1. Risk Rating  
  2. AI regulation in your jurisdiction
  3. Existing Regulatory Frameworks Applicable to AI
  4. Regulatory Oversight of AI
  5. AI Guidance, Policies, and Strategic Frameworks 
  6. International AI Standards and Guidelines 
  7. Forthcoming AI Legislation
  8. Useful links

jurisdiction

Belgium
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Risk Rating  

Medium.

AI regulation in your jurisdiction

There is no dedicated national legislative act governing AI in Belgium. However, Belgium is directly subject to the Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 – Artificial Intelligence Act (“EU AI Act”), which establishes harmonised rules for AI across all EU member states. The Act introduces a risk-based approach, banning certain harmful AI practices, and imposes strict obligations on high-risk and general-purpose AI systems.

Existing Regulatory Frameworks Applicable to AI

The EU AI Act establishes harmonised rules for AI. It uses a risk-based approach, bans harmful practices, and imposes strict obligations on high-risk and general-purpose AI systems.

Regulatory Oversight of AI

The Belgian Institute for Postal Services and Telecommunications (BIPT/IBPT) has emerged as the Market Surveillance Authority (according to the 2025-2029 Federal Government Agreement).

Under Article 77 of the EU AI Act, Belgium has designated a granular list of 21 specific bodies empowered to supervise high-risk AI systems where fundamental rights are at stake.

AI Guidance, Policies, and Strategic Frameworks 

Belgium complements enforceable EU legislation and guidelines with several policy documents and guidance instruments that articulate its stance on AI development and use. These are distributed between the federal level and the regions (Flanders, Wallonia, Brussels), reflecting the country’s division of powers.

At the federal level, the focus is on coordination, ethics, and alignment with European standards.

We have the national convergence plan for the development of Artificial Intelligence (SmartAI.Nation). It is the official roadmap; it is not a law, but it dictates how the administration acts. It positions Belgium as a “SmartAI Nation” and emphasises trustworthy, human-centric AI, relying on existing data protection and anti-discrimination rules while anticipating new rights and obligations as AI evolves. The 2025–2029 Federal Government Agreement is broadly consistent with this strategy. In addition, we have AI4Belgium, a government-initiated community coalition acting as the central ecosystem manager. It connects academia, business, and the public sector, frequently issuing policy recommendations and position papers that, while non-binding, heavily influence official policy. Moreover, there is the federal data ethics & AI advisory committee that is established to provide non-binding opinions and ethical guidance on the use of AI by the federal administration. Finally, the Belgian Data Protection Authority has issued specific guidance on the interplay between AI and the GDPR (“Artificial Intelligence systems and the GDPR. A data protection perspective“), effectively setting a practical compliance benchmark for AI systems processing personal data.

At the regional level, each entity is developing its own strategy within the EU AI Act framework.

In Flanders, the 2024–2028 Flemish AI Policy Plan (Vlaams Beleidsplan Artificiële Intelligentie) is a strategy built around three pillars: top‑level research (VAIOP), support for AI adoption and valorisation in companies, and flanking measures on ethics, law, skills and public awareness via instruments such as the Kenniscentrum Data & Maatschappij and the Vlaamse AI‑Academie. The plan has been structurally reinforced for a new five‑year cycle, and explicitly positions AI as a horizontal technology for economic competitiveness, responsible AI, and digital transformation, with specific attention to SMEs and coordination with cybersecurity and broader digital‑maturity programmes. In Brussels, AI is embedded in broader digital and data‑driven strategies (rather than a standalone AI plan), notably through initiatives such as FARI (the AI Institute for the Common Good). In Wallonia, AI policy is primarily channelled through DigitalWallonia4.ai, which serves as the regional programme for supporting AI adoption in businesses and public services, aligning Walloon innovation and digital‑transformation policy with the EU AI Act and federal objectives.

International AI Standards and Guidelines 

Belgium explicitly aligns its AI legal and policy framework with several key international standards and guidelines, primarily through its National Convergence Plan and its obligations under the EU AI Act. For instance, Belgium has officially endorsed the OECD AI Principles. These principles (human-centric, transparent, and accountable AI) are explicitly cited as the guiding framework for the National Convergence Plan (SmartAI.Nation) to ensure national strategy aligns with international best practices.

Forthcoming AI Legislation

As far as we are aware, there are no plans at present to introduce an AI-specific law.

Same as for the EU.