Ovam’s action plan ‘Asbestos-safe Flanders by 2040’ must make Flanders asbestos-safe by 2040 at the latest. A whole series of agreements have been made and deadlines have been drawn up that apply to public buildings and private homes and that are also set as a target for other buildings such as apartment buildings. As is known, since 23 November 2022 it has been mandatory to be in possession of an asbestat test when selling a home if the building dates from before 2001. But what about common parts of an apartment building? Does this also require an asbestat test? We’ll discuss that in this article.
What is the asbestat test?
An asbestat test is issued after making an asbestos inventory of a building. It describes which materials or parts of the building contain asbestos, what the condition of the asbestos is and how it can be safely managed or removed.
Who can draw up an asbestat test?
Only a certified asbestos expert may carry out an asbestos inventory for a valid asbestos assessment. The experts have been trained to recognize and correctly identify asbestos, they have taken an exam and obtained a certificate. An inventory is done through an inspection of the home or building on site. The expert follows the rules of ovam’s inspection protocol. The asbestos inventory inspection protocol describes the standard procedure how an asbestos inventory must be carried out in order to obtain a valid asbestos assessment. The asbestos expert reports the inspection data and on this basis OVAM delivers an asbestat test.
The timeline
With the Asbestos Reduction Action Plan, the Flemish Government foresees several steps to make Flanders ‘asbestos-safe’. For this, for every building that was built in 2001 or earlier, an asbestos inventory and accompanying certificate will have to be drawn up.
Below is a timeline:
- 23/11/2022: Mandatory asbestattest when selling a structure with year of construction 2001 or older. Ditto for the establishment or transfer of a right of usufruct, a right of leasehold, a building right or a right of use in rem. For co-ownership only the certificate of the private individuals.
- 01/05/2025: the asbestat test common parts becomes mandatory. In the coming years, we will therefore proactively ensure that asbestat tests for the common parts of the buildings under management are drawn up.
- 2032: every building owner of a building built in 2000 or older must have an asbestos inventory and accompanying certificate.
- 2034: the most risky ash cement applications in roofs and facades and loosely bound materials must be removed.
- 2040: Goal to make Flanders asbestos-safe + all asbestos applications must be removed from government buildings (so no obligation for private individuals).
Conclusion
The asbestat test for private individuals has been mandatory since November 2022. For the common parts, this is only from 2025. Would you like more information about asbestos or the asbestattest? Contact us and we will be happy to give you more information.