In Belgium, the Belgian Institute of Standardization (BIN) and the Belgian Electrotechnical Committee (BEC) are the institutions which have role of promoting the standardization and the establishment of the standards.
The statutes of the BIN are fixed by the Royal Decree of July 7, 1958 (Belgian Monitor of August 14, 1958) while those of the BEC are fixed by the Royal Decree of January 21, 1947 (Belgian Monitor of February 1, 1947) and are modified successively on September 26, 1949 and December 21, 1954 (Belgian Monitor of October 8, 1949 and January 8, 1955).
Note : The BEC will publish the new statutes in 1998.
The BIN is a semi-public non-profit-making association depending on the Ministry for the Economic affairs, while the BEC is a private non-profit-making association depending on private organizations.
Under the terms of an established convention on February 15, 1964 between the BIN and the BEC, it is agreed that within the framework of the provisions of the Decree-Law of September 20, 1945 relating to standardization, the BIN entrusts to the BEC the mission of organizing and to carry out work of standardization in the field of electricity (electrotechnical and electronic) as well on the national level as on the international level.
The BIN and the BEC preserve each one their autonomy, however in fact the BIN carries out the official formalities necessary for the public investigation and the homologation of the standards (withdrawal of obsolete standards and recording of new standards).
The work of standardization takes place at the national, European and world level.
The BIN is of this fact member of " the INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR STANDARDIZATION " (ISO) whose central seat is in Geneva and of the EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF STANDARDIZATION (CEN) whose central seat is in Brussels.
The BEC is Member of the INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION (IEC) whose central seat is in Geneva and of the EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF ELECTROTECHNICAL STANDARDIZATION (CENELEC) whose central seat is in Brussels.
The BEC collaborates world-wide in the activities of standardization of the IEC. The publications of the IEC which result from it are, as far as possible, validated as Belgian standards if they do not enter in contradiction with the European standards. This takes place by means of an advertisement of the IEC publications in question (marked with the mention Belgian NBN = Norme Belge - Belgische Norm) on which are mentioned at the same time possible modifications, exceptions and/or additions for the use in Belgium. As far as possible, considering the quantity of IEC documents published annually, it can be useful and/or necessary to translate into Dutch a publication of the IEC (these last are always published in French, English and Russian, official languages of the IEC).
The BEC collaborates on the European level within the framework of CENELEC in the harmonization of the national electrotechnical standards existing in the Member States of the European Union as well as in the creation of new European standards inspired by the IEC in order to facilitate trade and to remove the trade barriers. As far as possible, considering the quantity of CENELEC documents, published annually, it can be useful and/or necessary to translate into Dutch a publication of CENELEC. Bilateral agreements exist on this subject with the Nederlands Elektrotechnisch Comité (NEC). (the European standards are always published in French, English and German, official languages of CENELEC).
Moreover, the BEC is member of the CECC-System (Cenelec Electronic Components Committee)
The purpose of the CECC-System is to facilitate the international exchanges by the publication of harmonized specifications and procedures of quality assurance concerning the electronic components, and by the granting of a Mark or an Certificate of Conformance internationally recognized. In this way, the components produced according to the System are accepted by all the members of CENELEC without additional tests.
This task is undertaken by the Committee of the Electronic Components of CENELEC (CECC).
ROYALTIES OF THE PUBLICATIONS OF THE BIN AND THE BEC
Reproduction whole or partial of the works and publications, respectively: the copy of the standards, draft standards, directives of application practise, approved Belgian standards, recorded Belgian standards, technical notes and other publications of the BIN and/or the BEC is only allowed after preliminary written authorization of the BIN and/or the BEC.
ROYALTIES OF THE INTERNATIONAL AND EUROPEAN STANDARDS
The BIN and the BEC defend the interests of the royalties of the ISO, the IEC, CEN, CENELEC and the CECC.