The Brussels crisis centre will be activated on New Year's Eve, the regional public safety and prevention service safe.brussels announced.
The move is intended to coordinate security measures across the capital, where large crowds are expected to gather to welcome the New Year.
Emergency and intervention services, local police zones and Brussels public authorities have put an integrated security plan in place to ensure the safety of both the public and frontline staff throughout the night. Authorities are urging residents and visitors to enjoy the celebrations while respecting safety instructions.
"Behind the urban buzz, hundreds of professionals are working quietly to keep everyone safe," says Rudi Vervoort (PS), outgoing minister president of the Brussels-Capital Region. "My role is to ensure they can carry out their mission in the best possible conditions. Welcoming the New Year should be done in a spirit of shared responsibility."
Sophie Lavaux, director general of safe.brussels and crisis-management governor for the region, describes 31 December as "a major event for large cities like Brussels". She calls on the public to look out for one another and to respect the services deployed.
Police chief Michel Goovaerts adds that all security actors will be mobilised to allow celebrations to take place in a "festive but sensitive" environment, urging mutual respect between revellers, residents and emergency services.
Fireworks are subject to a regional ban in Brussels however, elsewhere in Belgium, the issue remains contested. Flemish minister for Animal Welfare Ben Weyts (N-VA) renewed his call on the final day of the year for a nationwide federal framework on fireworks. He argues for a general ban, with limited exceptions where municipalities explicitly authorise displays at a specific location and time.
Weyts notes that the Flemish ban introduced in 2019 was annulled by the Constitutional Court of Belgium, after which he has repeatedly encouraged local authorities to act. According to the minister, more than 70% of Belgian cities and municipalities now have local fireworks bans in place.
"Still, there are too many places where fireworks can be set off indiscriminately, and where the rules are unclear," he says, arguing that a uniform federal approach would provide clarity and prevent accidents and harm to animals.
