Market withdrawal of Handson Boston-type gas barbecues from the Belgian market

The Minister of Consumer Protection and the Minister of Energy have ordered the withdrawal from the Belgian market of Handson brand gas barbecues, type Boston, bearing EAN code 8711247899297, produced by Intergamma B.V. The decision is published in the ministerial decree of October 5, 2026, appearing in the Belgian Official Gazette of October 8, 2026, under reference C − 2026/007368 (p. 53477). It is based on Article IX.4, § 2, of the Code of Economic Law, as amended by the law of April 18, 2017.

A sample from the distributor at the origin of the procedure

The procedure originates from an inspection carried out on July 8, 2025, at the distributor Bricomarkt (Gamma Londerzeel), located at Molenstraat 7/2 in 1840 Londerzeel, with company number 0422.231.892. The sampling was carried out in application of Article XV.3, 7°, of the Code of Economic Law.

The producer and manufacturer, Intergamma B.V., with headquarters at Storkstraat 2 in 3830 AC Leusden (Netherlands), company number 0537.744.046 and number KvK 31021056, was previously consulted on March 23, 2026. According to the decree, this consultation was not followed, within the allotted time, by the production of valid and consistent conformity assessment documents, such that the observed non-compliance persists.

An unusable EU type-examination certificate

The sampled product constitutes an appliance burning gaseous fuels within the meaning of Article 2, 1), of Regulation (EU) 2016/426 of the European Parliament and of the Council of March 9, 2016, which repeals Directive 2009/142/EC. As such, it may only be made available on the market if it complies with this regulation. The deficiencies noted are as follows:

• the EU type-examination certificate (Module B) produced does not contain the name and address of the manufacturer of the inspected product, in violation of Annex III, point 1.6, of the regulation;
• it does not contain the data necessary to identify the approved type, such that it does not allow for the establishment that the inspected product is covered by a compliant EU type-examination;
• the quality system approval according to Module D produced does not allow for the establishment that the inspected product conforms to the type described in an applicable EU type-examination certificate, in violation of Annex III, points 3.1 and 3.3.2;
• this approval refers to a certificate that allows for the identification of neither the inspected product nor its manufacturer, and which itself mentions a product identification that does not correspond to the one made available on the Belgian market.

It has therefore not been demonstrated that the conformity assessment procedure provided for in Article 14 of the regulation was correctly applied, nor that the manufacturer has satisfied the obligations of Article 7, paragraph 2, of the same regulation. Furthermore, the product does not meet the general safety obligation referred to in Article IX.2 of the Economic Law Code.

What the decree provides

The ministerial order consists of three articles:

• Article 1: Handson brand gas barbecues, type Boston, with EAN code 8711247899297, produced by Intergamma B.V., are withdrawn from the market;
• Article 2: the decree shall be notified to the producer of the products concerned as well as to the Special Advisory Commission on Consumption, no later than fifteen days after its entry into force;
• Article 3: the decree enters into force the day following its publication in the Belgian Official Gazette, namely on October 9, 2026.

The measure is justified by the need, in the interest of user safety, to prevent this product from being on the Belgian market, in view of the mechanism provided for in Article 40, paragraph 2, of Regulation (EU) 2016/426. The decree bears the signatures of R. Beenders and M. Bihet.

Scope of the decision

The withdrawal is immediately applicable: as of October 9, 2026, the Handson gas barbecue type Boston can no longer be offered for sale in Belgium, and distributors who still hold copies are affected by this prohibition. The decision illustrates the use, by the Belgian authorities, of the safeguard mechanism of the European regulation on gas appliances: in the absence of an EU-type examination certificate allowing the manufacturer and the product to be unambiguously identified, conformity is deemed not to be established and placement on the Belgian market is prohibited.

Official source: C − 2026/007368, ministerial decree of October 5, 2026, Belgian Official Gazette of October 8, 2026, p. 53477.