Belgium puts off smoking ban for café and restaurant terraces
The Council of State has requested adjustments to the measures, while the government says venues need time to adapt.
Belgium’s federal government has delayed restrictions that would have prohibited smoking on café and restaurant terraces from 1 January 2027. The timetable for introducing the ban, championed by Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke, remains unclear.
The minister’s cabinet said it was working on changes requested by the Council of State, the country’s supreme administrative court. It said postponing implementation would give hospitality venues enough time to adapt. The sector had resisted the initiative.
Parliamentary approval will still be needed for the Council of State’s amendments after their publication. The terrace proposal follows Belgian anti-smoking legislation introduced in 2025, which included restrictions on smoking in airport rooms and prohibited flavoured vapes. Those measures were intended to help achieve a smoke-free generation by 2040.
Figures from the Belgian Cancer Foundation indicate that almost one in four Belgians smoke, while daily smokers account for 19 per cent of the population. The World Health Organization includes outdoor smoking bans among the measures it advocates.
