Hedera appoints the experts for its investment and technical committees

King Philippe signed, on June 28, 2026, a royal decree appointing the members of the investment and technical committees of Hedera, the public body responsible for assuming the financial responsibility for certain Belgian nuclear obligations. The text, referenced C-2026/005113, is published in the Belgian Official Gazette of September 1, 2026, page 47593. It enters into force on the day of its publication.

A body at the heart of nuclear liabilities

Hedera was created by the law of April 26, 2024, regarding the creation, organization, and functioning of a public law body aimed at assuming the financial responsibility for certain nuclear obligations. The royal decree is based on Articles 52, § 2, and 54, § 2 of this law, which frame the composition of the two committees.

The appointment follows an opinion from the Inspection of Finance issued on April 21, 2026, and the agreement of the Minister of Budget given on April 30, 2026. The candidates were selected by the Hoffman selection office, mandated by Hedera, and then interviewed to confirm their qualifications, critical thinking, independence, proficiency in French and Dutch, and the absence of any conflict of interest.

The investment committee

The three independent financial experts appointed to the investment committee of Hedera are:

• Jean HILGERS, expert in investment strategy, risk management, compliance, and ALM (asset and liability management), with an international perspective;
• Edwin DE BOECK, with experience in developing a global vision of the economic context and an investment strategy;
• Ruben SCHOONACKERS, bringing a sharp approach to macroeconomics with a European perspective.

The text specifies that these profiles meet a requirement for complementarity in order to guarantee the financial sustainability of the fund, risk control, compliance with international standards, and the necessary depth of macroeconomic analysis.

The technical committee

The three independent experts appointed to the technical committee of Hedera are:

• Walter BLOMMAERT, who combines concrete international experience with expertise in industrial and regulatory plans, useful for evaluating proposals from ONDRAF;
• Joseph BOUCAU, with experience in industrial projects in decommissioning and waste management, allowing for the evaluation of the cost of ONDRAF proposals for the five-year plan and the annual plan;
• Aliki van HEEK, expert in cost evaluation, notably as an independent member of the committee in charge of costs for STENFO, the decommissioning fund for nuclear installations and radioactive waste management (Switzerland).

Scope of the decision

These appointments, proposed by the Minister of Energy and deliberated in the Council of Ministers, provide Hedera with independent and specialized governance to steer the management of Belgian nuclear liabilities. By entrusting the evaluation of costs and investment strategies to recognized experts, the royal decree reinforces the credibility and transparency of the body in a matter sensitive to public finances and the country’s energy transition.

Official source: Belgian Official Gazette, 196th year, no. 196, September 1, 2026, p. 47593 — Royal Decree of June 28, 2026, appointing the members of the investment committee and the members of the technical committee of Hedera, reference C-2026/005113.