Smoking and vaping on terraces in Belgium will be banned as of 1 January 1 2027. Federal Minister of Health Frank Vandenbroucke announced this last week after approval by the Council of Ministers. The text will soon be discussed by Parliament.
Smoking will also be banned within a 10-meter radius of terraces.
The ban contained in the government’s draft also applies to smoking rooms and hookah bars. The smoking ban would apply to every closed location (except prisons and healing centers).
The manager of a bar or restaurant will be required to post clear signage and enforce this ban. They will be held liable for insufficient signage, (implied) authorisation to smoke, or the provision of items that may encourage smoking (ashtrays, etc.). Smokers who violate the ban may also be fined.\
However, during temporary events such as festivals, fairs, flea markets, or Christmas markets, the municipality may temporarily adapt the measures (and lift the ban on smoking and vaping), as enforcement may prove difficult.
ECMA statement:
„The Belgian Government has once again decided to sacrifice the thousands of jobs involved in the specialised cigar sector to favour the political personal crusade of its junior coalition partner against cigarettes. If it had to be said again: all available public evidence confirms that cigars are neither consumed by young people nor smoking initiation products.
Decision-making in Belgium has now reached one of its lowest points where individuals imprisoned for committing crimes would have more smoking rights than adults simply wanting to occasionally consume cigars.
The text will now be discussed in Parliament where we hope to see the cigar community raise its voices to defend the right to smoke cigars in a considerate manner“.
