Tags: Commercial
Belgium Transposes the EmpCo Directive: Consumer Law Gets Tougher on Greenwashing
After a long wait, Belgium has adopted the act transposing the EU Directive on Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition (the “EmpCo Directive”) into national law. It prohibits certain practices related to environmental claims and expands information obligations towards consumers. The aim of the EmpCo Directive The EmpCo Directive pursues two goals: (1) tackling unfair […]
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.
Retail promotions & pricing: legal essentials for retailers | Part 7 – Gift cards: legal considerations and recommendations
This seventh part of our “Retail promotions & pricing: legal essentials for businesses” series presents best practices for issuing gift cards.
Retail promotions & pricing: legal essentials for retailers | Part 6 – Coupons and vouchers: don’t forget the mandatory information
This sixth part of our “Retail promotions & pricing: legal essentials for businesses” series lists the mandatory information to be provided when issuing titles giving a right to a discount, a subsequent refund of the price or a part of the price (such as coupons, vouchers etc.).
Coupons and vouchers are commonly used by retailers to offer discounts or partial refunds on purchases. However, to ensure transparency and legal compliance, certain essential details must be included.
Retail promotions & pricing: legal essentials for retailers | Part 5 – Promotional contests: how to organise them without legal risks
This fifth part of our “Retail promotions & pricing: legal essentials for businesses” series presents best practice in joint offers.
Retailers organise numerous games and contests in-store, on their websites and on social networks. Some of the most common practices do not strictly comply with Belgian law. Even if penalties are rare, it is worth following the few rules, especially as they are not so cumbersome.
Retail promotions & pricing: legal essentials for retailers | Part 4 – “Buy One, Get One Free?” Legal do’s and don’ts of joint offers
This fourth part of our “Retail promotions & pricing: legal essentials for businesses” series presents best practice in joint offers.
Retail promotions & pricing: legal essentials for retailers | Part 3 – Liquidation sales: when and how to legally conduct them
This third part of our “Retail promotions & pricing: legal essentials for businesses” series outlines when a retailer can sell in liquidation and the rules that it must follow.
Retail promotions & pricing: legal essentials for retailers | Part 2 – Sales periods: rules, restrictions, and compliance
This second article in our “Retail promotions & pricing: legal essentials for businesses” series presents an overview of the specific rules governing sales in Belgium.
Retail promotions & pricing: legal essentials for retailers | Part 1 – Price reduction announcements: the legal framework and best practices
This first part of our “Retail promotions & pricing: legal essentials for businesses” series gives an overview of the rules and best practices governing price reduction announcements…
E-Evidence in the EU: Fast-Tracking Justice or Fast-Tracking Trouble?
Why is the EU introducing the E-Evidence package? The answer lies in the growing role of electronic evidence in criminal investigations. As more data is stored electronically, often in the cloud, this data becomes harder to pin down geographically.
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.
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.
How are the rules relating to the advertising and marketing of alcoholic beverages applied by Belgium’s Advertising Ethics Board?
Join us for a review of the Advertising Ethics Board’s decision-making practice in this respect by Mathieu Maniet and Nicolas Clarembeaux.
How are the rules relating to the advertising and marketing of alcoholic beverages applied by Belgium’s Advertising Ethics Board?
Join us for a review of the Advertising Ethics Board’s decision-making practice in this respect by Mathieu Maniet and Nicolas Clarembeaux.
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.
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 Belgian Competition Authority has declared itself competent to examine mergers and acquisitions between hospitals under its merger control regime, following the Act of 29 March 2021
A lot of uncertainty has existed about the requirement for hospitals to notify M&A transactions to the Belgian Competition Authority (“BCA”). On 28 June 2023, the BCA decided to partially lift the stand-still obligation regarding a concentration between two hospitals, and it further clarified the applicable rules in a follow-up Communication of 14 July 2023.
Hi ChatGPT, how do you feel about the upcoming EU AI Act?
On 14 June 2023, the European Parliament adopted its positionon the draft AI Act, which brings one step closer an EU regulation for generative AI and other AI systems. This blog gives the highlights of the current draft text, taking into account the newest amendments that have been proposed.
E-fulfilment: what is it and what to look out for?
Everyone knows what e-commerce is by now, but what about e-fulfilment? We explain below what this term means and what the points of interest are.
European Commission Unveils Measures to Unleash the Potential of Health Data
The European Commission has presented its Proposal for a Regulation on the European Health Data Space (the “Proposal”). While it aims to strengthen the rights of individuals and unlock data’s potential for research purposes, it also adds complexity to an already extensive legal framework.
The Omnibus Act: more transparency for consumers
On 28 May 2022, the Belgian law transposing EU Directive 2019/2161 into the Code of Economic Law entered into force (the “Omnibus Act”).
Quantum computing: the next major technological revolution is knocking at the door
The coming advent of quantum computing technologies will bring important changes to our society. In the medium term, computing calculation power will be multiplied to a level that exceeds our current understanding. This will allow for various new industrial developments and applications. This will also raise a vast number of sensitive legal issues. In this article, ALTIUS summarises what are the key takeaways that you should know about quantum computing.