be.bev-cuvee.org · AS OF 2026-11-10
Belgium
The business-to-business (B2B) hub for beverage alcohol: the trade rulebook for beverage alcohol, country by country, each section with its official sources.
As of 2026-11-10
Market status
Licensed. Traders in duty-paid alcohol require the alcohol-and-tobacco trader authorisation, subject to the stated exceptions.
Sources
Who can trade
Wholesale and distribution: The alcohol-and-tobacco trader authorisation covers duty-paid alcohol traders, including wholesalers and online sellers. The transition period ends in November 2025.
Business-to-business (B2B) online sale: Online traders fall within this authorisation framework.
Import and duty-suspension permissions, and additional food-business registration: Not yet sourced.
Sources
Customs and duty
Tariff headings: 2203 covers beer made from malt; 2204 covers wine of fresh grapes and certain grape must; 2206 covers other fermented beverages, including cider, and qualifying mixtures; 2208 covers spirits, liqueurs and other spirituous beverages.
Import duty: The European Union common customs tariff applies. Detailed classification, origin, preferences and other tariff measures determine the duty. A four-digit heading alone does not establish the payable duty.
Excise: The customs authority provides a national alcoholic-beverage excise schedule. Detailed treatment of beer, wine, cider and spirits: Not yet sourced.
Territorial treatment: Not yet sourced.
Sources
- https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32016R1872
- https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/customs/common-customs-tariff-cct/calculation-customs-duties_en
- https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/online-services/online-services-and-databases-customs/eu-customs-tariff-taric_en
- https://finances.belgium.be/fr/douanes_accises/entreprises/accises/boissons-alcoolis%C3%A9es
Labelling
Required language(s): Mandatory information uses the language or languages of the linguistic region: Dutch in the Dutch-speaking region, French in the French-speaking region, German in the German-speaking region, and French and Dutch in Brussels.
Mandatory alcohol warnings: National alcohol-health or pregnancy warning: Not yet sourced.
Alcohol strength: Beverages above 1.2% alcohol by volume declare their actual strength; wine follows sector-specific rules.
Allergens: Relevant allergens require declaration, using “contains” if there is no ingredient list. Sulphites above 10 milligrams per litre require declaration.
Origin: Wine requires provenance. Other foods require origin where omission misleads; stated origin may trigger primary-ingredient origin disclosure.
Wine particulars: Ingredient and nutrition declarations apply, subject to transition for wine produced before 8 December 2023. Electronic disclosure is conditional; allergens and energy remain on the physical label.
Ingredient-dependent warnings: Sweetener and aspartame statements apply where relevant.
Sources
Age and sale limits
Legal purchase age: 18, except beer and wine without added spirits or spirit flavouring, which may be sold from age 16.
Channel limits: Alcohol vending-machine sales are prohibited. Motorway service-station sales are restricted between 22:00 and 07:00, with an exception for on-site restaurant consumption. Wholesale-only application and other local restrictions: Not yet sourced.
Sources
Protected names
Protection framework: The European Commission maintains the legal registration database for protected food, wine and spirit names, alongside a register of protected traditional wine terms. Registration status and product specifications determine the applicable protection.
Verified examples: Rioja and Champagne are protected designations of origin for wine. These examples are not an exhaustive list.
Additional named spirit, beer and cider protections: Not yet sourced.
Sources
GTIN authority
Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) member organisation: GS1 Belgium & Luxembourg.
Sources
Not yet sourced
Import and duty-suspension permissions; additional food-business registration; detailed national excise; territorial treatment; national health warnings; wholesale-only application and other local restrictions: Not yet sourced.
Additional named spirit, beer and cider protections: Not yet sourced.
Library catalogue: bev-cuvee.org · this page as data: mcp.bev-cuvee.org/mcp (get_rulebook, code be)