Wallonia: Complicated procedures and regulations in Belgium

In Wallonia, a one-stop-shop  has been implemented and makes the process much simpler. However, current rules for wind energy installations are not clear and objective enough, which led several advisory administrations to decide on their own rules, thus making the decision process unpredictable and decided on a case-by-case basis for developers (e.g. on environment criteria). Moreover, municipalities have the competence to deliver road permits (so-called permission de voirie (FR) / parkeerverbod (NL)), which allows the developer to temporarily either block the public road to allow for material transport or construction, or modify the road to allow the installation and material transport). When municipalities are against the project, they refuse to deliver this permit, blocking the development. 

In addition, no sub-sector (except onshore wind) in Wallonia has a specific political strategy based on mid-term targets and on a specific legislative framework, while this would go a long way in facilitating the permit delivering procedure and administration opinion (especially for biomass). 

In Wallonia, the competences of environment and spatial planning are divided between two ministers. The minister for environment coming from the Ecolo (Green) and that for spatial planning coming from MR (Liberal). Due to a lack of cooperation between both political parties, the sector is currently facing obstacles in the permitting procedures.