The Belgian Finance Department has noted recent progress in the collection of criminal fines, even though approximately €200 million remains uncollected each year, according to the newspaper L’Echo.
For decades, less than half of the fines and confiscations imposed by courts have been successfully recovered by the state. However, data shows a slow but steady improvement in the collection rate over the years. In 2018, 38% of fines issued in the previous five years had been recovered. By 2026, that figure has risen to nearly 45%, according to recent statistics from the Finance Department.
Confiscations, which strip criminals of the proceeds of their crimes, have also seen slight improvement but remain at a low recovery rate. Five years after judgements are issued, just 19% of the total confiscation amounts have been collected, an increase of two percentage points compared to the previous year.
Complete recovery is deemed impossible due to the financial insolvency of many convicted individuals. Nevertheless, the state is striving to improve collection efforts. Nine months ago, the Finance Department and the public prosecutor’s office signed an agreement aimed at accelerating the process.
