Their country is on the road to becoming the first European nation to ban the full-body veils worn by Muslim women, lawmakers in Belgium have said.

The EU Observer has reported on Thursday that a key panel of the Belgium Federal Parliament unanimously voted in favor of a proposal to ban both the burqa and the niqab, two forms of the veil that cover the entire body and face.

Women who wear the coverings could be fined and jailed for up to seven days, if parliament approves the ban.

A ban would liberate women from a burden and increase security, Corinne De Permentier, speaker of the lower chamber, says.

The Observer was told by another lawmaker that banning full body veils would "send a strong signal to Islamists."

The burqa has already been banned in public places by several districts in Belgium.