Belgium Accessibility Legislation: Scope, Fines & Reporting

Belgium regulates digital accessibility through the legislation transposing the European Accessibility Act — namely Book IX of the Code of Economic Law (Wetboek van economisch recht / Code de droit économique) and its implementing Royal Decrees. Together they ensure that all citizens can access websites, platforms and mobile applications, and they require compliance with the EN 301 549 accessibility standard. The legislation was last amended on 8 October 2022, and the Royal Decree was enforced on 28 June 2025.

Supervision sits with the Belgian Federal Public Service (FPS) Economy.

Scope of application

The Royal Decree mandates that a range of digital content and services must be accessible to people with disabilities. Specifically, it covers:

• Electronic communications service providers, who must make services accessible, considering multiple sensory channels, understandability, perceptibility, text formats, font size, contrast, letter spacing, and robustness.
• Websites and mobile applications, which must be accessible and provide features for various disabilities.
• Technical support and information on service accessibility, which must be provided in accessible communication forms.

Exceptions

The only exemption from compliance with accessibility measures mentioned by the Royal Decree is under certain conditions of disproportionate burden.

Fines and penalties

The Royal Decree on digital accessibility in Belgium mandates compliance with accessibility standards for websites and mobile applications, including those of the public sector. Rather than setting a tariff of fines, it outlines monitoring obligations and enforcement via the federal administration:

• The Decree does not currently specify financial penalties.
• It instead empowers authorities to follow up on non-compliance through formal procedures.

Because enforcement runs through formal follow-up rather than an automatic fine, the practical exposure is the remediation work an authority can require — which is why barriers are cheaper to catch continuously than to answer under procedure.

Reporting

Belgium follows the EU-wide mandate for accessibility statements on public sector websites and digital services. These statements are essential for maintaining transparency and accountability.

In addition:

• Audiovisual media service providers must report on compliance with the accessibility requirements.
• Information on services that comply with accessibility requirements must be described in accessible formats, with a justification of how each requirement is fulfilled.

Compliance with Book IX of the Code of Economic Law requires a clear accessibility statement.

Complaints

Users who encounter accessibility barriers, or who wish to submit a complaint about non-compliance, can contact the competent authority — the FPS Economy – General Directorate for Economic Inspection:

• Email: info.eco@economie.fgov.be
• Website: economie.fgov.be

Getting compliant with QualiBooth

Meeting the Belgian requirements takes two things: evidence that your websites and apps conform, and a published accessibility statement that holds up to scrutiny.

QualiBooth scans continuously against WCAG success criteria, which underpin the EN 301 549 requirements, so a barrier never waits for an inspection to surface it, and manual audits by people with disabilities cover what automation cannot. When it is time to publish, our accessibility statement generator produces a statement that documents your conformance and any disproportionate burden claim.

For the latest and most accurate information on Belgian digital accessibility requirements, refer to the official documentation published by the Belgian government.