Digitalization of permits in Wallonia: what's changing for your project

A two-pronged reform, a single movement

Since 2026, the Walloon Region has been undertaking a large-scale administrative modernization project. The objective is to enable project developers (businesses, industrialists, developers, local authorities) to submit their permit applications entirely online, track the progress of their applications in real-time, and exchange documents without needing to travel.

Two types of permits are affected in parallel, with distinct timelines.

The environmental permit

It entered its operational phase in January 2026. The Walloon Government adopted the decree on January 27, 2026, enabling the progressive implementation of full digitization. Municipalities join the system on a voluntary basis after completing mandatory training.

The deadline is set for: January 1, 2027, all Walloon municipalities must be operational to process applications electronically. Throughout the transitional period, paper submissions will still be accepted.

The urban planning permit

It began its own transition with the pilot phase launched on June 1, 2026. Twenty Walloon municipalities (Group A) are testing the procedure via the regional platform Mon Espace (monespace.wallonie.be), framed by the Walloon Government decree of May 13, 2026, amending the regulatory part of the Walloon Code of Territorial Development (CoDT). Initially, only permits falling under the jurisdiction of the delegated official or the Government (projects carried out by a public entity, for public utility, spanning multiple municipalities, etc.) are affected. Standard permits, falling under the communal college's jurisdiction, are still submitted on paper and will only be integrated into the online platform from February 2027 for the pilot municipalities.

The Unified Permit

It combines environmental and urban planning permits into a single procedure and is also integrated into this reform.

Practically, what does this change for your applications?

Digitization changes the mechanism for submitting and processing applications in several concrete ways.

Submission becomes entirely online

Via Mon Espace, the project owner fills out an electronic form and submits their documents in a single digital operation: no more sending multiple paper copies. When an architect's involvement is required, they validate the documents (including plans) after secure identification: this electronic validation serves as a signature.

Application tracking is accessible in real-time

‍All exchanges between the applicant, the consulted bodies (administrations, technical services, etc.), and the competent authority are conducted electronically. The public inquiry should eventually be viewable online, according to terms that the Minister of Spatial Planning will specify.

The decision is notified electronically

The competent authority signs and notifies its decision digitally.

For the environmental permit

The submission procedure remains fundamentally unchanged (classes 1, 1B and 2, environmental impact assessment (EIA) for class 1 establishments, impact assessment notice (IAN) for classes 1B and 2), but the medium switches to digital.

Please note : during the transitional period, if your municipality has not yet joined the system or if your project does not fall under the permits covered by the pilot phase, the paper procedure remains mandatory.

Key dates

The rollout will occur in several waves. Here are the key dates to include in your project planning:

Environmental permit and unified permit:

• January–December 2026 : gradual onboarding of municipalities (voluntary, after mandatory training).‍
• January 1st, 2027 : full rollout: all Walloon municipalities must be operational. Digitalization becomes the standard.

Urban planning permits / public permits (Delegated Official / Government):

• June 1st, 2026 : pilot phase in 20 municipalities (Group A).
• ‍February 2027 : gradual expansion (Group B) and integration of municipal college permits for Group A.
• ‍October 2027 : municipal college permits for Group B.

Urban planning permits / private permits (Municipal College):

• February–October 2027 : pilot phase for pilot municipalities.
• ‍October 2027 – September 2028 : embarkment progressive.
• ‍September 1st, 2028 : rollout across Wallonia.

For Type 2 urban planning certificates, integration is scheduled for January 1, 2028.

What this means for you, and how ABV Environment supports you.

Digitalization is primarily good news: fewer trips, more transparent monitoring, and better controlled deadlines. However, it also introduces new practical constraints.

Check your municipality's progress.

Not all municipalities will be ready at the same time. Before initiating any procedure, you need to ensure that your municipality has adopted the system and what type of permits are already digitized in its territory. The wallonie.be portal centralizes this information.

Adapt file preparation.

Electronic forms require a structured submission process. A poorly prepared file (missing documents, electronically unvalidated plans) may lead to additional delays. Rigorous upfront preparation remains essential.

Plan ahead for complex projects.

A Class 1 project subject to an EIA, or a single permit combining urban planning and environment, already involves many stakeholders (impact study author, architect, delegated official…). Digitalization does not reduce this complexity; it merely changes the medium. Well-positioned project management assistance (AMO) upstream retains its full value for coordinating these flows.

ABV Environment supports industrial companies, developers, and public stakeholders in the preparation and monitoring of their environmental permits, single permits, and impact study files in Wallonia. Our teams, accredited as impact study authors in the Walloon Region and Brussels, are now integrating these new digital procedures into their work processes.

Is your project facing a permit deadline in 2026 or 2027? Planning ahead for the digital transition helps avoid last-minute delays.