Belgium Restaurant Terraces Face Removal as Temporary Exemption Expires

Brussels restaurant terraces may face forced removal as temporary exemption officially ends. Pandemic-era rules allowed cafe owners to build terraces without any planning permits.

Now that temporary exemption is expiring, businesses face costly dismantling and storage.

Audrey Henry, Brussels urban planning state secretary, asked nineteen municipalities for flexibility. She urged councils not to force removals solely because the exemption ends.

Officials are preparing a permanent legal framework expected to conclude by year-end. Brussels Parliament unanimously approved making terraces permanent in April two thousand twenty-five.