The Federal Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke (Flemish socialist) has announced that from 1 January 2027 smoking and vaping will be banned from the pavement terraces outside cafés, bars and restaurants. In addition to this smoking rooms that exist inside some cafés, at airports and at cigar clubs and shisha bars will also be banned. The ban on smoking at all hospitality outlets covers both traditional tobacco products (cigarettes, cigars and pipes) and e-cigarettes, vapes and water pipes such as shishas.
Mr Vandenbroucke announced the date that the new measure will come into force on Friday evening. The extension of the smoking ban is one of the measures contained in the federal coalition agreement.
The Federal Health Minister says that by announcing the date 15 and a half months before the new rules will come into force the hospitality industry will have plenty of time to prepare itself. From 1 January smokers will no longer be allowed to light up within a 10-metre radius of a café, bar or restaurant. Proprietors of bars, cafés and restaurants that still provide customers with ash trays after the new law comes into force could face prosecution. The same is true of customers that continue to smoke on pavement terraces or other outside areas of cafés, bars and restaurants.
The new bill that still has to be voted on in parliament also demands that local authorities come up with measures to curtail smoking at outdoor events such as music festivals, fairs and markets, where it is difficult to enforce a smoking ban.
Hospitality industry fears fresh wave of bankruptcies
The hospitality industry fears that the extension of the smoking ban will lead to another wave of bankruptcies in the sector. The hospitality industry federations are demanding talks with politicians.
They say that since smoking was banned inside bars and cafés, they have done everything possible to comply and have made considerable investments in order to do so.
Further weakening of the industry
The hospitality industry federations say that new rules will not stop people from smoking but will simply see smokers moving from terraces and smoking rooms onto the street adjacent to the café, bar or restaurant.
This will inevitably result in noise issues for those that live close to hospitality outlets. They add that it is impossible for café/bar/restaurant staff to check and ensure that smokers move at least 10 metres away if they want to smoke.
The current and previous federal government have been working for some time on measures to discourage smoking. The extension of the smoking ban was originally to have come into force next year. However, the government now wishes to give the hospitality industry more time to prepare.