Flanders proposes smart charging requirements for private EV chargers from 2028

On October 23, 2026, the Flemish Government again gave its approval in principle to a draft decree implementing parts of the EU's renewable energy directive RED III. Under article 42 of the draft, all new and replaced non-publicly accessible charge points, which covers home and workplace chargers, must support smart charging functions. That article would take effect on January 1, 2028. Plugchoice, which runs smart charging for chargers of many brands, read the draft text.

The draft does not list the smart charging functions a charge point needs. The Flemish utility regulator, the Vlaamse Nutsregulator, would set them in its technical regulations, in line with the EU's alternative fuels regulation (AFIR). The Flemish Government may later decide that charge points must also support a link with digital meters and bidirectional charging; the draft does not make that mandatory. The owner of the building or car park where the charge point is installed is responsible for meeting the requirement.

What it means for installers

The decree is still a proposal. The Council of State has yet to give its advice, and the start date and details can change. Smart charging and credits for renewable electricity used for charging are separate questions; this draft creates no new credit scheme. For hardware choices: in Plugchoice, smart charging runs in the platform and reaches the charger over standard OCPP. What European rules already ask of buildings: EPBD readiness.

Sources: Flemish Government, decision of October 23, 2026, draft decree, VR 2026 2310 DOC.1109-2, articles 42 and 51.