Legal notification requirement: Royal Decree of 21 September 1988

Damage caused by works is the main reason for accidents involving pipelines. Anyone wishing to carry out work in the immediate vicinity of natural gas transmission infrastructure has a legal obligation to inform Fluxys during the planning stage and at least 15 working days before beginning work (Royal Decree of 21 September 1988 and amendments).

However, the Royal Decree sets out a special notification procedure for urgent repair work. The contractor (or principal) must tell both Fluxys and the municipal authorities that this work is beginning by telephone, fax or an equivalent method. The notification will be confirmed by registered mail within 24 hours.

> Royal Decree of 21 September 1988    

Works notification – quick and simple with the CICC/KLIM website

The CICC/KLIM website (Federal Cable and Pipeline Information Database) is the swiftest legal way (Royal Decree 2006) to find out whether planned works are situated near Fluxys natural gas infrastructure. Thanks to the CICC/KLIM website, any such works can be notified quickly, easily and free of charge to Fluxys and over 30 other pipeline and cable transmission companies.

> Go directly to the CICC/KLIM website

> More information on works notification using the CICC/KLIM website

If you own a plot of land with a Fluxys pipeline running near it or through it

Besides the legal notification requirement, you find some other requirements:

• You must inform people renting, farming or buying your land of the presence of a Fluxys pipeline. 
• If you sell a plot of land or a property, you must inform the notary responsible for the sale that having a Fluxys pipeline on the land entails a legal public easement. 

5 steps

1. During the planning stage, the project owner – or the designer on the project owner’s behalf – must notify where the works are to be carried out as well as the nature of the works involved. Then Fluxys will inform the project owner (or designer) if it has any infrastructure in the vicinity. If it does, Fluxys provides indicative location maps of its infrastructure along with safety instructions.

2. Once it is known which contractor will be carrying out the works, the project owner – or the designer on the project owner’s behalf – must supply this contractor with all the information provided by Fluxys.

3. At least 15 working days before beginning works, the contractor must once again notify Fluxys of the works. The aim of this step is to ensure that contractors also have the appropriate information in cases where there is a long time between the planning stage and works being started. Fluxys responds to this notification by again providing the indicative location maps of its infrastructure along with safety instructions.

4. At least eight working days before beginning works, the contractor must provide Fluxys with a letter sent by registered post detailing the location and timetable of the works, as well as the plans and methods for carrying it out.

5. Fluxys asks contractors to contact Fluxys’ regional operating sector at least 48 hours before beginning works. A patrol officer will then come to the site free of charge to indicate the location of the pipeline and where and how many trial trenches have to be dug to confirm the location of the pipeline.