Belgium’s August 1 Reforms: Notice, Telehealth, Taxes

Several significant new rules took effect across Belgium on August 1, touching everything from employment contracts to healthcare access and municipal fines. The changes, which affect workers, patients, and residents nationwide, represent one of the most consequential single-day regulatory updates of the year.

One-Week Notice Period for New Employment Contracts

Employers and workers can now terminate an employment contract during its first six months with just one week’s notice, under a reform championed by Federal Minister of Employment David Clarinval (MR). Previously, the notice period applied during the first three months and rose to up to five weeks after six months.

The reform, which RTBF reported applies automatically to all contracts concluded from August 1, aims to promote youth employment by removing a barrier for employers and reducing the succession of fixed-term contracts and temp work often experienced by young workers.

Trade unions have denounced the measure as a return of the trial period abolished in 2014 during the harmonization of employee and worker statuses. The key legal distinction, as RTBF explained, is that the shortened notice period applies automatically to all new contracts, whereas the old trial period required a specific contractual clause. RTL Info noted that the measure only affects contracts signed from August 1, with existing contracts retaining the old rules.

Video Consultations Now Available for Speech Therapists

Speech therapists (logopèdes) can now offer video consultations, announced by Federal Minister of Health Frank Vandenbroucke (Vooruit) in May. Doctors have been allowed to practice teleconsultations since the Covid-19 pandemic, while physiotherapists and midwives gained access on July 1.

According to RTBF’s coverage, the first appointment with a speech therapist must be in person, and a maximum of 10 consecutive teleconsultations is permitted. Video sessions are not authorized for children under four years old, and evaluation, assessment, and group sessions must remain in person.

“For caregivers, this will lead to fewer ‘no-shows’,” Vandenbroucke said. “For patients, this will allow better follow-up. Care will not be interrupted by busy schedules and difficult travel.” Medi-Sphere confirmed the August 1 start date for speech therapists.

Brussels Doubles Taxes on Public Cleanliness Violations

The City of Brussels has doubled several taxes on public cleanliness incivilities, on the proposal of Alderman for Public Cleanliness Anas Ben Abdelmoumen (PS). Classic illegal dumping is now taxed at 1,000 euros per cubic meter (up from 500), while hazardous and construction waste rises to 2,000 euros per cubic meter.

Unauthorized garbage bags on public roads now cost 400 euros per bag (up from 150), and illegal graffiti is taxed at 1,000 euros per square meter (up from 500). Urinating in public space costs 400 euros (up from 250), while cigarette butts, chewing gum, and spitting carry a 200-euro fine per incident.

The increases reflect rising waste treatment costs, according to RTBF’s report. In 2025, waste management cost the City 2 million euros, including 600,000 euros for evacuating 1,891 tonnes of illegal dumping. The City issued 7,731 fines for illegal dumping last year—a 61% increase from 2024—totaling 1.16 million euros, as RTBF previously reported.

Energy Excise Changes and Other Adjustments

Excise duties on natural gas and heating oil increased on August 1, while those on electricity decreased, as part of the program law adopted by the Chamber of Representatives on May 29. For an average household consuming 17 MWh of gas and 3.5 MWh of electricity, the gas bill rises by 18.17 euros per year while the electricity bill falls by 12.64 euros—a net increase of approximately 5.50 euros annually. The VRT reported that the reform aims to encourage Belgians to reduce fossil fuel consumption and favor electricity.

Additional changes include the indexation of the inheritance renunciation threshold to 6,664.95 euros (up from 6,093.20 euros) and an increase in the guaranteed average monthly minimum income to 2,233.61 euros gross, as L’Avenir detailed.

What to Watch

The notice period reform is expected to face continued opposition from trade unions, who view it as increasing worker precarity. The energy excise changes will be followed by further adjustments in 2027, when duties on diesel and petrol are also expected to increase. Brussels residents should expect stricter enforcement of cleanliness rules as the City implements its 2026-2032 regulatory framework, which also expands bulky waste collection services to make legal disposal easier.