Wallonia regulates the authorization of CO2 emissions from pipelines

On September 10, 2026, the Walloon Government established the greenhouse gas emission authorization procedure applicable to installations used for the transport of carbon dioxide via pipelines. The text was published in the Belgian Official Gazette on October 1, 2026, page 52618, under reference C − 2026/007034. It partially transposes Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of October 13, 2003, and entrusts the processing of files to the Walloon Air and Climate Agency.

A decretal basis and prior opinions

The order is based on Article 32 of the Decree of March 28, 2024, relating to the transport of carbon dioxide via pipelines, which provides for the authorization to emit greenhouse gases for this type of installation. The file was compiled after several mandatory consultations:

• a report dated October 6, 2025, established under the Decree of April 11, 2014, integrating the gender dimension into regional policies;
• opinion no. ADV-2026-00072 from the Data Protection Authority, issued on July 13, 2026;
• opinion 79.091/17 from the Council of State, given on April 20, 2026.

The government considers that the issuance and updating of the authorization constitute technical decisions, and as such, they may be delegated to the Walloon Air and Climate Agency, created by the Decree of March 5, 2008. The text was signed in Namur on September 10, 2026, by the Minister-President A. DOLIMONT and by the Minister of Energy, the Air-Climate Plan, Housing and Airports, C. NEVEN, upon the proposal of the latter.

An electronic application and a standard file

The applicant submits their application electronically to the Agency for the CO2 transport installations they manage and operate. The file must contain:

• the applicant’s contact details;
• a description of the installation: nature, operation and technologies used, geographical extent, raw materials and auxiliaries likely to lead to emissions;
• a description of the logistics chain in which the installation is integrated;
• a description of the greenhouse gas emission sources;
• monitoring and reporting measures in accordance with implementing regulation (EU) 2018/2066;
• a non-technical summary of the aforementioned information.

The minister establishes an application template, which the Agency publishes on its website.

Specified deadlines for processing and updates

The Agency shall rule within sixty days following receipt of the request and shall notify its decision electronically. If the file is incomplete, it shall invite the candidate to complete it, and the deadline shall be suspended until the requested elements are received. The authorization issued shall mention, in particular, the name and address of the holder, the description of the installation and its emission sources, as well as the approved monitoring program.

Updating obligations are also timed:

• the updated monitoring program is approved or rejected within a period of seventy-five days;
• any modification to the nature, operation, or capacity of the installation must be notified to the Agency, which shall verify whether the authorization needs to be updated;
• in the event of a change of holder, the transferor shall notify the modification within ten days, and the Agency shall adapt the authorization within ten days.

Annual Declaration and Surrender of Allowances

The authorization requires the holder to notify the Agency, electronically, the declaration of its emissions no later than March 14 of each year, verified in accordance with implementing regulation (EU) 2018/2067. It also obliges them to surrender, within the period set out in Article 10/1 of the Decree of November 10, 2004, the allowances corresponding to the total emissions of the previous calendar year. The minister responsible for climate is charged with the execution of the order.

For operators of CO2 transport networks in Wallonia, the text transforms a decretal obligation into an operational procedure: electronic single window, imposed application model, deadlines opposable to the administration, and a declaration calendar aligned with the European allowance regime. Project developers of carbon capture and transport pipelines now have a precise timeframe for obtaining and maintaining their authorization.

Source: Belgian Official Gazette, October 1, 2026, p. 52618, ref. C − 2026/007034.