Belgium

In 2024, Belgium's authorities revised the joint circular Col13/2013 for police forces and public prosecutors on the recording and investigation of discrimination and hate crimes. The objectives of the revision were as follows: 

• clarify certain concepts and definition of phenomena encountered;
• ensure the more effective identification and recording of discrimination and hate crimes (a list of indicators was drawn up for this purpose);
• raise awareness of the problem and current legislation among magistrates from the public prosecutor's office, the labour audit, the police, and the social inspection services concerned;
• provide more effective guidance on investigating and prosecuting the offences concerned for magistrates and police officers in the field;
• improve collaboration and mutual exchange between the judiciary, the police, UNIA, and the IEFH;
• focus attention on investigating offences committed via the Internet, and develop specific collaboration; and
• develop specific alternative measures to improve hate crime recording and investigation.

On 8 April 2024, a comprehensive revision of the Belgian Criminal Code was adopted and published in the Belgian Official Gazette on 8 April 2024 (coming into force on 8 April 2026). The revised Criminal Code will have an impact on anti-discrimination legislation and its practical application, in that:

- the specific incriminations provided for in some laws will be integrated;
- offences will no longer be categorized separately as crimes, "offences" and contraventions;
- a new scale of principal penalties, ranging from level 1 to level 8, will be introduced;
- new penalties will be introduced; and
- a prison term will be considered as a measure of last resort.

In January 2024, the Interfederal Coordination Mechanism for Combating Antisemitism was set up. This mechanism is managed by the Secretary of State for Equality of Gender, Opportunity, and Diversity. The aim of this mechanism is to target the fight against anti-Semitism through a cross-cutting approach which foresees co-operation between different levels of government. The participation of the federated entities in this mechanism makes it possible to establish structural consultation and an exchange of information between the federal authority, the communities, and the regions.

Belgium's equality body - UNIA - also published reports on discrimination against people of African descent and anti-Semitism in Belgium in 2024.

In 2024, a national survey on gender-based violence was organized at Eurostat's request. The survey was conducted by the Interfederal Institute of Statistics with support from the various regional governments. The research report with results on a national and regional level was published in 2024 in French and Dutch.

In 2023, the Flemish government asked the University of Ghent to analyse the data of the UN-MENAMAIS survey on sexual violence to gain insight into the prevalence of sexual violence among persons with disabilities and/or chronic illnesses compared to persons without disabilities/chronic illnesses. Between 2024 and 2025, a follow-up research into the bottlenecks and success factors of the existing victim support for persons with disabilities was set up. The research ended in November 2025.

Notable case:

On the evening of 17 September 2020, a 43-year-old man from Liège was killed by 15 stab wounds in his home after an encounter with another man. With the family's agreement, UNIA brought a civil action to have the aggravating circumstances of homophobia and racism recognized and to increase the sentence. On 7 June 2024, the perpetrator was found guilty of murder with aggravating circumstances of homophobia and racism. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison.