Belgian Parliament committee approves raising reserve military age limit to 67

By Melike Pala

BRUSSELS (AA) - The Belgian Parliament's Defense Committee has approved a legislative change to raise the age limits for joining and remaining in the Belgian defense reserve force, daily Het Laatste Nieuws reported Wednesday.

Under the approved draft bill amending various provisions of the military statute, the maximum age for external recruitment into the reserve cadre and the maximum age to belong to the reserve force will both be raised to 67, aligning with the statutory retirement age set to come into effect in 2030.

Previously, volunteer reserve candidates could not be older than 34 years, while aspiring reserve officers faced an age cap of 51 years, committee members noted.

The existing age restrictions have been cited as a barrier to recruitment, and the revision aims to expand the pool of potential candidates without lowering medical or physical fitness requirements.

The draft legislation also includes measures to allow exemptions from the current requirement that candidates must have completed certain training or courses before being eligible, with the aim of better recognizing relevant experience accumulated outside formal defense training.

Defense Minister Theo Francken welcomed the committee's decision, describing the revision as "not a luxury, but a necessity" in light of the current security environment.

He said reservists play a crucial role both in protecting national territory and in supporting the active defense cadre, and that the changes will enable motivated and capable individuals to contribute to Belgium's security for a longer period.

The draft bill will now proceed to further parliamentary consideration.