Fiftieth anniversary of the Distribution Act
The Unilateral Termination of Exclusive Distribution Agreements of Indefinite Duration Act will soon celebrate its 50th anniversary
Recent Publications
Sales black-out period under scrutiny in the courts
The sales black-out period is once again a hot topic in the Belgian media. The Market Practices Act prohibits announcements of price reductions for certain goods in the three weeks before the annual January and July sales periods.
"Herziening van de mededingingsregels voor de distributie van goederen en diensten"
In the latest edition of "Distributie Vandaag"/ “Distribution d’aujourd’hui”, the Journal of the Belgian Royal Distribution Committee, Carmen Verdonck explains the impact of the revised competition rules on the distribution of goods and services that went into effect on 1 June 2010.
New commercial practices legislation: still falling short?
On April 6 2010 the legislature approved the replacement for the Trade Practices Act, now named the Act on Market Practices and Consumer Protection.
ALTIUS updates Belgian chapter of 2010 edition of 'Vertical Agreements', a Volume in the 'Getting The Deal Through' series
Carmen Verdock and Jenna Auwerx from ALTIUS Commercial Law Department have contributed to the 2010 edition of 'Vertical Agreements', a volume in the Getting the Deal Through Series that deals with the regulation of distribution practices in 42 jurisdictions worldwide.
End of the big payout? Stricter remuneration rules for public companies
On March 18 2010 the Senate approved the new Corporate Governance Act, which had already been approved by the Chamber of Deputies. The new act will be published in the Official Gazette shortly. New corporate governance rules apply to publicly quoted companies and some state-owned companies, such as the Belgian Post and Belgium's national railway company. The act aims to strengthen the corporate governance of these companies, especially in terms of remuneration controls. It also contains new rules on individuals who are banned from acting as company directors in the banking and finance sector (eg, following bankruptcy or a criminal conviction).
ALTIUS updates Belgian section of "e-Commerce in 25 jurisdictions worldwide", published by Getting The Deal Through
Gerrit Vandendriessche en Sven Van Damme updated the chapter on Belgian Law in the 2010 edition of 'Getting The Deal Through: e-Commerce'. This updated edition examines the regulation of e-commerce in 25 jurisdictions worldwide.
New Belgian Legislation - Continuity of Enterprises Act
The Act of 31 January 2009 on the Continuity of Enterprises entered into force on 1 April 2009 (the “Act”). The disappointing results of the Act of 17 July 1997 on Judicial Composition Proceedings (‘gerechtelijk akkoord’ / ‘concordat judiciaire’) led the Belgian legislature to reform the framework of measures available to undertakings encountering (financial) difficulties (of the type where Chapter 11 is used in the USA).
ALTIUS Writes a Chapter on Belgian Law in 'Getting The Deal Through Vertical Agreements 2009, Global Competition Law Review'
Carmen Verdonck and Stefanie Vyncke wrote the chapter on Belgian Law in the 2009 edition of 'Getting The Deal Through: Vertical Agreements'. This updated edition examines the regulation of distribution practices in jurisdictions worldwide.
Mind Your Belgian Distributor! FAQ on the Belgian Law of 27 July 1961 on the Unilateral Termination
Belgium is one of the very few countries in the world with a specific legal regime for the termination of certain distribution agreements, in addition to a law on agency contracts.
