News
More flexibility for insurance contract termination
The rules on the duration and termination of insurance contracts governed by Belgian law have often been found overly formalistic and complex, especially by consumers.
The Belgian Competition Authority intensifies its fight against bid rigging – with physical persons also to be prosecuted
On 21 September 2024, the Chief Public Prosecutor of the Belgian Competition authority (“BCA”) publicly announced that in the BCA’s investigations into agreements concerning subsidies granted for the delivery of newspapers and magazines in Belgium the BCA will for the first time also be prosecuting physical persons.
Posting workers to Belgium: keeping up with the latest developments
This newsletter gives a short overview of the latest legal and administrative developments when temporarily posting workers to Belgium. The topics covered are relevant for both foreign posting employers and Belgian service users.
Emma Van Caenegem promoted to partner at ALTIUS
ALTIUS is delighted to announce that Emma Van Caenegem has been promoted to partner as per September 2024. Congratulations Emma!
New payment terms in public procurement
Belgium’s public tender rules are being reformed following a 2022 EU court ruling. The current 30-day verification plus 30-day payment term will be replaced by a single 30-day “treatment term” for both. Healthcare sector exceptions remain, allowing up to 60 days for payment. The new rules take effect on 1 January 2025.
New measures to address over-indebtedness and protect companies in difficulty
On 1 July 2024, the Act of 15 May 2024 on measures to address over-indebtedness and protect companies in difficulty was published in the Belgian Official State Gazette. The main amendments of the Act, as well as its entry into force, are briefly discussed below.
Deepfakes in the music industry: Will the AI Act change the tune?
The emergence of deepfake technology, particularly within the music industry, has sparked significant debate and concern. Deepfakes, which are synthetic media generated using AI to replicate and/or manipulate a known artist’s likeness and/or voice, have the potential to revolutionise the music industry.
Hacking NIS2: 5 innovations about the sequel to the EU’s cybersecurity framework
NIS2 (the second “Network and Information Systems Directive”) is an updated regulatory framework introduced by the European Union to strengthen cybersecurity across member states. It is a successor to the original NIS Directive, which was adopted in 2016.
Belgium gears up to enforce the EU Deforestation Regulation
The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) was published on 9 June 2023 and came into force on 29 June 2023. Member States, including Belgium, must establish legal frameworks for enforcement.
Internal investigations: an employee’s right to be assisted during an interview.
Although employers have been proceeding with internal investigations for decades, nowadays they raise more and more legal questions. Driven by legislative initiatives and case law trends, there are many situations in which an employer may be forced to an internal investigation.
A significant reform of the Social Penal Code is anticipated
A new draft Act has recently been submitted to the Belgian Parliament that aims to amend the Social Penal Code which lists the infringements of labour and social security law that are punishable and the related penalties.
EU Court of Justice interprets import ban on Chinese animal products: fish oil for feed is not an exempted “fishery product”
On 21 March 2024, the EU Court of Justice (‘CJEU’) handed down its ruling in case C‑7/23, concerning a dispute between a feed company and the Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain. The parties differed in their interpretation of an EU import ban on products of animal origin coming from China. The Council of State sought the CJEU’s guidance.