Article 4 of the EU Artificial Intelligence Act (Regulation EU 2024/1689) entered into application on 2 February 2025, and is now legally binding in Belgium as in all EU member states. It requires every provider and deployer of AI systems to take measures to ensure sufficient AI literacy among their staff dealing with AI systems, end-users, and affected persons. The definition of AI literacy covers skills, knowledge, and understanding needed to make informed deployment decisions, recognise opportunities and risks, and understand possible harms. The Belgian Institute for Postal Services and Telecommunications (BIPT/IBPT) has been designated as the national Market Surveillance Authority under the EU AI Act. In Flanders, the AI Academy (VAIA) has published specific guidance for organisations on how to implement Article 4 obligations. Supervision and enforcement provisions under the EU AI Act apply from 3 August 2026.
Who it affects: All organisations in Belgium that develop or deploy AI systems, covering their staff who interact with those systems — not limited to technical workers. The obligation extends to any role where AI systems are used in decision-making or operations. This is a broader scope than most national AI training policies, which typically focus only on technical staff or the public sector.
What is notably missing: No minimum standard has been nationally defined for what constitutes “sufficient” AI literacy — the requirement is binding in principle but the substance is left to each organisation to determine. Penalties for non-compliance are not yet operative (enforcement begins August 2026). The obligation covers deployers and providers of AI systems but does not extend to the general workforce of organisations that do not formally deploy AI — meaning large numbers of workers using AI tools informally may not be covered.