News
The new Plant Health Regulation is ready to take off as of 14 December 2019
Pests threaten plant health. To fight the increased risks owing to the further globalisation of trade and climate change, the European legislature has adopted measures concerning the determination and reduction of risks imposed by pests: Regulation 2016/2031.
Is your company ready for the Incoterms 2020?
On 1 January 2020, the new Incoterms® 2020 as published by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) will come into force.
Whistleblowing employees soon to be protected against retaliation measures?
The Whistleblower Directive is a minimum level directive and must be implemented within 2 years after it enters into force (which as of today’s date is not yet the case).
Social elections 2020: Homeworkers can vote from their ‘home office’
More and more employees structurally work from home (with fixed homeworking days). Assuming the social elections date falls on an employee’s regular homeworking day, such an employee no longer needs to go to the company premises to vote. Due to some changes in the 2020 Social Elections Act of 4 April 2019, it is now possible to vote electronically from home.
Direct lines in Flanders: 5 points of attention
Recently, the VREG started authorizing direct lines for electricity more easily. This brings new opportunities for companies near an electricity production site, such a wind farm or solar park.
Belgian Constitutional Court annuls new export prohibition for full-line wholesalers but new legislative proposals are already put forward
On 17 October 2019, the Belgian Constitutional Court annulled the export prohibition for wholesaler-distributors, which was introduced by Article 3, 2° of the Act concerning the unavailability of medicinal products of 7 April 2019.
New rules in the Walloon Region and their substantial consequences for franchise and commercial lease agreements: do you comply with them?
Since the transfer of the legislative competence for commercial leases from the federal to the regional level, the Walloon legislator has already made use of its new competence by amending the Act of 30 April 1951 on commercial leases in several aspects.
Effect of EU preventive restructuring directive on Belgian insolvency framework
On 31 January 2009 the Belgian Business Continuity Act (BCA) was passed into law. The BCA’sobjective is to protect companies in financial difficulty from their creditors so that a reorganisation process can take place and bankruptcy can be avoided.
Incentives and public procurement in the healthcare sector: be careful what you wish for!
Since the European Court of Justice’s ruling C-300/07 of 11 June 2009, hospitals and other health institutions must abide by public procurement law to the extent that they are at least 50% financed directly by public authorities or indirectly by public insurance schemes.
Towards a harmonised employee status by levelling up… Janssen Pharmaceutica sets an example
Very recently, a major player in the pharmaceutical sector, Janssen Pharmaceutica, has entered into a company CBA with the social partners that provides for full harmonisation between its blue-collar and white-collar employees, by abolishing the blue-collar worker status for all its workers from 1 October 2019.
ALTIUS invests heavily in legal tech
The first development is a scalable GDPR application that combines ALTIUS’ expertise with the LeyQi automation tool
New research exemption under Belgian patent law?
On 19 December 2017, the legislative package on the implementation of the UPC was approved by Belgian Parliament.