EPD stands for ‘environmental product declaration’ and is a written declaration containing quantified information about a given set of environmental impacts based on a life-cycle analysis.
The Royal Decree on Environmental Messages provides for the creation of a federal EPD database and lays down various rules that are characteristic of EPD programmes. The EPD programme applies the requirements of the Royal Decree on Environmental Messages. The FPS of Health relies on the NBN EN ISO 14025 standard, thus acting as programme operator. The programme of the FPS of Health is named ‘Belgian EPD Programme’ or B-EPD in short.
The principal aim of the Belgian EPD programme is to provide interested organisations with a framework for developing and making available EPDs in accordance with the Royal Decree on EPDs. The B-EPD programme is applicable to building products that are placed or made available on the market in Belgium or that can be used in buildings on the Belgian territory.
The programme started on 7 December 2016.
Some FAQ are listed here : FAQ for manufacturers and verifiers (EN only)
Structure
The programme operator is the FPS of Health. The FPS is assisted by a steering committee, an advisory committee, an expert committee, a committee for reviewing PCR documents and an inspectors committee. More information can be found in the General programme instructions.
Verification
An EPD is in accordance with the B-EPD programme when its conformity with the Royal Decree on Environmental Messages and the General programme instructions has been verified.
This can only be done by an inspector who has registered with the programme operator in advance. Information about the procedure and its costs can be found in the reference documents.
The manufacturer is free to choose an inspector from the list of registered inspectors.
Reference documents
- The general programme instructions V1.1 (last update 12.10.2017)
- Requirements for verifiers (last update 7.12.2016)
- NBN EN 15804+A1
- NBN EN ISO 14044
- Verification checklist
- NBN DTD B 08-001 : 2017, horizontaal PCR document
- final draft Horizontal PCR document (NBN/DTD)
- List of verifiers
- B-EPD : List of validated PCR documents (last update 30.10.2018)
- List of validated PCR documents (last update 30.10.2018)
Methodology
If you want to have your B-EPD used in the building tool calculator of the regional authorities (Totem), you have to use the following files when you use Simapro or Gabi.
Do you wish to register as an inspecting party?
The guidelines and rates for registering can be found in the reference document ‘Requirements for inspectors’..
Stay informed
Register via epdnews@environment.belgium.be to be informed when important news or new documents are published.
Contact
Federal Public Service (FPS) of Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment
Product Policy Department
Place Victor Hortaplein 40, box 10
1060 Brussels
Phone number: +32 (0)2 524.97.97
E-mail: epd@environment.belgium.be