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🇧🇪 Belgium /Culture & Society

Seeking state recognition, Belgium’s Buddhists put the federal government on notice

From La Libre Belgique · () French

Translated from French and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources In the courts
  • The Union of Buddhists of Belgium says it has waited two decades for recognition as a non-confessional philosophical organization under Belgian law.
  • The group says recognition would provide state funding and paid Buddhist advisers in prisons and hospitals, and argues that it meets the relevant conditions.
  • It has given the government until September 30, 2026, to respond satisfactorily, or it may begin proceedings in Belgian courts and file a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights.

For 20 years, the Union of Buddhists of Belgium has asked successive federal governments to recognize Buddhism officially. The issue came close to resolution under the previous Vivaldi government, but objections from the Centre for Secular Action helped delay the file until the legislature ended.

The dispute centers on how Buddhism should be classified. The Buddhist union sought recognition as a “non-confessional philosophy,” while the Centre for Secular Action wanted it treated as a religion. Faced with conflicting arguments, lawmakers postponed the decision.

That delay has practical consequences for the union. Without recognition, it receives no state financial support and has no paid Buddhist advisers working in prisons or hospitals. Carlo Luyckx, the union’s president, says the issue is one of equal treatment.

We hereby formally put the Belgian government on notice for its persistent failure to recognize Buddhism as a non-confessional philosophical organization under Article 181, paragraph 2, of the Belgian Constitution.

· Union of Buddhists of BelgiumThe union’s formal letter demands recognition after more than 20 years of waiting.

This summer, the organization sent the ministers a formal notice putting the federal government in default. It said the request had remained pending for more than 20 years and was supported by objective facts known to the Belgian state. The union says it has a representative body, more than 150,000 followers, a presence in Belgium lasting more than a century, and a social role.

Recognition is not included in the current Arizona coalition’s policy agreement. The government wants to establish a uniform legal framework for recognizing religions and non-confessional philosophies before revisiting Buddhism’s application. Justice Minister Annelies Verlinden said work on that framework is underway. The Buddhist union has set September 30, 2026, as its deadline for a satisfactory response. If it receives none, it says it may pursue proceedings before Belgian courts and submit a complaint to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

It was decided that during this legislature, work would be carried out on a uniform and general legal framework for the recognition of religions and non-confessional philosophies.

· Annelies VerlindenBelgium’s justice minister explains why the government has not yet addressed the Buddhist union’s application directly.
About this summary

Originally published by La Libre Belgique in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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