The electrical reform of 2026
This is the most significant development of the recent period. It concerns existing stock rather than new build.
A royal decree published in the Official Gazette in late October 2025 amended the first two books of the general regulation on electrical installations. Its provisions entered into force on 1 April 2026.
The principal object is the integration of direct current. The text adds earthing arrangements for direct current, previously absent from a scheme addressing alternating current only.
The rationale is explicit: the growing presence of direct current systems in low and extra-low voltage installations, notably storage batteries and photovoltaic panels.
Three practical consequences for design.
Protection must suit direct current. A residual current device designed for alternating current does not detect direct current faults in the same way, which calls for specific components.
Cables and equipment must be intended for that use, an arc in direct current behaving differently from one in alternating current.
Existing installations already compliant are not covered, the reform bearing on new installations.
A good illustration of the federal base
That reform illustrates precisely what this guide says about the division of competences. The federal level sets the frame, the regions work it out.
The electrical regulation is federal, meaning an installation meets the same requirements in all three regions. It is one of the few fields where such uniformity exists, as the article on federal competences explains.
It should not be confused with energy certification, which is regional and follows different logics by region.
The pace of electrical developments
A useful point for situating the period.
The current scheme rests on a 2019 overhaul, applicable from 2020, followed by successive adjustments: a first set in 2023, notably on the types of residual current device permitted, then provisions in 2025 relating to certain rooms and equipment, and finally the direct current reform in 2026. The dates are checked before a version is invoked.
The pace is therefore brisk, with a notable development roughly every two years. It is the fastest-moving technical field in Belgian construction, and the one warranting the closest monitoring.
Batteries and the European framework
A second effect of the same dynamic.
Energy storage is subject to its own European framework, which produces effects on installations. It adds to national electrical requirements rather than replacing them.
For a project including storage, two bodies of rules therefore combine: the European framework on batteries and the national electrical regulation.
Installing a battery constitutes a significant modification of the electrical installation, with the corresponding inspection obligations, covered in the article on inspection bodies.
The effect on fire safety
The thread continues into fire standardisation. International reference frameworks are evolving too.
A new version of the international standard on fire classes was published in early 2026, adding a class dedicated to lithium battery fires. Its take-up in Belgian law follows its own calendar.
That is normative recognition of a new risk, whose effects will be felt progressively on firefighting means and on the requirements applying to storage rooms.
Other developments of recent years
Three changes deserve recalling, covered elsewhere in this guide. They concern fire, acoustics and energy.
Fire safety. The last substantive amendment to the federal scheme dates from 2022, notably on façades, car parks, boiler rooms and lifts. Since then the administration has published interpretative notes, several in 2025 and 2026. This is covered in the article on basic fire safety standards.
Acoustics. The residential standard was revised in 2022, the revised version applying to permit applications submitted since 1 January 2023, with a move to three performance classes. See the article on acoustics between dwellings.
Civil law. The Belgian Civil Code is being progressively recodified, which affects references and numbering on liability. See the article on good practice and liability.
Organising sustainable monitoring
Four principles, to avoid disproportionate effort. They organise useful rather than exhaustive monitoring.
Monitor by level, not by subject. Federal, regional and municipal sources publish separately, and searching by subject means cross-referencing constantly.
Focus on the fast-moving fields. The electrical regulation and regional energy requirements evolve markedly faster than structure or fire.
Note entry into force, not publication dates. A published text is not yet applicable, and transitional provisions determine what applies to a given project.
Check before pricing, not before designing. A check made too early will be obsolete by the time of commitment.
Points to recheck regularly
| Field | Recommended frequency |
|---|---|
| Electrical regulation | on every project with storage or photovoltaics |
| Regional energy requirements | quarterly |
| Sector fire rules | quarterly |
| Basic fire safety standards | each campaign |
| Acoustic and ventilation standardisation | annually |
This article reflects developments known at the date of checking and serves professional orientation. It does not constitute legal advice and does not replace consulting the applicable texts.