BELGIUM Trends and Developments Contributed by: Sven Demeulemeester, Willem-Alexander Devlies and Daan Buylaert, ATFiELD
sportspeople. Employee contributions are a standard 13.07%, but sportspeople enjoy a 60% reduction, resulting in an effective rate of 5.23%. Employers enjoy a reduction of 65%, decreasing the employer contributions from the standard rate of on average 27% to an effective rate of approximately 8.75%. In 2025, a legislative change is expected that could further decrease the social security burden. According to the coalition agreement, employers’ social contributions would be capped at around EUR280,000 gross. At pre - sent, it is still uncertain how this general cap would co-exist with the existing reductions. Mandatory registration for sports agents in the Flemish Region In 2019, the Flemish government introduced significant amendments to the Decree of 10 December 2010 concerning private employment mediation, specifically targeting the regulation of sports agents. Sports agents who are active in the Flemish region and who represent paid (now or in the future) athletes as employment mediators, must register with the Flemish pub - lic administration. In addition to this registration, they must pay a surety of EUR25,000 into a fed - eral government deposit account. Regarding supplying services for minor athletes, the Decree further provides that the sports agent must meet the following additional conditions: (i) the sports agent does not carry out activities aimed at concluding an agreement to provide services of private employment mediation for sportsmen, if the sportsman concerned has not yet reached the age of 15, and (ii) under no circumstances must the sports agent charge a fee for providing private employment mediation services for a minor sportsman.
Mandatory registrations for sport agents were already in place in relation to the Brussels-Cap - ital and the Walloon Regions. New CBA regarding holiday pay for paid footballers In 2023, a new collective bargaining agreement was concluded within the National Joint Com - mittee for Sport concerning the calculation of holiday pay for paid football players. Data Protection and Technology in Sport The use of technology in sports has created new legal challenges, particularly concerning data Belgian clubs and federations must ensure com - pliance with the General Data Protection Regula - tion (GDPR) when collecting and processing ath - lete data, including biometric and performance analytics. AI and performance analytics The increasing use of AI-driven scouting and injury prevention technology has raised legal questions about data ownership and privacy rights. Broadcasting and digital rights Streaming services are changing the media rights landscape, prompting new legal frame - privacy and artificial intelligence (AI). GDPR compliance and athlete data Recent legal cases and regulatory changes have reinforced the importance of protecting athlete rights. Collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) Professional athletes/coaches are negotiating stronger CBAs to secure better wages and work - works for content distribution. Athlete Rights and Case Law
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