Belgium Halts 2027 Terrace Smoking Ban After Legal Setback Belgium's Council of State suspends outdoor smoking and vaping restrictions, delivering relief to hospitality operators.
Belgium’s highest administrative court has halted a government plan to ban smoking and vaping on outdoor hospitality terraces starting January 1, 2027. The intervention by the Council of State disrupts the public health agenda of Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke, handing an immediate reprieve to restaurant, bar, and cafe operators across Wallonia and Brussels. Council of State Halts Anti-Smoking Restrictions Under the federal Arizona coalition agreement, the government sought to eliminate indoor smoking rooms and extend tobacco and e-cigarette bans to all outdoor seating areas. However, formal reservations raised by the Council of State forced the Ministry of Health to pause…
