Punters and sex workers no longer welcome in Brussels
The Brussels Region has introduced a ban on prostitution. An earlier ban, limited to the City of Brussels, was earlier quashed by the council of state, Belgium highest administrative court. The council ruled that banning prostitution was not a power entrusted to Belgium’s municipalities and thus a ban was outside the powers of Mayor Close of the City of Brussels.
The region has now reintroduced the ban and extended it to the entire region citing that prostitution is an activity that in the context of the corona pandemic involves great risk on the basis of powers granted to it to take action against the spread of Covid.
“Street prostitution and prostitution indoors at premises that may or may not be dedicated to this activity is banned across the Brussels Capital Region at least until 19 November”.
The measure is among those published in the official gazette decided by the Brussels government following consultations with the region’s 19 mayors. Other measures include mandatory face coverings across the region and the extension of the curfew to 10PM to 6AM.