Belgium: the new coalition wants to ban smoking lounges

After 236 days of negotiations, several right and center-right parties signed a 2025-2029 government agreement which contains its share of anti-tobacco measures.

“If we want to realize the dream of a “tobacco-free generation” in 2040, we will have to, in collaboration with the Communities, continue to join forces for a strong anti-smoking policy,” write the parties committed to supporting the government of Bart De Wever.

The coalition agreement cites a certain number of measures presented as “a priority”, in particular the ban on smoking lounges located in “places accessible to the public” or the extension of the smoking ban to terraces.

The “plain packaging” for handmade cigars, already voted on during the previous legislature, must also come into force in 2025. An appeal brought by the Federation of Cigar Manufacturers of Belgium and Luxembourg (Fécibel) is currently being examined by the Belgian courts.