Overview: Belgium continues to make incremental improvements to counterterrorism-related policy, information-sharing practices, and resource allotments, which have enhanced authorities’ abilities to investigate and prevent terrorist attacks. In June, Belgian authorities arrested two nationals of Iranian descent for their suspected involvement in a planned terrorist attack on a rally organized by an Iranian opposition group outside Paris. In October, Germany extradited an Iranian official to Belgium for his involvement in the same failed terrorist attack outside Paris.

Belgium actively shares threat information with the United States. However, Belgium’s complex, highly decentralized government structure continues to be a challenge for internal information sharing and cooperation. The greatest terrorism threat in Belgium comes from homegrown terrorism, often inspired by ISIS or al-Qa’ida. The large number of Belgian FTFs in Syria and Iraq led to concern about attacks by returned fighters, although fewer have returned than anticipated. Belgium is a member of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS and contributed troops and airstrike capabilities to the Defeat-ISIS military campaign.

2018 Terrorist Incidents:

• On May 29, a man on conditional parole stabbed, shot, and killed two Belgian police officers and a bystander in Liege, and wounded four additional police officers before being shot and killed by the police. Belgian authorities assessed that the attacker was a radicalized lone offender inspired by ISIS.
• On June 30, Belgian authorities arrested two Belgian citizens of Iranian descent near Brussels and charged them with “attempt at terrorist murder and preparing a terrorist crime.” The couple was suspected of supporting a planned – albeit foiled – terrorist attack on a rally organized by an Iranian opposition group outside Paris. Belgian authorities extradited two additional individuals involved in the covert plot, including Iranian official Assadollah Assadi, who was arrested in Germany.

• On November 20, a man with a knife attacked and injured a police officer in Brussels. Police shot and arrested the assailant, who was charged with “attempted murder in a terrorist context” and awaits trial.

Legislation, Law Enforcement, and Border Security: Belgium amended its criminal code to permit plea bargaining, a potentially useful tool in future terrorism-related prosecutions. In November, Belgian prosecutors negotiated the first plea bargain, albeit in a corruption case unrelated to terrorism. However, Belgium’s comparatively short prison sentences reduce plea bargaining’s potential efficacy. Belgium further amended its criminal code to grant law enforcement the authority to use and task civil informants, including in terrorism-related and organized crime-related investigations. The federal government initiated a working group to develop implementation rules and regulations that could potentially facilitate Belgium’s use of civil informants in 2019.

The primary actors in Belgian law enforcement are the Belgian Federal Police and its multiple counterterrorism units, the Civilian and Military Intelligence Services, Office of the Federal Prosecutor, and the Crisis Center. The interagency Coordination Unit for Threat Analysis expanded its analytic threat assessment role and now maintains Belgium’s database of FTFs, “hate preachers,” and homegrown terrorists. Belgium’s National Security Council also plays a significant role in the intelligence and security structure. Belgium’s complex, highly decentralized government structure presents challenges to internal communication and cooperation between Belgium’s numerous law enforcement and criminal justice entities. Although Belgium is a strong counterterrorism partner to the United States, government-wide resource constraints and weak sentencing guidelines impair Belgium’s ability to proactively detect, deter, and prevent acts of terrorism.

Belgium fully implemented the EU PNR Directive. In January, Belgium established a Passenger Information Unit, which hosts representatives from Belgium’s Ministry of Interior, the federal police, and military and civilian security services. Belgium plans to collect PNR data on land (rail and bus) and sea (ferry) cross-border traffic as well. The Belgian government approved a trial of rail and bus passenger data exchange with the United Kingdom.

Countering the Financing of Terrorism: Belgium is a member of the FATF. Belgium’s FIU, the Cellule de Traitement des Informations Financieres, is a member of the Egmont Group.

For additional information on money laundering and financial crimes, see the International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR), Volume II, Money Laundering and Financial Crimes.

Countering Violent Extremism: Belgium’s federal, regional, and local governments remained engaged in CVE efforts despite ongoing institutional and resource constraints. In April, the federal government approved a proposal requiring mayors to appoint local task forces to address at-risk individuals in their cities suspected of engaging in terrorist activity. The proposal would implement a key recommendation of the Parliamentary Investigative Commission’s final report on the March 22, 2016, Brussels terrorist attacks. In January, Belgium’s State Security Service published brochures on “Salafism and violent extremism” in Belgium.

Antwerp’s law enforcement community created a private-sector engagement program named SHIELD that was modeled after the New York Police Department’s similar “NYPD SHIELD” counterterrorism program.

Prisoners charged or convicted with terrorism-related offenses are transferred to prisons with segregated sections for radicalized inmates, though many become eligible for parole upon completing one- to two-thirds of a typical five-year sentence. Prisoner rehabilitation resources remained minimal. In Flanders and Wallonia, the Flemish regional government and French Linguistic Community government struggled to fill vacancies in departments tasked with carrying out their respective CVE action plans. In December, a hate preacher convicted of recruiting would-be jihadists held a press conference on the day of his release from prison and criticized Belgium’s de-radicalization programs.

In September, Belgian officials from Liege and Verviers hosted a delegation from Chattanooga and Nashville, Tennessee, to exchange best practices on CVE through the City Pair CVE Partnership Program.

The Belgian cities of Antwerp and Vilvoorde are members of the Strong Cities Network.

International and Regional Cooperation: Belgium participates in EU, NATO, the OSCE, and the Council of Europe’s counterterrorism efforts. Belgium is a member of the advisory board of the UN Counterterrorism Center, and Belgium’s Michèle Coninsx remained Executive Director of the UN Counterterrorism Executive Directorate in 2018.

Belgium participated in all EU efforts to interdict FTF travel across land and maritime borders, encouraged efforts to strengthen Schengen zone external borders, and maintained a leading role in the European Strategic Communication Network. Belgium is leading EU Member States’ efforts to expand the exchange of PNR data to cross-border rail and bus traffic, including through a trial project with the United Kingdom.

Belgium contributed troops to the EU Training Mission in Mali and led the mission (on a rotating basis) until January 31. Belgium also contributed troops to the UN’s Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), and Belgium’s Major General Jean-Paul Deconinck commanded MINUSMA until October 2.