CD&V party calls for total ban on tanning salons

Belgium's CD&V political party is campaigning for a complete ban on tanning salons and the sale of sunbeds to individuals.

CD&V members of parliament Leen Dierick and Els Van Hoof said they had drafted the resolution "in view of the overwhelming scientific evidence that tanning under a sunbed is very harmful to the skin and that it is the cause of a large proportion of skin cancers".

According to De Standaard and Het Nieuwsblad, only 12% of Belgian tanning salons inspected last year were fully compliant with safety regulations.

Belgian dermatologists warned in 2015 that ultraviolet radiation from tanning machines is cancer-causing - and the Foundation Against Cancer called on the government at the time to proceed with a ban.

In 2017, then-consumer affairs minister Kris Peeters launched a campaign to inform the public about using tanning salons safely and to raise awareness of the conditions they are obliged to meet.

The campaign's tips included: Never use a tanning centre if you are on medication, are under 18 or have Type 1 skin, characterised by pale skin, light blond or red hair and freckles. Tanning salon users should also make sure that the premises offers sufficient information and support, including a personal tanning plan.

Any centre found to be in breach of the law and closed down was required to present a report from an independent lab – at a cost of some €1,000 – before being allowed to re-open.