Lift and Elevator Codes and Standards in Belgium

Belgium applies the Lifts Directive 2014/33/EU to new lifts; existing lifts are governed by the Royal Decree of 9 March 2003 on lift safety (amended by the Royal Decree of 10 December 2012), for which the FPS Economy is competent, with the FPS Employment covering worker well-being aspects. An external technical-control service (SECT, e.g. Vinçotte) inspects lifts and checks modernisation works on the basis of a risk analysis; owners must keep a maintenance book. The national transposition decree for 2014/33/EU was not identified.

Who regulates lifts

FPS Economy, SMEs, Self-employed and Energy (Royal Decree of 9 March 2003); FPS Employment, Labour and Social Dialogue (well-being at work, DG Contrôle du bien-être au travail)

Periodic inspection

Preventive inspection by an accredited external technical-control service (SECT) under the RD of 9 March 2003: per the SECT Kiwa/Vinçotte, yearly plus six-monthly if maintained by a certified maintenance company, every three months otherwise, yearly for private lifts; risk analysis at the latest 15 years after first commissioning and then at most every 15 years.

Installer and maintenance licensing

Not verified; Kiwa refers to 'certified maintenance companies' (entreprise d'entretien certifiée) affecting inspection frequency.

Laws, codes and standards

Directive 2014/33/EU — Lifts Directive: harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to lifts and safety components for lifts
Mandatory · EU directive, binding through national transposition (see the national transposition instrument in this country's list). Repealed Directive 95/16/EC with effect from 20 April 2016. · European Parliament and Council
KB/AR 9 maart/mars 2003 (2003) — Royal Decree of 9 March 2003 on the safety of lifts
Mandatory · Royal decree; amended by the Royal Decree of 10 December 2012 (FPS Employment). Competent service: FPS Economy. · Federal government (FPS Economy)
EN 115-1 — Safety of escalators and moving walks - Part 1: Construction and installation
Harmonised (presumption of conformity) · Escalators and moving walks fall under the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, not the Lifts Directive; EN 115-1 supports its essential requirements. · CEN/TC 10 (WG 2)
EN 81-20 (2020) — Safety rules for the construction and installation of lifts - Lifts for the transport of persons and goods - Part 20: Passenger and goods passenger lifts
Harmonised (presumption of conformity) · Reference published in the OJEU under Directive 2014/33/EU by Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/76; replaces EN 81-20:2014. · CEN/TC 10
EN 81-50 (2020) — Safety rules for the construction and installation of lifts - Examinations and tests - Part 50: Design rules, calculations, examinations and tests of lift components
Harmonised (presumption of conformity) · Reference published in the OJEU under Directive 2014/33/EU by Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/76. · CEN/TC 10
EN 81-70 — Safety rules for the construction and installation of lifts - Particular applications for passenger and goods passenger lifts - Part 70: Accessibility to lifts for persons including persons with disability
Voluntary · Applied through national accessibility/building rules where referenced. · CEN/TC 10
EN 81-80 (2019) — Safety rules for the construction and installation of lifts - Existing lifts - Part 80: Rules for the improvement of safety of existing passenger and goods passenger lifts
Voluntary · Not harmonised (existing lifts are outside the Lifts Directive); binding only where a national rule refers to it. · CEN/TC 10

Lift associations and bodies

Last verified 2026-10-17. Standards are copyrighted: we list which one applies and its legal status, not its text.