Flanders has taken many initiatives in recent years to make and/or keep our soil healthy again. Besides flow meter registration and appropriate waste disposal, to be read in previous blog posts, there has also been the mandatory Soil Mat Test since 1995. Some more explanation.

The Bodemattest was brought into life in the 1990s to gather all the necessary knowledge about the condition of the soil when potentially selling a house or territory. This has an impact on the price. A contaminated soil is obviously worth less than soil that is healthy.

The objective of the Bodemattest, drawn up and followed up by OVAM, is to start the effective remediation of the Flemish territory by 2036. Which in short stands for: making the soil healthy and improving homes and the living environment in older neighbourhoods.

In order to correctly map all contamination by the year 2032, OVAM is working with all 308 municipalities to create a clear inventory of Flemish plots and land. It is estimated that there are over 85,000 high-risk plots of land. OVAM, or Public Waste Agency of Flanders, is generally responsible for waste policy and remediation in Flanders.

A compulsory soil certificate has existed since 29 October 1995. This applies to any property put up for sale, but also when a new plot becomes available that is not yet part of the land register. The soil certificate can only be drawn up by OVAM.

However, the procedure itself is quite simple and is also not pricey. You simply submit an application to the OVAM webloc. The price is €50 per plot, unless it only concerns part of the plot. In that case, you pay €200.

Besides soil remediation and the Soil Mat Test, OVAM also focuses on asbestos-safe Flanders and, as stated, enforcement and traceability of waste materials. Since 1 January 2023, there has been a digital obligation for transport registration of waste.

Qeos ensured that this transition could go smoothly. To allow our customers to work more efficiently, we integrated QeosDOCS. The tool was approved by OVAM and can digitise identification forms. Submission of the forms is also automatic.