Reimbursements worth over €5 million are currently stalled at the Promaz fund due to insufficient financial resources, as reported by VRT on Sunday morning.
Promaz is a fund responsible for covering soil decontamination costs following leaks from home heating oil (mazout) tanks. It is awaiting approval from the federal government to introduce a “solidarity contribution” on heating oil purchases, which would help replenish its funds and pay reimbursements for accepted claims.
Earlier this year, Promaz closed its first application phase, receiving and reimbursing approximately 300 claims totalling around €10 million.
According to VRT, an additional 117 approved claims, collectively worth €5.3 million, remain unpaid. Furthermore, there are 1,500 pending applications still under review, which could result in more reimbursements. Priority has been given to clean-ups carried out before the fund’s establishment in 2022.
Promaz hopes the federal government will approve the introduction of a €0.01 per litre solidarity contribution starting in January 2026. This proposal is currently being examined by Energy Minister Mathieu Bihet and Employment Minister David Clarinval.
The decision is complicated by the government’s desire to avoid raising heating oil prices, according to the Energy Minister’s office.
