Everything you need to know about the simplified Bebat declaration
What is the Bebat declaration for?
How exactly does Bebat work? As a participant in Bebat, you and over 4000 other participants provide the financing of the system by which Bebat collects, picks up, sorts, transports and recycles used batteries and files the requisite reports with the authorities. Specifically, you pay an annual fixed fee of € 60 plus an environmental or administrative contribution for each battery you bring to market.
How often do you file a Bebat declaration?
Do you put fewer than 10,000 batteries on the market per year? In that case, you just have to file an annual Bebat declaration.
If you put Energy Storage Systems (ESS) or home batteries* onto the market, you still have to submit an annual declaration for 2021. From the 1st of January 2022 onwards, you need to file a monthly declaration.
However, do you put more than 10,000 batteries on the market per year? Then it is advisable to notify Bebat and start filing monthly declarations.
The declaration for 2021 must be filed at the latest on 28 February 2022. Therefore we will now take a closer look at this aspect.
* Energy Storage Systems (ESS) or home batteries are energy storage batteries with a weight of up to and including 200 kg that are connected to a decentralised energy production installation for electricity (e.g. solar panels), regardless of where they are installed. Batteries that are primarily used for backup purposes, so-called UPS batteries, are not included. To be clear: home batteries are not traditional batteries such as AA, AAA, button cells, etc.
What happens to your declaration?
The environmental contribution you owe is based on your declaration. In addition, Bebat reports the total number of batteries declared by participants to the regional authorities, categorised by chemical family, weight, and whether it is sold individually or built-in.
On that basis, the regions determine Bebat's collection targets. For Flanders, this is 45% of all portable batteries, as opposed to 50% in Brussels and Wallonia.
Worth noting: Bebat and the Belgian population have together exceeded those targets each year. In 2020, for example, the percentage stood at 59,3%. Quite an achievement! If we all wish to exceed the targets once again, then it's essential that you file your declaration on time.
How do you file your declaration?
Thanks to the MyBatbase portal set up by Bebat, you can file your declaration online.
TIP: Are you a Bebat participant but have not yet created a user profile on MyBatbase? Find the email you received from participants@bebat.be with ‘Bebat: new MyBatbase participant’s portal - log in’ in the subject line.
In this email, you can click on the hyperlink ‘Click here to create your user profile’ and set up your username and password. Make sure you have your participant’s number to hand. You will find it on your Bebat invoice, for example.
Can’t find the email? In that case, send a message to participants@bebat.be and we’ll be happy to help.
Preparation: first collect all the information you need.
1. How do you work out the numbers that have to be entered in your declaration?
My company is located in Belgium
Which batteries should you declare and how do you find out exactly how many you have put on the market?
- If you only sell with invoices, submit a declaration based on your sales.
- If you only work with cash receipts or a combination of invoices and cash receipts, the declaration must be made on the basis of your purchase details.
- You don't have anything to declare for the past period?
In that case, you still have to submit a zero declaration in time. To do so, log on to MyBatbase and click on 'Declarations > Enter declaration > Declaration'. Select the declaration period concerned and click on 'Submit' at the bottom. As a final step, answer 'YES' to the question 'Are you sure you want to declare 0 batteries'.
Let us now focus on the first two possibilities.
Declaration based on sales
- To be included in your declaration
- Batteries you have sold in Belgium and that you have produced yourself and/or purchased from a foreign supplier which does not take over your declaration obligation to Bebat.
- Batteries you have sold in Belgium and that you have produced yourself and/or purchased from a foreign supplier which does not take over your declaration obligation to Bebat.
- To be deducted from your declaration
- Batteries you have sold abroad and purchased in Belgium.
- Batteries you have sold abroad and purchased abroad from suppliers which take over your declaration obligation to Bebat.
- Not to be declared
- Batteries you have sold and purchased in Belgium.
- Batteries you have sold abroad and that you have produced in Belgium or purchased abroad from suppliers which do not take over your declaration obligation to Bebat.
How can you be sure...?
Whether your foreign supplier takes over your declaration obligation to Bebat?
This is the case when he:- indicates the environmental or administrative contribution to Bebat on his invoice, or
- is affiliated with Bebat (see list of participants on MyBatbase) and confirms that he takes over your declaration obligation to Bebat.
Declaration based on purchases
- To be included in your declaration
- Batteries you have purchased abroad from suppliers which do not take over your declaration obligation to Bebat or that you have produced in Belgium.
- Batteries you have purchased abroad from suppliers which do not take over your declaration obligation to Bebat or that you have produced in Belgium.
- To be deducted from your declaration
- Batteries purchased in Belgium and sold abroad.
- Batteries you have purchased abroad from suppliers which have taken over your declaration obligation to Bebat and that you sell abroad.
- Batteries you have purchased abroad from suppliers which do not take over your declaration obligation to Bebat, or batteries that you have produced in Belgium and that you sell abroad, provided that you have included these batteries in your declaration at the time of purchase or production.
- Not to be declared
- Batteries purchased in Belgium and sold in Belgium.
- Batteries purchased abroad from suppliers which do not take over your declaration obligation to Bebat, or batteries that you have produced in Belgium and which are sold abroad, provided that you have included these batteries in your declaration at the time of purchase or production.
My company is located outside Belgium
Are you a foreign Bebat participant? Then you should submit a declaration based on your sales of batteries to Belgian customers. These customers can be Belgian companies from which you take over the declaration obligation to Bebat or Belgian private individuals in the case of remote sales.
Starting a webshop?
Then read here about your take-back obligation
2. Check first what type(s) of batteries are involved.
- What is their chemical composition (zinc-carbon, alkaline, etc.)?
- What is the weight per battery (in grams)?
Are you unable to find these details on the packaging or the batteries themselves? Then check with your supplier. Very often, product information will be available on their website.
Button cell batteries and starter batteries for vehicles are easy to recognise. Rechargeable lithium batteries deserve extra attention. In this category, the variations in pricing are greatest and it’s important that you classify them under the correct nomenclature number.
3. Declaration by nomenclature
As mentioned, the declaration must be drawn up by nomenclature number.
Once you have logged in and gone to the declaration screen, you will see the categories of batteries concerned and you can indicate those that apply to you. You can then click on the subcategories or chemical families of the batteries to find the nomenclature numbers.
The list of nomenclature numbers is divided into sections identified by a letter.
- A: stands for batteries sold separately or individually
- B: stands for built-in batteries or batteries sold with a device
- SA: are automotive (starter) batteries – original equipment
- SB: are automotive (starter) batteries – replacement
Important: for nomenclature numbers that do not apply to you, leave the figures at ‘0’.
An overview of the nomenclature numbers is available here
In this video you can find out more about declaring batteries:
Have you gathered all the information you need? In that case you are ready to start your declaration.
Log in on MyBatbase with your username, your participant number and the permanent password that you set up in your profile.
Here you can check out our instruction video “Yearly declaration via the MyBatbase Table”.
Would you like to have all this information bundled in 1 handy brochure?
Are you having difficulties with your declaration?
Have a look at our FAQ on MyBatbase.
Don't hesitate to ask Bebat, we will be happy to help!
- E-mail: participants@bebat.be
- Tel.: 016/76.88.91
