The Belgian enterprise register (Banque-Carrefour des Entreprises – BCE/Kruispuntbank van Ondernemingen – KBO) is the authentic source for all company information in Belgium. The legal framework governing the register was recently revised, also in order to increase the transparency of the register’s information and allow the re-use of the data. The updated version of the legal framework will for example allow the BCE/KBO to: •offer a free set of open data; •show more information on the Public Search website (f.e. legal situations of an enterprise) and enlarge the search possibilities; •offer public search webservices This should make it possible for companies and individuals to develop applications, having a positive effect on the economy in general. The new legal framework should enter into force on the 9th of May 2014.

1. Belgian Enterprise Register
Open Data
Transparent Belgian company data
« Empowering through openness »
Frank De Saer

2. http://economie.fgov.be

3. Belgian Enterprise Register
BCE Banque-Carrefour des Entreprises
KBO Kruispuntbank van Ondernemingen
 Authentic Source
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Official company information
Certified data input
Identification through an unique identifier
Legally encapsulated
Privacy constraints

4. Content
1,5 mio active companies
 Enterprise
legal persons (companies, foundations, associations…),
sole traders, foreign companies, government agencies…
 Establishment units of the enterprises:
a place where, or from where, the activities of the
enterprise are exercised
 Information
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General information (name, address…)
Legal functions
Activities
Authorisations and qualities
Establishment units information

5. Current access to the KBO data
 Public Search
 Private Search
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Web interface
Web services
Select
Extracts
(general public)
(companies)
(government)
(government)
(government)
(government)

6. Present Public Search
 Individual company search engine
 Limited set of data
 Only active companies
Data copy is NOT allowed

7. Present re-use of data
license agreement for commercial re-use
 Limited set of data without history
 Cost: € 100.000/year
 Restrictions in use
commercial re-use)
(eg. no direct marketing, only

8. KBO is a driver for more government
efficiency
 KBO is core system for simplifying company related
processes: authorisations, registrations, licences ,
professional skills
 One version of the truth: KBO as source for company
statistics, economic analysis, samples,..
 One single point of entrance: direct & electronic
publication from KBO to Belgian official gazette
 KBO as authentic source for user and access
management: holding the functions and mandatories
of persons who are empowered to represent the
company

9. Why Open Data?
 Political statement: Open government
– Transparency
 Empowering Economic Value
– Applications, Mobile apps
– Government budget restraints
– Outsource development to the crowd
 Improving data quality
– “Responsibility through transparency”

10. The road to transparency
 Political statement for more open
government (2009).
 Legal => work started 2010
Law accepted => 17/06/2013
– Still waiting on the implementing acts.
(first half 2014)
 Technical development preparations
started 2012
 Organizational preparations
 Communications and Public Relations

11. The long “legal” road
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Political discussions
Propositions of new laws
Advice from Privacy Commission
Discussions in Parliamentary
commissions
Voting of new legislation
Executive acts and concrete modalities
(KB/MB)
Advice from Council of State
Signature of King
Publications in Belgian Gazette

12. Legal framework (law + executive acts)
 16 JANUARY 2003 (current framework)
 17 JULY 2013 (future framework)
 Entry into force: 9/05/2014

13. The final result: KBO Open Data
 New Public Search
 3 different “Open Data” options

14. New Public Search
 Public company search engine
 New data
– Functions
– Legal situation
 New selection criteria
– By Activity & postal code
 Non-active companies & establishment
 Free of charge
 Daily updated

15. http://economie.fgov.be

16. http://economie.fgov.be

17. http://economie.fgov.be

18. http://economie.fgov.be

19. KBO Open Data File
 Registration (mandatory) in a Web
application
 Free of charge
 2 sets of CSV files
– 1 full copy off all available information
– 1 update file
 Monthly update

20. KBO Open Data File
Content
 Active companies
– Identification information enterprise
(legal form, financial information,…)
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Identification information Establishment unit
Contact information
Name
Address
Activities
Metadata and codes

21. http://economie.fgov.be

22. KBO Public Search Web Services
 SOAP XML web service
 Same possibilities as Public Search
 Paying service
(2000 requests => €50,00 by bank transfer)
 Registration in a web application

23. KBO Commercialization
License agreement
 License comparable with present
commercial re-use
 Price to be fixed by an act
 Contains more information

24. Some ideas for an Open KBO
 Linked data: link KBO data with other
(open/private) databases (e.g.. update supplier
files)
 A2A: use web service public search in other
transactional applications (e.g. banking)
 Mobile apps: nearest hospital
 Economic dashboards: start-ups
 Data cleansing

25. http://economie.fgov.be

26. Conclusions
Open Data: We are in the middle
of a momentum...
Be creative … Innovate…
Create value
Be Open …

28. Contact information
FOD Economie, K.M.O., Middenstand en Energie
Beheersdienst van de KBO
Northgate II
Koning Albert II-laan 16
1000 Brussel
Contact center
+ 32 800 / 120 33
Helpdesk
+ 32 2/ 277 64 00
email: helpdesk.kbo@economie.fgov.be
http://economie.fgov.be