Belgian Official Gazette

Any new law, or amendments thereto enacted by the government, enter into force only upon their publication in the Staatsblad/Moniteur. Other legal notices requiring public disclosure, such as the establishment of a business, are likewise published in this journal. In addition, it carries notices of Court mourning following the deaths of prominent figures, as well as announcements of official Court banquets, including transcripts of the speeches delivered on such occasions.

The journal was established on 16 June 1831. During World War II, the journal continued to be published domestically. At the same time, a separate publication bearing the same title was issued by the Belgian government in exile; however, it had no legal effect within German-occupied Belgium. After occupation ended, both were considered valid historical continuations of the prewar journal. To distinguish between the two, the version issued by the government in exile is retrospectively referred to as Belgian Official Journal (Exile Government).^[1]

In 2003, the printed edition of the Staatsblad/Moniteur was discontinued for cost-saving reasons and replaced by an electronic version made publicly accessible on the Internet. Nevertheless, three copies of each issue continue to be printed: one for the Royal Library, one for the Senate, and one for the Chamber of Representatives.^{[citation needed]}