Belgium road regulation changes raise EU legal concerns and spark speed‑limit enforcement debate

Belgium plans to introduce a digital road vignette for all vehicles under 3.5 tonnes starting 1 May 2026. The fee, ranging from €90 to €125 per year depending on CO₂ emissions, will apply regardless of the vehicle’s country of registration and is intended to fund road‑maintenance costs. Legal scholars warn the scheme may breach EU non‑discrimination rules, citing a 2019 European Court of Justice ruling that struck down a similar German system for favouring domestic drivers. Earlier attempts to implement a vignette in Belgium were abandoned after pressure from the Netherlands and EU legal scrutiny.

At the same time, Belgium maintains a relatively generous speed‑limit tolerance on its highways. Drivers are not fined until they exceed 128 km/h, with a technical margin of 6–9 km/h, compared with stricter tolerances in the Netherlands and France. Fines start at €74 for speeds up to 139 km/h and increase with higher excess speeds. The traffic institute VIAS has urged tighter margins, but political leaders have resisted, citing concerns over driver backlash and administrative burden.