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Federal Chamber 56K1606 Public safety Passed

More flexible security screening rules for maritime sector workers

Official title: Wetsontwerp tot wijziging van de bepalingen betreffende de veiligheidsverificaties in het Belgisch Scheepvaartwetboek met het oog op de aanpassing aan de wet van 2 juni 2024 tot wijziging van wet van 11 december 1998 betreffende de classificatie, de veiligheidsmachtigingen, veiligheidsattesten, veiligheidsadviezen en de publiek gereguleerde dienst en aan de wet van 30 juli 2018 betreffende de bescherming van natuurlijke personen met betrekking tot de verwerking van persoonsgegevens.

Status: Parliament has approved this proposal. (parliament: ‘Adopted by the Chamber’)

In plain language

  • People working in ports who receive a security clearance with an administrative warning, such as due to recent time spent living abroad, may now continue working in the maritime sector for up to one year.
  • This directly affects port companies, maritime employers, and staff or foreign specialists working in critical roles.
  • If you work in a port but have lived in Belgium for less than five years, you will not automatically lose your job or access badge, as long as your employer implements appropriate security safeguards.

Automatically summarised (gemini-3.8-flash). AI can make mistakes: if in doubt, read the official text.

Official text (PDF) Parliamentary file

From proposal to law

  1. Submitted 23 June 2026
  2. Approved by parliament 8 October 2026
  3. Given royal assent by the government not yet
  4. Published in the Belgian Official Journal not yet
  5. In force not yet

After the vote, the government (or, for a European law, the Council) still has to sign the proposal. Then it appears in the official journal. This usually takes a few weeks; we check every day.

How parliament voted

Passed on 8 October 2026

71 for · 14 against · 50 abstention(s)

A parliamentary group is the group of members of parliament from one party. For each group, you can see how many members voted for or against, or abstained.

  • For
  • Against
  • Abstain
  • Dot: party colour
  • N-VA Voted for

    22 for · 0 against · 0 abstentions

  • VB Abstained

    0 for · 0 against · 18 abstentions

  • PS Divided

    0 for · 8 against · 7 abstentions

  • MR Voted for

    14 for · 0 against · 0 abstentions

  • PVDA-PTB Abstained

    0 for · 0 against · 14 abstentions

  • Les Engagés Voted for

    13 for · 0 against · 0 abstentions

  • Vooruit Voted for

    12 for · 0 against · 0 abstentions

  • cd&v Voted for

    9 for · 0 against · 0 abstentions

  • Ecolo-Groen Abstained

    0 for · 0 against · 9 abstentions

  • Anders. Divided

    0 for · 6 against · 1 abstention

  • DéFI Abstained

    0 for · 0 against · 1 abstention

  • Onafhankelijk Voted for

    1 for · 0 against · 0 abstentions

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