The Act amending the opening hours act (Act amending the Act of 10 November 2006 on opening hours in commerce, crafts and services and the Act of 24 June 2013 on municipal administrative penalties) aims to liberalise retail opening hours and abolishes the mandatory weekly closing day. The opening hours act applies specifically to the physical sale of goods to consumers (e.g. supermarkets, clothing shops, etc.). Contrary to what the title of the act might suggest, it does not apply generally to service providers (e.g. hairdressers or restaurants).
The reform has been on the political agenda for some time and has already been announced in the press on several occasions. However, the amendment to the act was still pending. In our previous newsletter of 30 April 2026 we provided an update on the relevant bill, which at that time still had to be approved and published. In the meantime, the final steps have now been completed. The Act amending the opening hours act was adopted by the Chamber of Representatives on 20 July 2026 and published in the Belgian Official Gazette on 3 August 2026.
As the Act does not specify a specific date of entry into force, the general principle applies that it enters into force on the tenth day following its publication, i.e. 13 August 2026. From that date onwards, retail businesses may remain open until 9 p.m. every day and the mandatory weekly closing day will be abolished. (Retailers will therefore no longer be required to observe one fixed weekly closing day, although they remain free to do so.)
The reform is intended to modernise the legislative framework by taking into account changing consumer habits and expectations (partly influenced by the flexible opening hours of online retailers) and by providing retailers with more freedom.
However, this does not mean that all restrictions disappear. Retailers must continue to take into account other applicable legislation, such as labour law, sector specific regulations, municipal by-laws, etc.
Questions about this topic? Please contact the authors of this newsletter.