VRT News; Colin Clapson
In an open letter, the umbrella organisation Belgian Brewers is calling on the federal government to scale back the planned tightening of the rules on alcohol advertising. 100 brewers and around 1,000 other stakeholders from the sector are particularly worried about the new slogan, ‘Alcohol is harmful to health’, which is soon to appear in all alcohol adverts.
Let’s rewind to 27 March. On that day, the federal government reached agreement on stricter rules for alcohol advertising. In addition to the mandatory health warning, it will be prohibited to hand out free alcohol with magazines. Furthermore, influencers and media outlets with a large young audience will no longer be allowed to advertise alcoholic drinks.
The agreement meant Belgian health minister Frank Vandenbroucke (Flemish socialist Vooruit) fulfilled a promise that had been on the table for some time. He wants to prevent young people from being exposed to alcohol marketing at an early age, as studies show that early consumption increases the risk of later abuse.
‘These measures will limit minors’ exposure to alcohol marketing,’ the minister stated at the time. ‘At the same time, we are providing adults with accurate information through the new health message.’
Belgian brewers are now making a last-ditch attempt to halt the measure. The health warning will have to appear on all advertising for alcoholic drinks but would not be compulsory on labels and packaging.
According to CEO Krishan Maudgal, the warning “unnecessarily stigmatises an entire sector that generates investment, thousands of jobs and social cohesion”. The letter points out that Belgian beer culture has been recognised by UNESCO and that Belgium would now become one of the first countries to explicitly label beer as harmful.
“We support the fight against alcohol abuse,” the association emphasises. “But we can also wage that fight without pillorying an entire sector.”
The sector wants to sit down with the government to discuss alternative measures. The brewers emphasise their support for initiatives such as the BOB anti-drink drive campaigns and, in their own words, always present themselves as a “constructive partner”.
Nevertheless, the sector’s lobbying power is under scrutiny. As recently as October 2025, daily De Tijd reported on the strong influence the alcohol lobby exerted on Belgian health policy. The lobby is said to systematically put pressure on ministers and their officials and to succeed in watering down planned measures.
The Flemish Centre of Expertise on Alcohol and Other Drugs (VAD) called on the government at that time not to delay the health warning any longer: “Public health must take precedence over the alcohol industry’s profit margins,” it said. link: www.vad.be