HSE self-declaration

An HSE self-declaration (HMS-egenerklæring) is a form used in Norwegian public procurement where suppliers confirm that they comply with health, safety, and environment legislation. The declaration was previously a mandatory qualification requirement but was removed from the regulations in 2015.

How does an HSE self-declaration work?

The HSE self-declaration is a written confirmation that a supplier systematically complies with health, safety, and environment legislation under the Norwegian Internal Control Regulations. The form was signed by both management and an employee representative, confirming that the business met applicable working environment requirements.

The declaration was submitted with the bid and served as a qualification requirement — suppliers who failed to submit it were rejected from the competition. The document should not be older than six months.

Why was the requirement removed?

In Norway, the HSE self-declaration was mandatory for all procurements exceeding NOK 100,000. Introduced in the late 1990s, the requirement was removed on 1 July 2015 as part of a simplification of the Norwegian procurement regulations.

The government concluded that self-declarations were not an effective tool for ensuring actual compliance with HSE rules. In practice, the declaration had little impact beyond serving as a formal requirement — obligations regarding HSE conditions already follow from other legislation.

Is the HSE self-declaration still used?

Although no longer legally required, many Norwegian contracting authorities continue to request HSE self-declarations voluntarily. Surveys shortly after the change showed that around 80% of contracting authorities retained the requirement.

At the EU/EEA level, the ESPD serves as the standardised self-declaration for procurements above the threshold values, where HSE-related criteria can be included in the qualification requirements. Tools like Cobrief can help suppliers track which documents each tender procedure requires, including any HSE declarations.

The HSE self-declaration illustrates how regulatory simplification meets real-world practice. Even without a legal mandate, many contracting authorities still verify suppliers' HSE practices, and the declaration continues as a voluntary tool in Norwegian public procurement.