Green Certificates Scheme - Flanders

Country	Belgium
Year Implemented	2002
Policy Status	In force
Date Announced	17 July 2000
Date Promulgated	23 September 2001
Date Effective	1 January 2002
Agency	•The Flemish Regulator (VREG)
Related Policies	Support for renewable electricity (photovoltaics) - Green certificates - Flanders
Policy Type	•Education and Outreach   •Advice/Aid in Implementation •Tradable Permits   •Green Certificate Trading
Policy Target	•Multiple Renewable Energy Sources   •All
Policy Sector	•Electricity
Description	The decree from September 2001 fostering the production from renewable energy implements the Flemish Parliament Act on the organisation of the electricity market of July 2000. From the 1st of January 2002, every electricity supplier has the obligation to buy a certain amount of green certificates to green electricity producers. This amount has to be 0,8% from its total electricity supply in 2002, 1,2% in 2003, 2% in 2004 until 6% in 2010. The suppliers have to give their certificates yearly (the 31st of March) to the Flemish regulator (the VREG). If the supplier doesn't comply with this obligation, it will have to pay a fine of EUR 75 for each missing certificate in 2003, EUR 100 in 2004 and EUR 125 since 31 March 2005. The fines feed into an Energy Fund. The Flemish regulator has made available on its web site a page dedicated to the environment-friendly electricity generation, with a list of suppliers and green electricity producers and the price of green certificates, as well as the link to its green certificates relational database management system.
URL	www.vreg.be