BELGIUM
Flanders Demonstrates the Future of Vehicle Emissions Enforcement
Major Remote Sensing Campaign with VMM and the
Port of Antwerp Delivers Outstanding Results
In May 2026, the Flemish Government partnered with Hager Environmental & Atmospheric Technologies (HEAT) to launch one of Europe's most comprehensive roadside vehicle emissions enforcement campaigns in and around the Port of Antwerp, one of the continent's busiest freight and logistics hubs.
The initiative demonstrates how advanced remote sensing technology is transforming emissions enforcement by enabling authorities to identify high-emitting vehicles before they are stopped for inspection.
2026 EDAR truss deployments in Belgium
2026 EDAR truss deployment in Oostkamp
"We are resolutely opting for a smart and fair approach. Through targeted inspections, we take the biggest polluters off the road, while those who maintain their vehicles correctly will not be affected. By smartly combining technology such as remote sensing with inspections and road checks, we make rapid progress regarding our air quality and ensure a level playing field."
-- Flemish Government
Jo Brouns, Flemish Minister of the Environment
A Collaborative European Effort
The campaign brings together an exceptional group of organizations committed to improving air quality and reducing vehicle emissions, including the following:
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Flemish Government
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VLABEL
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Local and Federal Police
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Port of Antwerp-Bruges
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Flemish Environment Agency (VMM)
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European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC)
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GOCA Flanders
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Enforcement teams from Denmark, the Netherlands, and Ireland
This multinational collaboration reflects Europe's growing commitment to smarter, data-driven environmental enforcement.
Smarter Enforcement. Better Results.
The results continue to demonstrate why remote sensing is rapidly becoming the preferred approach for vehicle emissions screening.
Traditional roadside inspections typically identify emissions-related violations in only about 5% of inspected vehicles. However, when inspectors are directed using remote sensing data, violation detection rates have exceeded 80%.
By identifying the vehicles most likely to be high emitters, enforcement agencies can:
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Increase inspection efficiency
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Reduce unnecessary vehicle stops
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Focus resources where they have the greatest environmental impact
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Improve compliance with emissions regulations
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Generate high-quality data to support policy decisions
HEAT's EDAR Technology
HEAT's EDAR (Emission Detection and Reporting) system provides accurate, real-world emissions measurements without disrupting traffic flow. Operating under normal driving conditions, EDAR identifies vehicles with excessive emissions before they enter roadside inspection areas, allowing agencies to make faster, more informed enforcement decisions.
The result is a more efficient inspection process, lower operational costs, cleaner transportation corridors, and measurable improvements in air quality.
Driving the Future of Clean Transportation
The success of the Flanders campaign demonstrates how remote sensing is reshaping the future of vehicle emissions enforcement. As governments worldwide work to reduce transportation emissions and improve public health, intelligent monitoring technologies such as EDAR are becoming an essential part of modern environmental compliance programs.
At HEAT, we are proud to support government agencies with innovative solutions that deliver accurate data, maximize enforcement efficiency, and help build cleaner, healthier communities.
Remote sensing is no longer the future of emissions enforcement; it is delivering results today.
2026 EDAR truss deployment in Haaselt
2026 EDAR truss deployment at the Kennedy Tunnel
2026 EDAR truss deployment in Ghent
"This ambitious project will provide a better picture of the impact of road traffic on air quality in the port. The transport sector is already making efforts to improve this. By singling out the few who break the rules, we send a strong signal to the offenders and, above all, provide support to the many transport companies and drivers who do follow the rules correctly."
-- Johan Klaps, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Port of Antwerp-Bruges and Antwerp Port Alderman
Original work in the Flanders Region
In June 2019, Hager Environmental & Atmospheric Technologies (HEAT) performed a remote-sensing emissions-testing campaign in the Flanders region of Belgium at five locations over a month in the cities of Ghent, Antwerp, Bruges and Erpe-Mere. This measurement campaign performed over two weeks resulted in 210,000 valid measurements, of which more than 50,000 were trucks and lorries. HEAT conducted this campaign in cooperation with the Flemish Government Environment Department, the Free University of Brussels (VUB), and the Dutch Organization for Applied Natural Science (TNO).
EDAR made history!
Belgium is the first country in the history of remote sensing to set up a remote-sensing system on a high-speed, multi-lane highway. During the measurement campaign, EDAR deployed on a bridge overlooking the busy E40 motorway. The speed limit on the E40 is 120kmh, and EDAR detected, with high accuracy, vehicles traveling up to 170kmh. (A video of the bridge installation is available at this link.) The unique installation proved that the EDAR system performs just as well in high-speed conditions as it does on slower city roads.
In addition to EDAR's groundbreaking performance on the high-speed highway, HEAT also contributed to an extraordinarily successful Anti-Tampering Campaign, in which heavy-duty trucks were tested on-road in real-time by EDAR. During testing, if the EDAR system detected tampering based on the truck's emissions on-road, the truck was pulled over for further inspection. This extremely successful campaign using EDAR increased the Flemish Government’s tamper-detection success rate from 9% to over 86%.
EDAR gantry deployment in Belgium
EDAR truss deployment in Belgium
"As the project leader for Belgium's first 'Remote Sensing' campaign aimed at vehicle emissions, I have had the pleasure of working with Hager Environmental & Atmospheric Technologies (HEAT). Without prior experience from our part, the organization of an ambitious measurement campaign collecting a very high amount of emission data in a short time interval at high volume roads was deemed to be an enormous challenge. However, thanks to their professionalism and exceptionally result-oriented mindset, HEAT surpassed all our expectations and actually delivered significantly more than was initially promised."
-- Flemish Government
EDAR gantry deployment in Belgium
In the News During the Campaign
2021 Findings Report
May 26, 2021, the findings report by the Flemish Government, VUB, and TNO was released to the public. The report highlights the world's first remote-sensing campaign performed on motorways. A great deal of data was collected in a short amount of time by EDAR, and the outstanding results are presented in the report, which is accessible below.
Report Press
The report and EDAR's findings are featured in Belgium's national news outlets including De Standaard, The Brussels Times, and VRT News.
