1
Declarations
As a Bebat participant making batteries available on the Belgian market, you are obligated to declare these batteries. This can be done very easily via MyBebat. We’ll show you how!
Why must batteries be declared?
Bebat unburdens its participants by assuming a large part of the obligations concerning the legal Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). In return, you do have to pay a contribution. This is calculated on the basis of your declarations and covers:
- Registration with and reporting to the three regional governments
- Guarantee, collection, sorting, and recycling, reusing, or repurposing discarded batteries (only for batteries with an environmental contribution)
- Prevention, building awareness, and communication
Who is responsible for the declaration?
The principle is that the first party to make batteries available on the Belgian market must be the party that reports it. Therefore, the answer to whether you must declare batteries depends on:
2
Where you purchase the batteries
3
Whether you use the batteries for your own use or sell them
4
Where you sell the batteries
Which batteries do you need to declare?
It is important to note that all batteries must be declared at Bebat, whether these batteries are sold separately, built-in, or supplied with the device. Only batteries intended for equipment used in space and batteries exclusively for military purposes are an exception.
Your company is located in Belgium
Batteries produced by your company in Belgium
- Batteries sold in Belgium
In this case, your company is the first to make the batteries available on the market in Belgium and you must submit a declaration.
- Batteries for own use
In this case, your company is the first to make the batteries available on the market in Belgium and you must submit a declaration.
- Batteries sold outside Belgium
In this case, the batteries are not made available on the Belgian market and no declaration needs to be made in Belgium.
Batteries purchased by your company in Belgium
- Batteries sold in Belgium
In this case, your Belgian supplier is the first to make the batteries available on the Belgian market and must therefore declare them.
- Batteries sold outside Belgium
In this case, your Belgian supplier will declare these batteries. You submit a negative declaration to recover your previously paid contributions.
Batteries that your company purchases from a foreign supplier that takes on the EPR obligation
- Batteries sold in Belgium
In this case, your foreign supplier prepares the declaration.
- Batteries for own use
In this case, your foreign supplier prepares the declaration.
- Batteries sold outside Belgium
In this case, your foreign supplier will declare these batteries. You submit a negative declaration to recover your previously paid contributions.
Batteries that your company purchases from a foreign supplier that does not take on the EPR obligation
- Batteries sold in Belgium
In this case, your company is the first to make the batteries available on the market in Belgium and you must submit a declaration.
- Batteries for own use
In this case, your foreign supplier prepares the declaration.
- Batteries sold outside Belgium
In this case, a declaration for batteries does not need to be submitted.
Your company is located outside of Belgium
Batteries your company sells to individuals
- Batteries sold in Belgium
In this case, your company is the first to make the batteries available on the market in Belgium and you must submit a declaration.
- Batteries sold outside Belgium
In this case, the batteries are not made available on the Belgian market and you do not have to declare them.
Batteries your company sells to professionals
- Batteries you sell directly to end users in Belgium
In this case, you submit the batteries declaration since you have the EPR obligations.
- Batteries you sell in Belgium to professional customers who are not end users
In this case, you have the option to voluntarily take on the EPR obligations and declare the batteries or leave the obligations to your customer. Coordinate with them on who will submit the declaration and apply it consistently. The arrangement then applies to all batteries that this customer purchases from you.
- Batteries sold outside Belgium
In this case, the batteries are not made available on the Belgian market and you do not have to declare them.
How often must your company submit a declaration?
How often you must submit a declaration depends on the number of batteries you make available on the Belgian market every year. ESS batteries must always be declared monthly.
≤ 10,000 batteries
Do you make up to 10,000 batteries available on the Belgian market every year? Then you must submit your declaration once a year. This declaration must be submitted no later than 28 February of the following calendar year.
> 10,000 batteries
Do you make over 10,000 batteries available on the Belgian market every year? Then you are required to submit monthly declarations to Bebat. Each declaration must be submitted by the last calendar day of the following month.
On what basis must you declare your batteries?
The basis on which you have to submit a declaration is different depending on whether your company is based in Belgium or outside Belgium:
Your company is located in Belgium
- If you only issue invoices when selling batteries, the declaration to Bebat will be submitted on the basis of your sales data.
- If you only work with receipts or a combination of invoices and receipts, the declaration will be submitted on the basis of your purchase data.
- If you do not make batteries (whether sold separately or built into devices, light vehicles, or other vehicles) available on the market in a certain declaration period , you must submit a zero declaration.
Your company is located outside of Belgium
- You submit the declaration based on your sales. You declare batteries that you sell to end users in Belgium via distance sales, as well as to Belgium companies for which you take on the EPR obligation.
- If you do not make batteries (whether sold separately or built into devices, light vehicles, or other vehicles) available on the market in a certain declaration period, you must submit a zero declaration.
How does a declaration work?
Each declaration is always submitted through the online platform MyBebat. This is a secure environment where you can log in using your personal login. You can then submit your declaration under ‘Declarations’.
What information do you need?
Besides deciding which and how many batteries to make available on the market, you also need to know the following details:
- What is the chemical composition of each battery (zinc-carbon, alkaline, etc.)?
- The weight per battery (in grams)
Can’t find the info on the packaging or on the battery itself? Then contact the supplier or take a look at their website, where you can often find product information.
Within this context, it is important to also choose the correct Bebat codes.
What are Bebat codes?
Bebat codes are specific codes that allow us to identify batteries. The Bebat code of a battery is based on:
- chemical composition
- battery category
- weight per battery
- format
All these aspects help determine the cost of collection, recycling, and sorting batteries. Entering the correct Bebat codes is therefore important to calculate contributions correctly.
Submitting your declaration
Have you entered the correct amount of batteries and their corresponding Bebat codes? Then your declaration is ready to submit!
What happens after your declaration is submitted?
Once your declaration is submitted, you will receive an invoice or credit note from us. Thereafter, Bebat takes all necessary steps related to reporting to the various authorities.
The importance of a correct declaration
Submitting a correct return is important for three reasons:
- You will help Bebat to correctly inform the regional authorities about the batteries made available on the Belgian market.
- Bebat uses your declarations to calculate how much you have to pay as a participant.
- Based on the declarations, the authorities determine how many batteries Bebat must collect and the collection target.
Tip: After you submit a declaration, you have the option to correct it once.
Declarations and audits
As part of the regional environmental legislation, Bebat is required to conduct an audit among its participants at least once every three years. An audit is a check of the previous calendar year’s declarations, but Bebat is also entitled to carry out an audit relating to the three preceding calendar years.
Ready to submit your declaration?
1
2
Select the correct Bebat codes for your declaration
There are two ways to add batteries to your declaration: you can add them manually or import them from a file or a previous declaration.
