. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/N/BEL/21
26 July 2001
(01-3715)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:  French
NOTIFICATION
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   BELGIUM
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):
2. Agency responsible:
Ministry of the Interior
Directorate-General of the General Police of the Kingdom
Rue Royale 56
B-1000 BrusselsTel.:  +32 2 500-2498
Fax:  +32 2 500-2529
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers and E-mail and Web site
addresses, if available) of  theagency or authority designated to handle comments
regarding the notification, if different from above:
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [  X ], 2.10.1 [    ], 5.6.2 [    ], 5.7.1 [    ], other:
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):   Accessibility:  a security
firm should be accessible at all times to ensure that clients have voice contact with arepresentative within 15 minutes of the call at most and that, in the event of an urgent call,
action to resolve the problem gets under way within eight hours.
Protected isolated depository room:  all security firms should have at least one
isolated depository room which, when not manned, should at least be protected by an
activated alarm system connected to the al arm centre of an alarm monitoring company
authorized to operate such a centre under Article 1, Sections 1 and 4, of the Law of
10 April 1990. All client files and other confidential information on the security equipment
used and plans of the alarm systems and alarm centres installed by the firm should be kept
in this protected room.
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Draft Royal Decree
on the Technical Equipment of Security Firms
6. Description of content:   Within the framework of the Law of 10 April 1990, in order to
obtain a licence for a security firm, applicants must comply, inter alia , with Crown
regulations on the technical equipment of such firms.
A security firm should, at all times, be in a position to repair or replace the alarm
systems and alarm centres which it has installed. Consequently, it should be permanently
accessible to its clientele. The term "accessibility" is defined in the draft Decree. In other
words, a security firm should have at its disposal a means of communication which
guarantees round-the-clock accessibility.G/TBT/N/BEL/21
Page 2
6. Description of content: (cont'd)  Moreover, all security firms should possess a protected
and isolated depository room where client files and other confidential information on
installed alarm equipment are kept. Alarm installation companies are in possession of
confidential information on the alarm systems fitted on the premises of their clients (= alarmsystem users) which should be used with the greatest caution and must not fall into the
wrong hands.
The draft Decree stipulates what should be understood by the term "protected
depository room". To guarantee a minimum level of security, when not manned this room
should at least be protected by an activated alarm system connected to the alarm centre of
an alarm monitoring company authorized to operate such a centre under Article 1,
Sections 1 and 4, of the Law of 10 April 1990. An "alarm system" is a system designed toprevent or attest to offences against persons or property, as stated in Article 1, Section 4, of
the Law of 10 April 1990.
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:   
See point 6.
8. Relevant documents:
9. Proposed date of adoption:
Proposed date of entry into force: }60 days
10. Final date for comments:
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [  X ] or address, telephone and fax
numbers and E-mail and Web site addresses, if available, of another body:
CIBELNOR