Flanders opens its 17th call for brownfield conventions for wasteland sites

The Belgian Official Gazette of October 29, 2026 (ed. 2) publishes, under reference [C − 2026/007950], page 58370, the 17th call for applications for the conclusion of brownfield covenants, signed by the Flemish Minister of Economy Mr. Diependaele. The regime, managed by the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Agency (VLAIO) — Brownfieldconvenanten service, Koning Albert II-laan 15, 1210 Brussels —, governs the reconversion of complex industrial brownfields. The submission of applications is open from October 31, 2026, to Friday, October 29, 2027.

A brownfield is a set of neglected or underutilized plots of land, degraded to the point of requiring structural measures to be repurposed. The Flemish government thus intends to avoid the opening of new undeveloped spaces and to revitalize degraded environments. The legal framework is based on the decree of March 30, 2007, and the order of the Flemish Government of December 23, 2016, which sets the minimum negotiation conditions as well as the procedure for conclusion and monitoring. Each file is assigned a negotiator responsible for coordinating the public and private parties, with a steering committee to resolve bottlenecks.

Two evaluation windows, with no possibility of postponement

The call covers a single one-year period, but the examination of files is divided into two moments:

• 1st period: files submitted from October 31, 2026, to April 23, 2027;
• 2nd period: files submitted from April 24, 2027, to October 29, 2027.

Pre-registration is possible during the period to obtain a file number, but this must be completed no later than the end of the period concerned. An application cannot be postponed to the following period. Submission is mandatory via the digital platform, accompanied by the standard form and its annexes.

Exemptions and facilitating framework

The announced financial benefits are as follows:

• exemption from registration duties upon the acquisition of real estate within the framework of the project;
• exemption from the tax on vacant business premises covered by a covenant approved in principle;
• possibility of exemption from the financial guarantee required by OVAM during the transfer of high-risk land;
• possibility of exemption from the tax on planning gains in land-use planning processes.

These benefits are granted subject to the actual realization of the project. In addition, there are administrative and legal facilities: the works are deemed to be of general interest within the meaning of the Flemish Codex on Spatial Planning, and administrations may enter into commitments to coordinate procedures. Candidates are requested to provide a presentation of the project to the Brownfieldcel, the negotiators, and the administrative working group.

Thirty days for objections

After receipt, registration, and declaration of completeness, the provisional delimitation of the perimeter is published in the Belgian Official Gazette (Moniteur belge) and notified by registered mail to the owners and holders of real rights who are not parties to the file. Any interested party may lodge an appeal with the Flemish government within thirty days from the day following publication, or notification when required. The Flemish Minister of Economy then rules on the admissibility and the merits. An inadmissible or unfounded request may be corrected; if it is accepted, a negotiator appointed by the Flemish government opens negotiations, and the authority organizes at least one information and participation meeting in the concerned region.

Four ambitions required for the 17th call

The files must demonstrate that they contribute to the following objectives:

• space for entrepreneurship, in connection with the action plan approved on May 23, 2025, regarding the availability of activity zones;
• spatial quality, in accordance with the draft spatial policy plan (BRV) approved on September 11, 2026, which reaffirms the objective of zero additional net land take by 2040;
• sustainability and circularity, following the fifth Flemish sustainable development strategy adopted on April 3, 2026, and the “Op weg naar circulair bouwen 2022-2030” program of April 29, 2022; construction represents 30 to 40% of the waste produced in Flanders;
• circular economy opportunities, notably material recovery and the conversion of old landfills (enhanced landfill mining).

Among the admissibility conditions is the written agreement of the parties collectively holding the necessary rights to more than 70% of the project area, as well as proof that the concerned municipality has taken note of the file and agrees to collaborate.

The scope of this call extends beyond the mere remediation of polluted soils: for developers, municipalities, and Flemish landowners, it determines access to tax exemptions and coordinated arbitration between administrations. Project proponents have only two windows; since there is no carry-over from one period to another, the prior preparation of the financial file, the recent cadastral plan, and the documents relating to pollution is decisive.

Source: Moniteur belge, 29.10.2026, ed. 2, [C − 2026/007950], p. 58370.