News
New guidelines for the Belgian rules on foreign direct investment
Since 1 July 2023, the Belgian rules on the screening of foreign direct investments (“FDI”) have been in force. As the decisions of the Interfederal Screening Commission (“ISC”) are not published, the rules’ application and interpretation still raise a lot of legal uncertainty. On 4 April 2024, the ISC published guidelines to provide further clarification.
Franchisors get ready: on 1 September 2024 the new Belgian Act on pre-contractual information documentation takes effect
Franchisors get ready, on 1 September 2024 the new Belgian Act on pre-contractual information documentation takes effect.
Hospital mergers no longer subject to the Belgian Competition Authority’s prior review
The legislator has now had the last word, by providing that, in principle, hospital mergers are no longer subject to the BCA’s prior review and approval.
The Act of 19 March 2024 gives new powers to the Belgian Competition Authority to support the European Commission’s competences under the Digital Markets Act
The Act primarily grants more powers to the BCA to improve its efficiency and allow it to adequately support the EC when the latter applies and enforces the DMA.
Reform of the artist status: The issues at stake for the Commission du Travail des Arts
This ambitious reform aims to guarantee better access to social protection for cultural players, while responding to their realities and diversity.
From 1 April 2024 employers are obliged to pay a contribution to the Back to Work Fund in the case of medical force majeure
From 1 April 2024, an employer establishing the termination of an employment contract for ‘medical force majeure’ will have to notify a new ‘Back to Work Fund’ (Fund).
WEBINAR VIDEO | When are IP holders liable for enforcing an IP right?
During this IP Update, Sofie Thijssen and Kirian Claeyé revisit when IP holders may be held liable for enforcing provisional measures based on their IP right.
A Step Forward in Green Marketing Regulation: EU Directives target greenwashing and strengthen requirements for the use of green claims and environmental labels
At a time when consumers have become increasingly aware of sustainability issues, it is sometimes difficult to find one’s way through the various green claims and environmental labels.
WEBINAR VIDEO | Digital Law Series #22
During this session, Gerrit Vandendriessche and Pierre Antoine guide you through the most important updates in the Digital law world.
Belgian Competition Authority fines kitchen accessories company Le Creuset for resale price maintenance
The Belgian Competition Authority has fined Le Creuset EUR 490,112 for having implemented a resale price maintenance policy.
EU citizens rally for medical cannabis but face a rigid European Commission
In the EU, access to medical cannabis is a matter of national policy. A group of citizens wants to change that by leveraging a citizens’ initiative and prompting the European Commission to act.
WEBINAR VIDEO | Belgium’s medicines reimbursement reform
During this webinar, Kirian Claeyé and Bart Junior Bollen guide you through the eagerly anticipated reform of the reimbursement procedures for medicines in Belgium.
The authors of Ravel’s Boléro: Towards a revival of copyright in the Basque composer’s masterpiece?
A blog about Maurice Ravel on Valentine’s Day? No doubt we’ll be talking about Daphnis et Chloé or Don Quichotte à Dulcinée? Well, no. It’s obviously the Boléro that this post is about. The chef-d’oeuvre of the French composer is at the centre of a high-profile trial, the first hearing of which is scheduled to take place today before the Tribunal de Grande Instance in Nanterre. At issue is the possible reinstatement of this essential score in the private domain.
WEBINAR VIDEO | A must-use tool for all businesses, to be handled with knowledge and caution to avoid any damage
During this webinar, Sophie Lens and Julie Peeters identify some of the issues associated with AI use within a company (such as with data protection, intellectual property and/or trade secrets) and look at the solutions that can be used in practice to deal with them and enable your company to reap AI’s full benefits while reducing the related risks.
Changes in the law on marketing of veterinary medicines: what you need to know
Belgium is welcoming a significant development in the field of veterinary medicine law. The Act of 11 July 2023 containing various provisions on health, which entered into force on 8 September 2023, introduces changes across a wide spectrum of healthcare domains, which are encompassed in approximately 20 chapters.
When is it too cold to work?
As winter settles in, the challenge of working in cold conditions becomes a significant consideration in the professional landscape. Cold working environments raise concerns about employee well-being and potential violations of occupational health and safety standards.
EU Court of Justice: Parallel importer may not remove PPP batch number
This blog post mainly focuses on the CJEU’s findings regarding the responsibility of parallel importers for ensuring the display of the original batch number on the product packaging.
2023 Belgian Competition Law round-up
In the following article, our Competition law experts guide you through the key events in Competition law from 2023.
Size matters: pornographic websites Pornhub, Xvideos and Stripchat designated as Very Large Online Platforms
On 20 December 2023, the European Commission designated Pornhub, Xvideos and Stripchat, three widely-used porn sites, as ‘very large online platforms’ under the new Digital Services Act.
Employers, be aware of the “hidden protection period” kick-off!
The “hidden protection period” is one of the most remarkable features of the social elections process. The hidden protection period is the period during which candidates already benefit from the specific dismissal protection, even though the candidate lists are only being disclosed to the employer 65 days later.
Extension of the Belgian Reconciliation Procedure
Following the Act of 19 December 2023 (published on 27 December 2023), the legislator has introduced a reconciliation procedure in the commercial and labour courts as well as in the courts of appeal.
Three changes in Belgian food law in 2023
In this short article, our food law experts look at two developments in Belgian food law that have taken place in 2023.
Franchise network benchmark: 5 principles to bear in mind for a good reporting clause
In this blog post, we highlight 5 essential principles that need to be taken into account when drafting a reporting clause for benchmarking purposes that would be considered reasonable, relevant and valid under Belgian law.
The 5 major changes in Belgian pharma law of 2023
In this article, our pharma law experts look back and discuss five noteworthy developments in Belgian pharma law.