The Belgian customs administration is a key actor within Europe and makes an essential contribution to the Belgian economy. It also strengthens the competitiveness of Belgian seaports and airports, as well as logistics hubs. The federal coalition agreement focuses on a thorough modernization of customs legislation and a revision of enforcement policy and sanction law. In this context, there is a preference for administrative enforcement rather than criminal procedures, with the aim of making Belgium more attractive for investment.
With the support of the private and public sectors, the Interuniversity Chair in Customs Law (Chaire interuniversitaire en droit douanier) was established in 2025 and structured as a collaboration between the law faculties of the University of Antwerp and ULiège. The Chair facilitates academic research into the customs law and sanction policy of Belgium and Luxembourg, which have applied the same regulations since 1921. The Chair builds on an extensive research project carried out by the University of Antwerp on behalf of the European Commission, completed in March 2021, with researchers Eric Van Dooren, Erhard Vermeulen, and Jesse De Bruyn.
Eric Van Dooren (University of Antwerp) and Vanessa Franssen (ULiège) are the promoters of the “Interuniversity Chair in Customs Law”.