Belgium to Charge Firms for Consumer Complaints
Starting 1 January 2027, Belgian businesses will be required to pay fees when dissatisfied customers escalate complaints to the Consumer Ombudsman Service (Consumentenombudsdienst), under a major reform announced on 27 July by Consumer Protection Minister Rob Beenders (Vooruit). The new system charges businesses EUR 250 per standard complaint dossier and EUR 500 for complex cases exceeding EUR 50,000, while the service remains free for consumers.
Background
The Consumer Ombudsman Service, an autonomous public body established approximately a decade ago, provides free mediation between consumers and businesses as an alternative to court proceedings. The reform comes amid a surge in demand: last year, the service was contacted 20,501 times - a 37% increase from the previous year, according to VRT NWS.
“If companies do not treat their customers correctly, they will pay the bill for the mediation,” Beenders said, emphasizing that the service would remain fully accessible to consumers.
Key Developments
Under the new framework, businesses must pay EUR 250 per admissible complaint processed by the Ombudsman. For exceptional or complex dossiers exceeding EUR 50,000, the fee rises to EUR 500. The government intends these fees to incentivize better customer service and reduce the burden on taxpayers.
From 1 January 2027, the Ombudsman service will also create four new sector-specific chambers: construction, trade, automotive and bicycle, and package travel. The existing Construction Conciliation Commission will be integrated into this structure.
Businesses are required to cooperate with the mediation process. Non-compliant companies face substantial fines, with enforcement powers designed to ensure participation in the mediation process.
Government subsidies currently funding the Ombudsman service will be phased out entirely by 2028, saving the Belgian state EUR 550,000 annually. Minister Beenders noted that fees are only charged when a complaint is deemed admissible, which he said “excludes abuse.”
Business Opposition
The reform has drawn sharp criticism from business associations. UNIZO, the representative organization for SMEs and self-employed professionals, called the financing model “completely unbalanced.”
Bart Buysse, CEO of UNIZO, told HLN that “a well-functioning ombudsman service can prevent disputes from escalating or ending up in court. But mediation must be fair, and that is no longer the case with this system.”
Buysse argued that the system creates an uneven playing field: “A trader must make time, formulate answers, process administration, and now also pay for a procedure he did not initiate himself. A system where one party complains for free and the other always pays is not fair mediation.”
UNIZO has called for a “reasonable minimum contribution” from consumers to restore balance and prevent frivolous complaints, arguing the current proposal lacks sufficient safeguards against misuse of the free procedure.
Analysis and Implications
The reform represents a significant shift in how consumer mediation is funded in Belgium, moving from a taxpayer-funded model to one financed entirely by the business sector. By creating financial consequences for businesses that fail to resolve disputes directly, the government aims to improve customer service standards across the economy.
The timing reflects growing pressure on the Ombudsman service, with the 37% surge in contacts highlighting the need for modernization. Minister David Clarinval (MR), who co-announced the reform, remarked that “companies therefore better have a good customer service.”
The reform enjoys cross-community and cross-ideological support within Belgium’s federal coalition government, with both the Flemish social-democratic Vooruit party and the Francophone liberal MR party backing the measures - suggesting a strong likelihood of passage through parliament.
What’s Next
The new regulations are scheduled to take effect on 1 January 2027, giving businesses approximately five months to improve their internal complaint-handling procedures. The sector-specific chambers will launch simultaneously, with government subsidies continuing through 2027 before being fully phased out in 2028.
Questions remain about whether UNIZO’s concerns will prompt amendments during the legislative process, and whether the fee structure will generate sufficient revenue to fully fund the service once subsidies end. The position of consumer organizations such as Testaankoop/Testachats has yet to be publicly stated.