Technology Subsidies - Wallonia, Flanders & Brussels-Capital

Country	Belgium
Year Implemented	1983
Policy Status	In force
Stated Objective	•Commercial Viability •Energy Efficiency
Policy Type	•Financial •Incentives/Subsidies •RD & D   •Demonstration Project   •Research Programme   •Technology Development
Policy Target	•Multiple Renewable Energy Sources   •All
Policy Sector	•Multi-sectoral Policy
Description	A Royal Decree of 1983 allocates subsidies for the development, demonstration and commercialisation of new products and processes for energy efficiency. This egislation overlapped with some regional initiatives, as detailed: Wallonia The Walloon Region operates various programmes in support of innovative technologies, including energy technologies. The most important of those programmes, the Decree (which refers to a Decree of 5 July 1990 by the Walloon regional government granting financial support for R&D) applies to all fields (i.e. energy, telecommunications, new materials and biotechnology). About 40% of the energy R&D funds are allocated to the residential, commercial and public sectors for so-called downstream or promotional activities The "Plan d'Action pour préparer la Wallonie au Futur" (Action plan for preparing Wallonia for the future), presented on 25 January 1996, reflects the new RD&D policy that the Walloon government intends to promote in the future. Efforts by the regional government will be orientated towards clearly identified technological niches through a yearly inventory that will be developed through consultation with all the stakeholders. The different types of support provided by the Region will be restructured and RD&D regional policy will be better integrated into European research and development programmes. In the same way, the Walloon Region regularly launches "Programmes Mobilisateurs" or calls for RD&D proposals on well-defined targets (e.g. cogeneration in the energy field). The Walloon Region continues to launch annual "programmes mobilisateurs", action-oriented programmes, on targeted energy fields (energy efficiency, buildings, RES) with the financial support of the so-called "Plan Marshall", with an average annual budget of EUR 3 million. In 2008 two research programmes have been launched :one on RES, with available grants for projects totalling EUR 4.700.000 with the cooperation of the "plan Air Climat"; and one on photovoltaics, with project grants of EUR 5.000.000 (Plan Marshall). Flanders In the Flemish Region, the VLIET programme "Vlaams Impulsprogramma voor Energietechnologie (Flemish programme for the promotion of energy technology)" is managed by IWT. In the early 2000s, Average annual support varied from BEF 30 to 35 million, focusing on CHP, alternative propulsion systems and fuels for vehicles (such as hybrid traction, CNG, biodiesel and hydrogen), systems using renewable energy sources for power production and heating and cooling. Brussels-Capital In Brussels-Capital, budgets formerly spent on energy RD&D projects have shifted towards studies in support of energy policy.