The new number plates conform to EU regulations, featuring seven characters in ruby-red on a white background. The original plan, put forward by former federal mobility minister Etienne Schouppe, was for the plates to feature black characters on a yellow background – the colour combination shown by research to be the most effective for road safety and automatic number-plate recognition.

But black and yellow is a colour combination associated with Flanders, and Schouppe’s proposal met with opposition from French-speaking parties, who favoured sticking with the “traditional” Belgian combination of red-on-white. Even when Schouppe proposed adding a red border to the plate, turning it into a Belgian tricolour, the opposition remained.

This is not the first time that plans to improve road safety have met with controversy. In 1990, the black-yellow combination was proposed for the metal poles supporting traffic lights. That idea was also scotched under suspicion that the minister proposing it, who happened to be a member of the nationalist Volksunie, had Flemish ulterior motives.

The United Kingdom, the Netherlands and France have all adopted black-on-yellow plates. But, due to the Belgian decision, the chances of European harmonisation now seem to have vanished.

The plates themselves will cost €20, and will be introduced gradually as new numbers are issued. Each plate will have the usual three letters and three numbers, preceded by the index number 1. There are 12.2 million possible permutations. When those are exhausted, the index number changes to 2, and so on up to 6. Existing number plates do not need to be replaced.

“If this really is a decision on community grounds, that’s pure Kafka,” said police union representative Philip Van Hamme. “That’s bordering on the unbelievable.” Motoring organisation VAB meanwhile complained at the cost of the new plates. “Ten years ago minister [Isabelle] Durant made everyone buy a reflective number plate,” said a spokesman. “Now motorists are again being asked to cough up.”