to 2014. The highest share of investments (48%) was attracted by 
the  Nuclear  Safety  priority,  followed  by  the  Efficient  Systems  and  Smart  System  (21%  and  12% 
respectively).  In  the  period  2007-2015,  the  maximum  public  investment  was  EUR  211  million, 
reported  in  2012.  In  2014,  the  most  recent  year  for  which  data  from  most  Member  States  are 
available, public investment per GDP in Belgium was higher than the EU average. 

Private investment in the Energy Union R&I priorities in 2013 was estimated at EUR 159 million (1% 
of  the private R&I investment  in Energy Union  R&I  priorities  in the EU).  The focus  was  on  Efficient 
Systems, which received 39% of these investments, followed by Renewables with a share of 27%. 

In 2013, the most recent year for which complete patent13 statistics are available, 57 companies and 
research organisations based in Belgium filed 84 patents in low-carbon energy technologies (1% of 
the  EU  total).  The  focus  was  on  Efficient  Systems  and  Renewables  (32%  each),  and  Smart  System 
(21%). 

In 2013, private R&I investments and patents in Energy Union R&I priorities were lower than the EU 
average when normalised by GDP and  by population respectively. In the period 2007-2013, private 
R&I investments decreased by 3% per year on average, contrary to the EU indicator that increased by 
6%. For the same period, the number of patents displayed an average rate of increase of 14%, which 
was lower than the EU average (15%) for the same period. 

13   In  the  context  of  this  document,  the  term  'patent'  refers  to  patent  families,  rather  than  applications,  as  a 
measure  of  innovative  activity.  Patent  families  include  all documents  relevant to  a  distinct  invention (e.g. 
applications to multiple authorities), thus preventing multiple counting. A fraction of the family is allocated 
to each applicant and relevant technology. 

20 

 
 
 
                                                            
                              Energy Union – Belgium 

Note: The international comparison (right) is shown for 2014 (Belgium had reported EUR 169 million). Reporting 
at EU level for 2015 is not as complete, and very few countries have reported for 2016. 

(Data sources: Public investment as available in the International Energy Agency RD&D Statistics database14 for 
codes  relevant  to  Energy  Union  RIC  priorities.  Patent  data  based  on  the  European  Patent  Office  PATSTAT 
database15. Private investment as estimated by JRC SETIS. Detailed methodology available from the JRC16.) 

6.3. 

Competitiveness 

The real unit energy costs (RUEC) that is the amount of money spent on energy sources needed to 
obtain  one  unit  of  value  added,  has  increased  in  the  Belgian  manufacturing  industry  since  2005.  It 
has  also  remained  much  higher  in  Belgium  than  in  the  EU28  or  in  the  US.  One  explaining  factor  is 
the relatively high energy intensity of the manufacturing sector.   

Regarding energy prices paid by industrial customers, electricity prices are slightly above EU average, 
as  well as above  OECD  average. Regarding gas,  prices  lower  than on average  in the EU  and on-par 
with OECD average.  

14   http://www.iea.org/statistics/RDDonlinedataservice/  
15   https://www.epo.org/searching-for-patents/business/patstat.html#tab1  
16   https://setis.ec.europa.eu/related-jrc-activities/jrc-setis-reports/monitoring-ri-low-carbon-energy-

technologies  

21 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                            
                              Energy Union – Belgium 

(source: ECFIN) 

                   (source: Eurostat and IEA) 

Regarding  the  competitiveness  in  renewable  energy,  Belgium  is  overall  neither  specialised  in  wind 
nor solar energy, although it has a revealed comparative advantage17 in key parts of wind turbines 
such as generating sets and gearboxes. Its comparative advantage in wind energy technologies  has 
decreased  since  2005.  The  relative  trade  balance18  shows  that  Belgium  is  a  net  exporter  of  wind 
components and a net importer of solar energy, at comparable levels as the EU28 average. 

(source: UN comtrade) 

7.  Regional and local cooperation 

Belgium  is  a  member  of  three  Regional  Groups  which  have  been  established  under  the  Ten-E 
regulation: Northern Seas Offshore Grid, North South Electricity Interconnections in Western Europe 
and North South Gas Interconnections in Western Europe. 

Benelux-cooperation (Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg) in the field of energy mainly takes 
place through the Pentalateral Energy forum, the Gas Platform and the North Seas Energy Forum. 

17 The RCA index for product "i" is defined as follows: RCAi =

Xj,i
∑ Xj,i
i
Xw,i
∑ Xw,i
i

 where X is the value of exports, and j is 

the country and w is the reference group, the World economy. 2005 refers in the text to the indicator average 
over the 2000-2009 period, while 2015 represents the average over the 2010-2016 period. The same applies for 
the RTB indicator - see below. 
18   The RTB indicator for product "i" is defined as follows: RTBi =

 where Xi is the value of product's "i" 

Xi−Mi
Xi+Mi

exports and Mi imports. 

22 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                            
                              Energy Union – Belgium 

The Pentalateral Energy Forum (PLEF) is the framework for regional cooperation in Central Western 
Europe  (BENELUX-DE-FR-AT-CH)  towards  improved  electricity  market  integration  and  security  of 
supply.  The  Ministers  for  Energy  of  PLEF  countries  meet  regularly  in order  to  discuss  energy policy 
matters and give guidance to this regional cooperation. The initiative aims to give political backing to 
a process of regional integration towards a European energy market. This cooperation is formalized 
trough  the  Memorandum  of  Understanding  of  the  PLEF,  signed  on  the  6th  of  June  2007  in 
Luxembourg. 

The  added  value  of  this  regional  cooperation  between  Ministries,  Transmission  System  Operators 
(TSOs), the European Commission, Regulatory authorities and the Market Parties Platform lies in its 
ability to move faster, to reach more specific recommendations and to act as a development centre 
for  new  ideas.  In  2013,  ministers  renewed  the  mandate,  putting  more  emphasis  on  a  regional 
approach to security of supply and short term market integration. In the Political Declaration of the 
PLEF  of  7  June  2014,  the  Ministers  of  Energy  requested  a  Pentalateral  Generation  Adequacy 
Assessment.  On  26  June  2017  the  Parties  signed  a  ‘Memorandum  of  Understanding  of  the 
Pentalateral Energy Forum on emergency planning and crisis management for the power sector’ in 
the framework of the Risk Preparedness provisions of the Clean Energy Package for Europeans. 

Belgium is also a member of the Gas Platform (Benelux, Germany and France) where further market 
integration and the Regulation regarding security of supply and the coordinating of the emergency 
response plans are discussed. 

Belgium was  one of  the  drivers  behind  the  North  Seas  Countries  Offshore Grid Initiative  (NSCOGI), 
which was established in 2010 as an intergovernmental initiative. It aims to fully develop the North 
Sea's  renewable  energy  potential  and  to  promote  the  strategic,  coordinated  and  cost-effective 
development of the offshore and onshore electricity grid.  

Belgium  has  much  to  gain  from  a  regional  approach  in  the  offshore  field:  reduced  industrial 
electricity  prices  (better  interconnection,  optimisation  of  offshore  wind),  a  regional  market  for  the 
offshore shipping industry, electricity trading opportunities, maintaining access to the North Sea for 
other industries (e.g. fishing) and uses (e.g. military) that could be crowded out by unrestricted wind-
farm development. 

European  Territorial  Cooperation  – 
'Interreg'  –  under  EU  cohesion  policy  provides  further 
opportunities for cross-border, transnational and interregional cooperation, including in the Energy 
Union areas. 

Cities and urban areas have a key role in the energy and climate challenge. The Urban Agenda for the 
EU,  established  by  the  Pact  of  Amsterdam  in  May  2016,  better  involves  cities  in  the  design  and 
implementation of policies, including those related to the Energy  Union. It is implemented through 
Partnerships, in which the Commission, Member States, cities and stakeholders work together on a 
number  of  important  areas,  including  on  Energy  Transition,  Urban  Mobility,  Air  Quality,  Climate 
Adaptation and Housing. Belgium is participating in the partnerships on Energy Transition, with the 
city of Roeselare as co-coordinator, and Urban Mobility, as member. 

By 2016, in the context of the Covenant of Mayors, the sustainable energy action plans delivered by 
176  Belgian  municipalities  had  been  assessed.  Overall,  these  176  municipalities  cover  about  5.6 
million inhabitants. These municipalities committed to reducing GHG emissions by 20.4% by 2020 (as 

23 

 
 
 
                              Energy Union – Belgium 

compared  to  1990  baseline),  a  lower  percentage  reduction  than  at  EU  level,  but  leading  to  higher 
emissions per capita. 

(source: JRC 2016. Notes: SEAP=sustainable energy action plan, GHG=greenhouse gas emissions) 

In  Belgium,  by  September  2016,  26  cities  (covering  3.13  million  inhabitants)  have  committed  to 
conduct  vulnerability  and  risk  assessment  and  develop  and  implement  adaptation  plans  in  the 
framework of the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy. 

8.  Cohesion policy and EU clean energy investments  

EU  cohesion  policy  makes  a  key  contribution  to  delivering  the  Energy  Union  objectives  on  the 
ground,  including  investment  possibilities  to  implement  energy  policy  objectives  in  Belgium  which 
are  complemented  by  national  public  and  private  co-financing,  aiming  at  optimal  leverage.  It  also 
ensures integrated territorial solutions to energy and climate challenges, supports capacity building 
and provides technical assistance. 

is 

investing  some  EUR  125  million 

Over  2014-2020,  cohesion  policy 
in  energy  efficiency 
improvements  in  public  and  residential  buildings  and  in  enterprises,  as  well  as  in  high-efficiency 
cogeneration  and  district  heating  and  in  renewable  energy  in  Belgium.  Cohesion  policy  is  also 
investing significantly in R&I and in SME competitiveness in Belgium, based on the regional strategies 
for smart specialisation. For Belgium, the strategies include a focus on sustainable energy and low-
carbon  economy.  At  this  stage,  at  least  EUR  10  million  is  foreseen  for  investments  in  R&I  and 
adoption  of  low-carbon  technologies  in  Belgium,  but  this  might  increase  further  in  line  with  the 
evolving content of the smart specialisation strategy. A further estimated EUR 68 million is invested 
in supporting the move towards an energy-efficient, decarbonised transport sector. 

(source: DG REGIO) 

24 

 
 
 
 
 
                              Energy Union – Belgium 

These  investments  are  expected  to  contribute  to  around  540  households  with  improved  energy 
consumption  classification,  a  decrease  of  around  420,000  kWh  per  year  of  primary  energy 
consumption  of  public  buildings,  and  around  11  MW  of  additional  capacity  of  renewable  energy 
production.  Overall,  the  cohesion  policy  investments  in  Belgium  over  2014-2020  are  expected  to 
contribute to an estimated annual decrease of GHG emissions of around 11,000 tonnes of CO2eq. 

For example, an innovative project which creates jobs, the Brussels Greenbizz goals include boosting 
sustainable  economic  sectors  in  Brussels  and  supporting  business  initiatives  in  the  sustainable 
economy by offering start-ups an optimum environment. The advantage of the project, supported by 
the  European  Regional  Development  Fund  (ERDF)  from  2010  to  2016,  does  not  simply  lie  in  its 
concept:  the  building's  architecture  gives  it  an  exemplary  and  innovative  character.  It  has  been 
designed and built in line with the principles of eco-construction. For instance, photovoltaic panels, 
special  ventilation,  lighting  and  heating  techniques  and  the  particular  attention  afforded  to  the 
insulation  and  waterproofness  of  façades  make  the  new  building  extremely  energy-efficient.  The 
business  incubator  is  thus  responding  to  the  passive  and  carbon-free  energy  efficiency  and  the 
workshop  spaces  meet  low-energy  standards.  Seven  small  companies  were  installed  as  soon  as  it 
opened and five out of 17 workshops were occupied during the following months, proof that Brussels 
Greenbizz was responding to a genuine need. About ten jobs were created by the project after a few 
months and an estimated 200 people will benefit from it after a few years. The contribution from the 
ERDF was EUR 9,259,819. 

As  another  example,  while  traditionally  bulky  municipal  plastic  waste  not  selectively  collected  in 
Belgium’s Walloon Region was incinerated, today the Technopoly Recyclage project is demonstrating 
the  feasibility  of  recycling  this  waste  stream  and  converting  it  to  secondary  raw  materials.  An 
initiative of the Environmental and Materials Research Association (EMRA) of the Hainaut Region of 
Belgium,  the  project  recycles  the  valuable  plastic  items  that  fill  our  landfills.  Once  collected,  these 
items are sorted, ground, cleared of impure elements and separated according to their nature. The 
process  starts  by  using  a  dry  treatment  line  that  shreds  the  plastic  and  removes  any  non-plastic 
materials  such as  metal.  The  shredded  plastic  is  then  ground into  small pellets,  which  can  then  be 
melted and moulded into new objects, such as storage boxes, buckets, pallets, plastic toys and tools. 
In  some  cases,  researchers  have  been  able  to  convert  the  melted  plastic  into  liquid  hydrocarbons 
that  can  then  be  used  as  an  energy  source  to  power  the  landfill’s  recycling  processes.  The 
contribution  from  the  European  Regional  Development  Fund  (ERDF)  for  the  project  running  from 
2008-2015 was EUR 1,574,198. 

Belgium  is  one  of  the  main  beneficiaries  of  EFSI  investments  in  the  energy  sector  with  an  EFSI 
contribution of EUR 675 million; and a total value of the projects above EUR 7 billion. The three big 
offshore wind farms that will be built with the EFSI participation with a total capacity of close to 1000 
MW  are  fully  aligned  with  the  Energy  Union  objectives  and  will  make  a  significant  contribution  to 
decarbonising the Belgian economy. 

Through  its  support  to  sustainable  transport  systems,  the  Connecting  Europe  Facility  (CEF)  also 
contributes to the goals of the Energy Union. Following Belgian participation to the CEF – Transport 
2014-2015 Calls, the Belgian action portfolio comprises 37 signed grant agreements, allocating EUR 
417.6  millions  of  actual  CEF  Transport  Funding  to  Belgian  beneficiaries  (state-of-play  February 

25 

 
 
 
                              Energy Union – Belgium 

2017)19. The transport mode which receives the highest share of funding is inland waterways (77.3% 
of  actual  funding).  The  CEF  Programme  mainly  contributes  to  both  the  upgrade  of  the  Inland 
Waterways and the implementation of River Information Services (RIS). Belgium also participates in a 
European COMEX project involving 13 countries targeting cross-border RIS. 

Within  the  rail  portfolio,  the  CEF  Programme  provides  a  significant  contribution  to  the 
implementation of the European Train Control System (ETCS) on the entire Belgian railway network. 
Additionally, the CEF Programme contributes to the improvement of the Belgian rail network by co-
funding a number of actions to improve freight transport and rail connections. The CEF Programme 
also  contributes  to  the  improvement  of  the  road  network  by  co-funding  actions  to  develop  new 
technologies and innovation, safe and secure infrastructures and to ensure deployment of Intelligent 
Transport Systems and Services (ITS). Transporters are also encouraged to make the transition from 
diesel to LNG fuelling. The development of electric vehicle markets (EV) is addressed too.20 

19   Note  that  European  Economic  Interest  Groups  and  International  Organisations  are  excluded  from  the 

analysis. 
20   Source: INEA 

26