Since 1 January 2024 the Besluit Bouwwerken Leefomgeving (Bbl) is in force in the Netherlands — part of the new Environment Act (Omgevingswet). The Bbl replaces the Bouwbesluit 2012. For building fire safety the fundamental principles have not changed, but it is useful to know which references are different, which procedures have shifted, and how this affects your BMI / inspection certificate.
Below is a sober update — not a legal document, but an overview of what you will encounter in practice.
1. What stays the same
The technical requirements for fire alarm systems have not substantially changed:
- NEN 2535 remains the standard for BMI
- NEN 2654 remains the maintenance standard
- NEN 2575 remains the evacuation alarm standard
- CCV certification and inspection-mandated status work on the same fundamental principles
- Coverage, signal transmission, evacuation strategy — all substantively the same
An installation engineered and certified under Bouwbesluit 2012 remains compliant under Bbl. You do not need to "replace" anything because of the legislative change.
2. What has shifted
Structure and terminology have changed:
- The Bbl chapter layout differs from the Bouwbesluit. Articles relevant to fire safety now sit in different chapters
- The "Bouwbesluit" legally no longer exists — new PoRs, permit applications and legal documentation reference the Bbl
- The Bouwbesluit year (2012) is replaced by a reference to the Bbl
- Some "use function" definitions have been lightly updated in line with current practice
3. Procedural: permit and environment plan
The biggest change is in how permits are requested and which party decides what. Under the Environment Act much more works at the municipal level via the environment plan (omgevingsplan) — a new form of "zoning plan" that, instead of rigid prescriptions, contains broader principles.
For a new build or significant renovation of an inspection-mandated building this can mean:
- Earlier discussion with the municipality / environment service about their fire-safety expectations
- A more performance-oriented (instead of prescription-oriented) assessment
- More often an "equivalent solution" question — can this alternative detection or evacuation concept achieve the same safety level?
4. Practical impact on existing installations
Do you have a valid inspection certificate? Change nothing — your installation runs until the next inspection.
Planning a new BMI or upgrade? The PoR from now on uses Bbl references, not Bouwbesluit. Functionally little changes, but the legal wording must be correct for the environment service and the inspection body.
Changing the building use? Here it becomes relevant — use- function definitions in the Bbl differ at certain points. A "mixed use function" (e.g. office + small-scale lodging for course participants) is sometimes categorised differently under Bbl, with other consequences for the required coverage.
5. What we are seeing in practice
In projects we have supported since Q1 2024:
- Inspection bodies (Kiwa, R2B, Bureau Veritas) absorb Bbl terminology without trouble; existing certificates are not recertified because of the legislative change
- Environment services are notably diverse in their approach — some maintain strict continuity at Bouwbesluit level, others are more open to performance-oriented solutions. It pays to engage early
- Insurers still often refer to "Bouwbesluit" in policies — transitional language. This is not a problem for the validity of your cover, but worth careful wording in new policies
6. Concrete for your dossier
Three actions we recommend for 2025:
- Update the legal language in your PoR at the next revision to the Bbl. No new document — only update references
- Keep the current Bouwbesluit reference as an appendix for historical continuity (handy at future inspection of older installations)
- Proactively ask your environment service how they handle performance-oriented questions — useful for future renovations or expansions
Closing
For existing BMI/OAI owners the legislative change is not an operational matter — your installations continue to work, certified and compliant. It is a dossier matter — new documents use Bbl terminology, older documents remain valid. At project level (new build, use-function change, major renovation) it does become relevant to engage the municipality early.
Questions about how the Bbl affects your specific building? Schedule a conversation intake — we make concrete what changes for your building and what does not.