The coalition agreement of the new Belgian federal government emphasizes structural reforms and reducing the budget deficit. The De Wever I government aims to be a reform-oriented administration with ambitious plans in the areas of labor market, taxation, and pensions. The agreement also includes plans for the digital transformation of government services and society, the implementation of AI, and ensuring data protection and privacy. Below, we summarize the key policies for these three themes, by policy area.

Government and Digitalization

The federal government wants to become a data-driven organization that uses IT and AI in a responsible and transparent manner within a unified strategy, based on standards from relevant competence centers. FOD BOSA is developing, in consultation with stakeholders, an overarching digitalization strategy to be approved by the Council of Ministers, with all initiatives required to comply with the "comply or explain" principle (which means departments must follow a set norm or strategy (comply), but can deviate from it if they explain and justify this deviation transparently (explain)). In implementation, such as with MyGov, internal competence centers play a central role under the guidance of the G-Cloud (the federal cloud platform of the Belgian government), ensuring the "only once" principle and unique access to digital services for end-users. FOD BOSA is also responsible for establishing full data governance.

In the context of implementing European initiatives such as the Data Act, the AI Act, and the Gigabit Infrastructure Act at the national level, the responsibility for monitoring and coordination will be assigned to a specific regulator, the BIPT (Belgian Institute for Postal Services and Telecommunications). To carry out these new tasks, additional funding will be provided, potentially contributed by the involved digital actors, without affecting the existing funding mechanisms of the BIPT or compromising its independent functioning.

This policy brief, written by the Knowledge Centre Data & Society, on the implementation of the AI Act in Belgium, provides an overview of its scope and an analysis of the various authorities that member states must designate or establish under the AI Act.

Digital Economy

The government will develop a Belgian data strategy within the existing European framework, mainly aiming to regulate the use, sharing, and sale of data. A "cloud-first strategy" will be implemented, and a comprehensive policy will be developed for the use of AI in government to gain efficiency benefits.

The government is exploring the establishment of a private or public certification service that links online accounts to a verified natural or legal person, without banning pseudonymity or the use of multiple accounts. This aims to build trust in online identities, for example, to combat fraud and misinformation while safeguarding privacy. Social networks or other platforms would not have access to personal data during this verification process.

The government acknowledges the importance of exclusive copyright, also in the context of AI, and aims to ensure that collective management organizations work transparently. This means that organizations collecting and distributing royalties, such as SABAM, will be closely monitored to ensure fair and timely payments to rightsholders. In the context of AI use, the government will ensure a balance between innovation and the protection of intellectual property.

Public Health

In the field of Public Health, there is considerable ambition for digital transformation. Digitalization in healthcare is seen as a benefit for both patients and healthcare providers. To support the former, the government aims to focus on developing digital skills and providing psychosocial support to help people cope with the vast amount of health data. Digital health applications and technology should have a larger role in healthcare so that healthcare providers are relieved, care quality improves, and patients find it easier to monitor their health. To stimulate innovation in healthcare, developers of digital healthcare applications should have sufficient space to realize their ideas and a clear point of contact within the government. A clear timeline should give them insight into possible implementation opportunities, preferably within the context of a care trajectory.

Regarding AI, the government is examining whether, in addition to European regulations, additional national frameworks are needed for AI developments in healthcare. A balance must be struck between allowing experimentation and innovation on the one hand, and ensuring care quality, medical confidentiality, and the diagnostic and therapeutic freedom of the healthcare provider on the other. Therefore, a joint data and AI strategy for public health is being developed, with particular attention to cybersecurity.

Data Sharing in Healthcare

To ensure effective and efficient collaboration between citizens, professionals, organizations, and stakeholders, data sharing will be further expanded in accordance with the GDPR and compatible with the European Health Data Space (EHDS).

A plan of action will be introduced to counter the fragmentation of data accessibility in the healthcare landscape. The maximum use of data reuse and the consolidation of information flows will be prioritized. Work on an inter-federal cooperation agreement will continue so that inter-federal governance of the eHealth platform and the Health Data Agency can be established. There will also be efforts to maximize the integration of data platforms and an integrated portal that ensures the access and digital exchange of health data, under the control of citizens.

The Belgian Health Data Agency (HDA) will become an inter-federal body that facilitates access to health data in a uniform, secure, and reliable manner. The HDA will not supply data itself but will ensure its availability for purposes such as public interest, public health, policy development, scientific research, education, and the development of new therapies, all in compliance with privacy and patient interests, as per the EHDS. In addition, data from health insurance funds, managed by the Intermutualistic Agency, will be made accessible to authorized government and research institutions upon request to support scientific research and policy decisions.

A shared electronic patient record will be further developed and evaluated, and finally, citizens will be given the opportunity to "donate" their health data to science, similar to organ donation. This could include information from medical records, genetic data, lifestyle information, and biological samples. This data will be anonymized or pseudonymized and can contribute to scientific research and deeper insights into health issues. It will be investigated whether additional protection is needed for citizens regarding the conditions of data donations so they retain sufficient control and transparency within this system.

Safety

Digital Police

The information exchange between police services, federal states, and other governments will be enhanced through the development of an advanced data platform, with strict adherence to confidentiality rules and access rights. This platform will support collaboration with oversight agencies and enforcement bodies within legally defined powers.

As part of a new digitalization strategy for police services, pilot projects will be established for new operational applications and technologies, such as facial recognition technology. Also current camera legislation will be amended to facilitate smart surveillance.

AI will be used to relieve the police administratively, such as with 'speech-to-text' technology. The implementation of new technology will always seek a balance between security and privacy.

In the fight against drugs and organized crime, investments will be made in AI applications to map illegal financial flows and criminal networks more efficiently, within a clear legal framework in accordance with European regulations. The capacity to intercept encrypted communications and analyze large data files will also be strengthened. This is part of a broader approach to organized crime, with investments in people, resources, and legal changes to respond more quickly to new criminal methods.

Football Legislation

The new government will explore whether a central database can be established for stadium bans and aims to amend legislation to enable biometric identity checks at stadium entrances.

Disinformation and Fake News

The coalition agreement contains several measures to combat disinformation and fake news. One proposal includes legislative initiatives aimed at increasing transparency and accountability of online platforms in this area. There will also be efforts to promote international cooperation and collaboration between government agencies, media organizations, and technology companies.

Intelligence Services and Other Security Actors

The coalition agreement states that State Security must have access to the latest tools, including the ability to intercept communications and use the capabilities offered by AI.

Defense

In Defense, the government will invest in modernizing the Belgian military during this legislative term. Attention will also be given to cyber defense, with investments in resources for electronic warfare and AI.

EU and International

The government aims for an international dialogue on the regulation of digital services, emerging technologies, and AI to better align European rules with global standards. This should prevent Belgian and European companies from being competitively disadvantaged compared to international players, while safeguarding digital sovereignty and the security of citizens. By collaborating with international partners, Belgium aims to contribute to balanced regulation that both stimulates innovation and protects economic and societal interests.

A stable and legally certain regulatory framework is being ensured as well as the aim for timely and strict implementation of European directives. In doing so, gold plating in new legislation will be avoided to safeguard intra-European competition and prevent any negative impact on businesses. This should help ensure that companies can compete on equal footing.

Furthermore, the government wants to advocate for simplifying European regulations at the EU level and identifying barriers to the commercial rollout of new technologies. It will focus on rolling out regulatory sandboxes.