The draft text provides for several prohibitions, including the closing of doors to heated or air-conditioned businesses, the switching off of illuminated signs between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., as well as the switching off of interior lighting in businesses and offices after 11 p.m. with exceptions. Nightlife establishments, such as night shops and catering, as well as certain structures such as pharmacies, are exempt.
However, these measures are not unanimous. The Union of Middle Classes (UCM) expresses reservations, emphasizing in particular the importance of illuminated signs for safety in certain neighborhoods and the possible negative impacts on heated café terraces. The Brussels Horeca Federation criticizes the ban on heaters on terraces, believing that such a measure would penalize an already weakened sector.
Regarding the extinction of illuminated signs at night, the UCM seems not to have read the draft ordinance to the end. In article 6, it is specified that the mayors have “the possibility of deviating from the switch-off time slot provided for certain parts of the territory of its municipality to respond to an existing risk relating to security in public spaces, to the extent of what is strictly necessary to mitigate this risk “.
