The rhythm and the history
Versions have followed annually since 2014, with publication between February and March, version 01.13 having been published on 17 March 2026. That rhythm makes checking the version cited in each specification unavoidable.
| Version | Date of publication |
|---|---|
| 01.13 | 17 March 2026 |
| 01.12 | 18 February 2025 |
| 01.11 | 26 February 2024 |
| 01.10 | 31 October 2022 |
| 01.09 | 8 December 2020 |
Version 01.13 of 17 March 2026 is the one in force at the date this article was checked. The next is expected early in 2027.
Earlier versions remain accessible as an archive, but their status is explicit: they are made available solely for consultation in connection with older contracts that refer to them. For any other use, the most recent version applies.
The rule for a contract not yet published
It is stated unambiguously by the committee steering the framework. The applicable version is the one cited in the particular specification.
Publication of a new version renders the use of an earlier version obsolete for drafting the particular specification of a contract not yet published.
The reason is substantive: only the most recent version contains updates on applicable regulation. Drafting on an outdated version therefore means citing withdrawn standards or ignoring provisions that have entered into force.
The case of a specification being drafted
This is the commonest situation, and the answer is pragmatic. It concerns a site opened under an earlier version.
In practice, once a particular specification is being drafted, the same version is kept until the end of the project. Changing version midway would require reworking the whole document, for often limited benefit.
That rule of continuity is a common-sense choice, and it avoids the permanent instability a systematic realignment would impose. It avoids reopening the documents of a contract in progress.
The exception that forces a revision
It is precise, and it covers two domains only. They are safety and mandatory regulatory changes.
Where the new version introduces non-negligible changes in the legal domain, for example following publication of new royal decrees on public procurement.
Or in the domain of safety, for example on the appearance of a new safety standard for an element of work.
In those cases the designer has two routes. They differ in when the update is incorporated.
Rework the entire particular specification on the new version, the cleanest but costliest solution.
Incorporate the important changes into the particular specification as derogations. That is quicker, but presupposes mastery of the regime of derogations, covered in the article on clarifications, additions and derogations.
What this requires stating
A practical consequence running through this whole guide. The version of the framework is cited as a contractual fact.
The particular specification and the bill must cite the version of the framework, with its date. Without that statement it becomes impossible to know which prescriptions and standards apply, and a dispute is then settled by interpretation.
That statement costs one line. Its absence costs far more when disagreement concerns the content of an item.
A point about tools
A useful clarification to dispel a confusion. It concerns the drafting tool the Region provides.
Only the framework is imposed for certain contracts, under the conditions covered in the article on its scope and status. No software is imposed.
The drafting-assistance application made freely available by the Region is not mandatory: whoever drafts a particular specification based on the framework remains free to use another application, or a word processor with a spreadsheet. The choice of tool remains free, provided the indexes are cited correctly.
The recommendation to use a tool linking prescriptions and bills remains a recommendation, not an obligation. It is covered in the article on matching specification and measurement.
What this means for a professional
Four rules.
Check the version in force before opening a new particular specification, especially early in the year.
Keep the version chosen until the end of an ongoing project, absent a significant legal or safety change.
Cite the version and its date in the particular specification as in the bill.
Follow the publication notes of each new version, which flag the notable changes.
This article reflects the position of the framework at the date of checking and serves professional orientation. It does not replace consulting the official source.