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Belgium lawmakers are due to debate legislation that would ban full-face Islamic veils in public.If, as expected, they approve the draft law, Belgium would become the first European country to ban the wearing of the burqa or niqab in public places.
It comes a day after France announced its own plans to ban the garments.
Muslim organisations and some human rights groups have criticised the move, saying a ban violates the rights of those who choose to wear such veils.
The legislation in Belgium does not specifically mention veils, the BBC's Dominic Hughes in Brussels says.
Instead, it says the ban applies to clothing that hides someone's identity in public places such as parks, buildings and on the street.
Anyone who ignores the ban would face a fine of 15-25 euros (£13-£21; $20-34) and/or a jail sentence of up to seven days, unless they have police permission to wear such garments.
Supporters of the bill - which has cross-party support - say it is necessary as a security measure, to allow police to correctly identify people.
They also say that it is important for social integration in a country with many different communities that people can see each other's faces when they communicate.
But there are probably just 30 women who wear full-face veils, out of a Muslim population of around half a million, our correspondent says.
The Muslim Executive of Belgium has warned it would lead to women who do wear the veil being trapped in their homes.
French debate
On Wednesday French President Nicolas Sarkozy told a cabinet meeting that the government should submit a bill to parliament on a ban on veils "in all public places", government spokesman Luc Chatel said.
Mr Sarkozy said the full veils "do not pose a problem in a religious sense, but threaten the dignity of women", Mr Chatel was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.
Last year, the French president said such veils oppressed women and were not welcome in France.
The proposal has provoked intense debate in France about religious freedom in a secular society, as well as the position of Muslims in France.
The country's highest administrative body, the State Council, has suggested such a law might be unconstitutional.This article is from the BBC News website. ? British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.