When Radio Amateurs Start Asking for More Regulation

In most countries, amateur radio operators fight for fewer restrictions and lighter oversight. But today in France, a surprising movement is growing: radio amateurs themselves are calling for more regulation, more enforcement, and even the return of an annual radio amateur tax to fund proper policing of the spectrum.

A small but extremely disruptive group has been poisoning the French HF and VHF/UHF bands with daily:

• deliberate interference
• personal insults and harassment
• slander and defamation
• xenophobic remarks
• repeated personal and death threats

These behaviours are not rare. They are heard daily by thousands of listeners. And despite reports, the response from regulators remains minimal.

Belgium: A Case Where Regulation Actually Works

Belgian amateurs often joke about being “over-regulated.” We pay an annual tax. We have structured licensing. BIPT is present and funded — by us.

But the result? Our bands are clean.

Not perfect, but far from the chaos heard across the border. When someone misbehaves in Belgium, they don’t stay anonymous for long. Enforcement exists and is visible.

Many Belgian hams complain about the annual fee… until they tune across the French bands and hear unchecked harassment. At that moment, the fee feels like cheap insurance for a functional amateur radio service.

The Netherlands: A Different Struggle

In the Netherlands, the issue expresses itself differently. Enforcement is lighter, which has resulted in:

• repeaters being harassed
• persistent abusers operating freely
• volunteer repeater teams forced into “band police” roles

Dutch amateurs often look toward Belgium with frustration: “You pay more, but at least you get enforcement.”

Under-Regulation Becomes Lawlessness

Amateur radio is designed to be self-policing. But this fails when:

• a minority behaves aggressively and repeatedly
• the community lacks tools to react
• the regulator doesn’t intervene
• legal complaints are dismissed

This produces something worse than strict regulation: a lawless, hostile on-air environment.

This is why French amateurs are now requesting the return of the national radio amateur tax to fund real enforcement.

A Functional Amateur Service Requires Three Things

• 1. A competent regulator
  One that listens and intervenes when needed.
• 2. Funded enforcement capacity
  Monitoring, investigations, and personnel require budget.
• 3. A community committed to ethics
  On-air behaviour defines how the world sees the hobby.

Belgium demonstrates that paying a modest annual fee can achieve this balance.

Conclusion: Sometimes Paying a Little Protects a Lot

The current French petition is a wake-up call. It proves that when regulation becomes too weak, a minority can destroy the integrity of an entire national amateur radio service.

Belgium’s structure—funded, enforced, predictable—may not be universally loved, but it keeps the spectrum usable.

Sometimes, regulation is not the enemy of freedom. Sometimes, it’s the only thing protecting it.

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