Belgium's two-delivery-method rule, explained — and what it means for B2B logistics.
On 21 September 2024 Belgium's amended Code of Economic Law (Article VI.45/2) took effect: any retailer selling online to Belgian consumers must now offer at least two delivery methods, with one of them being a greener alternative. This is the first national law of its kind in the EU. Six months in, it's clear what the regulator expects, what counts as 'greener', and how it ripples into B2B logistics planning.
What the law actually requires
The rule applies to any online retailer offering delivery to Belgian consumers, regardless of where the retailer is based. EU and non-EU sellers shipping into Belgium are covered the same way.
Two delivery methods must be offered at checkout: one standard option (typically home delivery), and a second 'sustainable' option. The sustainable alternative must demonstrably reduce environmental impact compared to the standard option.
Customers must see both options before completing the order — not buried in account settings or post-purchase upsell. The price difference (if any) must be transparent at the moment of choice.
What counts as a 'sustainable' delivery option
The official guidance recognises several alternatives: parcel lockers, pick-up points (post offices, retail collection points, press shops), bicycle courier delivery, electric-vehicle delivery, and consolidated routing that demonstrably reduces emissions per parcel.
Home delivery on a low-emission vehicle qualifies as the sustainable option. Standard ICE-van home delivery is the typical 'standard' option. Pick-up points are usually the cheapest sustainable alternative for retailers to add.
Crucially, in-store pickup at the retailer's own physical store does NOT alone satisfy the rule — that's pickup, not delivery. A retailer that only offers in-store pickup is exempt; a retailer that offers home delivery must add a second sustainable method on top.
Who has to comply, and who's exempt
Compliance scope: any e-commerce operation selling to Belgian consumers. Pure B2B is generally outside scope, but B2B platforms with a consumer-facing flow (think bicycle leasing programmes that ship to employees' homes) sit in the grey zone — and most are choosing to comply rather than litigate.
Exemptions: webshops less than three years old get a phased compliance window. Bulky goods that cannot reasonably be home-delivered (large appliances, heavy fitness equipment) are exempt as long as the limitation is clearly stated on the product page.
Enforcement is through Belgium's FPS Economy and the consumer-protection authorities. Fines reach up to €10,000 or 4% of turnover, whichever is higher.
What this means for B2B logistics
If you're a manufacturer or retailer running a Belgian e-commerce flow, your last-mile partner must now be able to offer at least one greener route. That's a procurement decision: do you contract a separate eco-delivery carrier, or do you upgrade the fleet running your standard deliveries?
The pragmatic answer for high-value or installation-required deliveries (fitness, medical, mobility) is usually the upgraded-fleet route — splitting carriers fragments accountability when something goes wrong on a complex install. Adding parcel-locker support for catalogue accessories handles the second-method requirement without disrupting the white-glove flow for the heavy items.
TailorTalents' Belgian routes already qualify under the rule via low-emission vehicles in the Flemish hub corridor. We can plug into a retailer's checkout flow as the sustainable option for B2C-facing programmes (employee leasing, direct-to-consumer accessories) while keeping the white-glove flow for the high-value items.
If you're working through how to structure your Belgian last-mile to satisfy the rule without adding complexity to your high-value flow, we have done this with several partners since the rule took effect. Tell us your scope and we'll show you what we'd recommend.
Talk to us about your last-mile setupMove something. Properly.
Tell us what needs to ship, install, or be repaired. We respond the same working day with a plan and a price.