Belgian cigarette warnings

date in effect:
April 2007 (and earlier)

The size of Belgian warnings is determined by European Union regulations (see below).  The warning must cover 35% of the front and 50% of the back. Including the size taken up by the border, the warnings cover 48% of the front and 63% of the back of the cigarette package. This is larger than other European countries because Belgium is a country with three languages.

In August 2004, Belgium issued a Royal Decree stating that companies must start manufacturing cigarettes with combined picture-text warnings after the designs were made public by the government, and that all cigarettes sold must have these warnings within 18 months.  The government issued guidelines for the combined warnings on October 27, 2005.

Belgium has created three series of warnings, each set containing 14 warnings. The first set will appear during the first year, the second on the second year, and so forth.

►Belgian Royal Decree (August 2004) (html)
►Belgian Ministerial decree, with pictures of warnings (October 27, 2005)(pdf)
►Belgian government announcement
► Research report on implementation