Joining the CBTI/BKVT

The CBTI/BKVT

The CBTI/BKVT’s mission is to defend all of the translation and interpretation professions. Consequently, the trade association represents the interests of all the service providers in Belgium, whether they are members or not. However, whilst its lobbying work benefits everybody, only the members can contribute directly to the association’s work, establish its policy and benefit from the numerous advantages that the association reserves for them only.

In order to accommodate all the service providers, whether or not they have degrees in translation or interpretation, whether or not they work in these fields in their main or occasional occupation, or whatever their niche profession may be, the CBTI/BKVT has created two categories of members, full members and affiliated members, who enjoy specific rights, obligations, benefits and subscription fees.

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Why become a member? 

A trade association is a little like a potluck dinner. You eat whatever everyone has brought with them. The more guests there are, the greater the variety of dishes on the table and the better the mood.

• The more members there are, the more representative clout the association has and the more effective its lobbying work becomes.
• The more members there are, the greater is our negotiating power with other key actors on the market.
• The more members there are, the more people there are to address and drive forward the vital issues.
• The more members there are, the more the effects of synergy enable us to do more with less.
• The more members there are, the more discussions and good ideas there are.
• The more members there are, the more means we have to fund lobbying, quality promotion, training, and other projects.

In a nutshell: on my own I am nothing, together we are everything. And the pandemic crisis of 2020-2021 has proved that this slogan is far from being meaningless.

But alongside these collective effects, there are also the very concrete benefits, which differ according to the type of member.

Members’ rights

The benefits offered by the CBTI/BKVT to its members

Continuing vocational training:

The CBTI/BKVT offers professional training such as

• Specialisations and networking
• Strengthening negotiating positions
• Acquiring and retaining clients
• English retour for conference interpreters
• etc.

The reduction granted to members also applies to all of the training courses – face-to-face or remote – organised by over 70 associations of translators and interpreters that are members of the IFT.

Professional insurance:

Are you still hesitating about becoming a member? Please note that we have negotiated two significant group insurance policy contracts for the full members of the CBTI/BKVT, and these come with an unbeatable quality-price ratio.

The operational civil liability contract (AXA Belgium) covers you when your liability is incurred in the context of your work, for your activities in the Benelux region and even in France. It also covers the civil liability of your subcontractors. The difference between the premium of this policy and an equivalent individual policy pays off your annual subscription on its own.

The legal protection contract has been negotiated with DAS, well known for the quality of its insurance cover at the fairest price. This policy will cover your litigation in legal issues, including tax law, litigation with clients or suppliers, debt recovery, etc.

You can find more information and the conditions here.

The reductions:

The CBTI/BKVT works with a raft of service or product providers which may be of interest to our members. These partners offer you substantial reductions:

The communication platform:

The members have access to Workplace, a very active communication platform that consists of several groups, including:

• Official Announcements: direct communication to and from the Administrative Board
• General & Fun: the linguists’ Pandora’s box, with a little joke now and again
• Language Forum: call on the team when you have reached a terminological impasse
• Job Offers: here you will find job adverts and proposals for work posted by colleagues
• Training and Learning: internal and external continuing training offers
• The professions’ subcategories: Translation Committee, Interpreters Forum, Sworn T&I Committee
• Other groups are dedicated to the Administrative Board, the thematic commissions or temporary working groups (Inclusivity, IT Tips, Coronavirus, St Jerome’s Day, etc.)

Thematic meetings:

Give your opinion on the various thematic issues or take part in the continuing training programmes involving your profession in virtual or face-to-face meetings arranged by the various sectoral committees.

• Are you a translator? Take part in the Translation Committee
• Are you a conference interpreter? The Interpretation Forum is waiting for you
• Are you a sworn translator or interpreter? The TIJ Committee prepares the negotiations with the Ministry of Justice.
• Do you think inclusivity is essential? Join the Inclusivity Committee

Events:

Translators and interpreters rarely have the opportunity to meet up with one another outside of work to have a friendly chat. That is why it is important to offer our members networking events such as:

• The New Year’s reception, where people can chat about this and that over a glass of bubbly.
• The meal which follows the General Assembly, allowing more relaxed conversation after attendees jointly map the future of the association.
• The festival of Saint Jerome, where relationships are strengthened over an informative team building activity, followed by a meal.
• The volunteers’ picnic, which brings together all of the association’s linchpins each summer.
• The borrelavonden (which one might translate as ‘a drinks party’), where the members have a night out in a brasserie, with each of the kingdom’s provinces taking it in turns to host the event.

As you can see, conviviality is a key aspect of our community spirit.

The Arbitration Council:

Full members may include having recourse to the CBTI/BKVT’s Arbitration Council in their terms and conditions of sale. In the event of litigation with a client, the Council will carry out an objective assessment of the dispute, express an opinion and enable a resolution in the best interests of the parties involved a lot quicker and generally at a lower cost than legal proceedings. Provided that the procedure is carried out correctly, the courts confirm the opinion of the Arbitration Council.

The Disciplinary Council:

As is true of any self-respecting professional association, a Disciplinary Council has been established to judge conflicts between members and breaches of the Code of Conduct, which is signed by all members by virtue of their membership. Its work contributes to the image of professionalism and the reputation of all the members. It consists of three full members chosen during the General Assembly, which guarantees its neutrality.

Document templates:

The CBTI/BKVT and its Sectoral Committees have drawn up standard document templates and professional dossiers. Some are reserved for members, such as the general terms of business, all the documents you need to work in compliance with the GDPR, the Charter of Good Practices and legal advice. These documents have been verified by our legal department and will protect you effectively. Others can be used by your clients and make your life easier, such as the Public Tenders Vade Mecum

First-line legal aid:

The members benefit from free first-line legal counsel. If you have a work-related question on a legal matter or concerning regulations and have not received an answer in the ‘Legal Advice’ section of our website’s members area, you can contact our legal advisor, who will guide you towards the most appropriate solution to your problem within five working days.

Affiliated members

To become a member, all that is required is that you have once worked in, currently work in, or wish to work in the profession. Affiliated members pay only 50% of the membership fee. They do not need to provide supporting documents to join the association. 

Who are our affiliated members?

They are often service providers who have not yet obtained the required qualifications, others who simply wish to stay in touch with the professions in Belgium or do not need the advantages enjoyed by full members only.

Our affiliated members typically include

• Trainees: they intend to obtain the qualifications required to become full members in the near future.
• Civil servants and employees: the association’s network and resources are often useful for those who work for only one employer.
• Retired people: after a full career as a translator or as an interpreter, it is enjoyable to stay in touch and maintain the sense of togetherness.
• Students: to help our future colleagues get a foot on the ladder, translation and interpretation Master’s and postgraduate students may become affiliated members free of charge, up to March of the year following their graduation.

How to become an affiliated member?

To become an affiliated member, you need to

1. Have read and adhere to the Code of Conduct.
2. Have paid the €30 application fee (which can be deducted from the membership fee if you are admitted).
3. No particular supporting documents are required, apart from for sworn translators and interpreters, who must send a copy of their registration in the National Registry of Sworn Translators and Interpreters, or a copy of their swearing-in in a jurisdiction in another country.
4. Send a photo or PDF scan of your identity card or passport.
5. Send an identity photograph, in identity card format and PDF or JPG format (at least 300 dpi resolution).
6. Complete the membership application form.

Full members

Full members have the most extensive rights in the association. They pay a full subscription and must have verified professional qualifications.

They are primarily professionals with a qualification in translation or interpretation or colleagues with a proven track record. They are either self-employed with translating or interpreting as their main or secondary job, or they are employed by a company, the administration or a civil service.

How to become a full member?

To become a full member, you need to

1. Have read and adhere to the Code of Conduct.
2. Have paid the €30 application fee (which can be deducted from the subscription fee if you are admitted).
3. Send a photo or PDF scan of your identity card or passport.
4. Send an identity photograph, in identity card format and PDF or JPG format (least 300 dpi resolution)
5. Either provide a copy of your Master’s degree certificate in translation or interpretation…
   • Note 1: if the certificate does not indicate the languages of study, add the course programme
   • Note 2: if you want to register working languages other than the languages of study, please provide proof of your experience (see Point 6).
   • Note 3: if your documents are not written in French, Dutch or German, add a sworn translation done by a third party.
   • Note 4: if your degree is issued in a country outside the European Union, add an attestation of equivalence issued by the Belgian authorities.
6. Or provide proof of having worked in the profession regularly for 3 consecutive years, in other words over 100,000 words translated per year, including 30,000 per working language, or over 50 days worked per year, including at least 15 in each of the working languages.
7. Complete the membership application form.

Accepted means of proof:

• Invoices or purchase orders specifying the volumes and the working languages,
• A sworn personal statement countersigned by two full members,
• A sworn statement by a registered accountant,
• Either proof of certification issued by an international institution (mentioning the corresponding working languages) such as the EU, the UN, NATO, the General Court of the EU, etc.
• Or other means of proof to be assessed by the Admissions Committee.