Technical approval

Technical Approvals (ATG) cover unique, innovative and complex products and systems and aim at informing the Belgian construction sector that the construction product in which the product is being used, is fit for the intended use, is in accordance with the Belgian Works’ legislation and may be installed, incorporated, executed or assembled in accordance with the generally applicable Belgian state of the art and without undue risks.

Big or small, innovations can have a significant impact on making the sector more competitive, but we do not want construction sites to be a real-time labo for testing new ideas. The construction sector needs support to use innovations with confidence. The UBAtc supports construction players by promoting the development of innovations, their access to the market and their acceptance by users.

Indeed, technical approval is mainly aimed at products which are not traditional, which are used in systems which are not traditional or which are installed, executed, incorporated or assembled using techniques or equipment that are not traditional.

Technical approval holders subject their products and systems to an approval and certification process, because they want to inform the Belgian construction sector that the product or system in which the product is being used, is fit for the intended use, is in accordance with the Belgian Works’ legislation and may be installed, incorporated, executed or assembled in accordance with the generally applicable Belgian state of the art and without undue risks and they permit an independent third party to certify their products, ensuring that the product specified in the technical approval text corresponds with the product that is placed on the Belgian market.

The requirements are contained in the Regulations of the UBAtc.

The technical approval process comprises three main steps:

• Submission of an application, examination of the admissibility and confirmation of the admissibility, which also covers the quotation
• The technical examination and development of the certification file
• Publication, translation and continuous assessment and certification.

Products covered by technical approvals are always certified to ensure that the product specified in the technical approval text corresponds with the product that is placed on the Belgian market.

Contrary to most other certification schemes, the continuous fulfilment of the requirements is not documented in a separate certificate, but in the technical approval text. The availability of the technical approval text on the UBAtc website presumes the fulfilment of the requirements in the technical approval text by the products placed on the Belgian market.

The ATG figurative mark is applied on the products themselves or, if this is not possible, attached on a label to the object of the approval or on the packaging of the object of the approval or on a commercial document accompanying the object of the approval on delivery.

Technical Approvals are a visible means of differentiating in a product in the market and aims at giving confidence to specifiers, architects and designers and installers and assemblers in the fitness for use of the product.

COPRO fulfils the role of approval and certification operator for UBAtc.

Applying for a Technical Approval, ATG, is a voluntary initiative taken by the holder of the Technical approval, there is no legal requirement that requires products to be covered by a Technical Approval ATG.

The application for a certificate of suitability for use completed by the applicant is submitted to the UBAtc.