News
The ‘Withdraw Here’ Button: Now a legal obligation for webshops
Belgian online traders must incorporate a mandatory online withdrawal function by 19 June 2026.
Auto-renewing a consumer contract? From 1 May 2027, prior notice is required
Belgium’s Act of 20 April 2026 introduces a new notification obligation for businesses that use automatic renewal clauses in fixed-term B2C contracts. From 1 May 2027, businesses must inform consumers at least 15 days before the consumer’s deadline to object to a renewal.
Retail promotions & pricing: legal essentials for businesses | Part 2 – Sales periods: rules, restrictions, and compliance (update May 2026)
In this updated second chapter of our series “Retail promotions & pricing: legal essentials for businesses”, we present an overview of the specific rules governing sales in Belgium. These rules were recently called into question by the Council of State in a series of judgments handed down in May 2026 and may be subject to legislative change in the near future.
CJEU Settles Long-Standing Debate: Settlement Agreements With Commercial Agents During the Notice Period Are at Risk
Check whether your merger or acquisition needs prior clearance from competition authorities.
New EU sample retention rules coming up for veterinary medicines repackaged for parallel trade
The Veterinary Medicinal Products Regulation (EU) 2019/6 has applied in the EU since 28 January 2022, replacing Directive 2001/82/EC. The new rules on good manufacturing practice (GMP) will in turn be fleshed out by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2091, which will apply from 16 July 2026. In addition, the European Commission is introducing new GMP requirements concerning the retention of samples for veterinary medicinal products that are repackaged for parallel trade. This blog post briefly examines what these new obligations entail.
The CEPANI 2026 Arbitration Rules: 5 Key Changes
CEPANI, the Belgian Centre for Arbitration and Mediation, has issued new Arbitration Rules entering into force on 1 June 2026, building on the modernisation achieved in the 2020 revision with the core objective of delivering a clearer, more efficient dispute resolution framework. Below is an overview of what we consider to be the five most noteworthy changes.
16 April 2026: AIFMD II Finally Takes Effect
After years of legislative process, the local transposition deadline of 16 April 2026 for AIFMD II (Directive 2024/927/EU) has finally arrived. This marks a significant milestone for the investment fund industry across the European Union, bringing with it a range of important changes for both fund managers and the vehicles they manage.
EU General Court bars patient association from challenging medicine authorisation refusal
In Case T‑278/25, the EU General Court recently dismissed as inadmissible a challenge brought by a patient advocacy association against the European Commission’s refusal to renew the conditional marketing authorisation for a treatment against Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). The case is significant because it adds to the case law on contesting Commission decisions relating to the marketing of medicinal products. In this blog post, we look at how the Court came to the conclusion that the association lacked standing to litigate and use this as a basis for an informal categorisation of the existing case law.
Despite EU harmonisation, Member States may impose authorisation requirements on pharmacy-prepared medicines, rules EU Court of Justice
Under EU pharmaceutical law, certain medicines fall outside the scope of Directive 2001/83/EC (i.e. the Community code on medicinal products for human use). This includes “magistral formulae” (prepared in a pharmacy for an individual patient on prescription) and “officinal formulae” (prepared in a pharmacy in accordance with a pharmacopoeia and supplied directly to that pharmacy’s […]
EU General Court: technical vaccine data does not have to be disclosed on request
The EU General Court delivered a significant judgment concerning access to documents held by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), this time relating to a conditionally authorised COVID-19 vaccine. This case (T-623/22) serves as an addition to the elaborate case law on the balance between transparency in health matters and the protection of companies’ commercial interests. On this (rare) occasion, the commercial interests of the conditional marketing authorisation (‘MA’) holder prevailed, although an appeal is currently pending (C-38/26 P).
Belgium’s healthcare plans for 2026 – and where pharma fits in
Every year, Belgium’s federal ministers publish their policy notes for discussion in Parliament. They give a high-level snapshot of what each minister plans to focus on in the coming year. For the pharmaceutical industry, the healthcare policy noteis usually the one to watch. Interestingly, the economic policy notealso weighs in on pharma this year. In this blog post, we unpack the key policy signals for the pharmaceutical sector and group them around three main pillars: budget, accessibility, andpricing.
New EU De-minimis Registration Obligation: What Businesses Receiving Public Subsidies Need to Know
As of 1 January 2026, the administrative landscape for de-minimis aid in the EU has changed significantly. Businesses that receive public subsidies should understand how this new system works – and what it means in practice.