Tags: Competition
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.
BCA publishes draft guidance on the application of competition rules to public procurement — join us to discuss what it means in practice
The Belgian Competition Authority (BCA) has published a draft guidance document for public buyers on the application of competition rules to public procurement — a clear signal that competition compliance in tenders is a priority, not only for bidders but also for public buyers. The draft guidance is currently subject to a public consultation until […]
100 Deals, Zero Rejections: What Belgium’s FDI Report for 2024-2025 Reveals
The Belgian Interfederal Screening Commission (ISC) has released its Annual Report on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Screening 2024–2025, providing valuable insights into how the country has tried between July 2024 and June 2025 to navigate the fine line between remaining an open economy and safeguarding its strategic interests. Almost no corrective measures During this second […]
Combination therapies in Belgium: how to collaborate without breaching competition law
As the landscape of modern medicine evolves, combination therapies—those that use two or more distinct medicines, often from different companies—are becoming increasingly vital, especially in treating complex diseases like cancer. These therapies promise improved clinical outcomes through synergistic mechanisms of action. However, the reimbursement process for such therapies presents significant regulatory and legal challenges, particularly […]
Sports federations again under Belgian Competition Authority scrutiny in two interim measures proceedings
The Belgian Competition Authority (BCA) has recently ruled on two requests for interim measures against sports federations. Both decisions again highlight that competition rules apply to sports federations and show that interim measures procedures before the BCA can be a powerful tool to change market behaviour before a decision on the merits is taken, even if no interim measures are imposed.
Category Captains beware!: Belgian competition authority fines Category Management of OTC medicines
On 24 April 2025, the Belgian Competition Authority (BCA) announced a landmark decision imposing fines totaling over €11.2 million on three major pharmaceutical companies for their involvement in a long-running anti-competitive arrangement concerning the placement of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines in Belgian pharmacies..
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Denouement in the “Belgian Towercast Case”: the Belgian Competition Authority terminates its proceedings against Proximus following the divestiture of EDPnet to Citymesh
On 6 November 2023, the Belgian Competition Authority (“BCA”) announced that it had closed its investigation into a possible abuse of dominance by Proximus following the sale of EDPnet to Citymesh.
The Belgian Competition Authority publishes a specific analytical framework for hospital concentrations
This article is an updated version of our previous article on the uncertainty regarding hospital merger control, focusing on the BCA’s decision of 28 June 2023.
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.
The Belgian Competition Authority reimposes the same fine on Caudalie after its first decision was quashed by the Brussels Market Court
On 18 January 2023, the Belgian Competition Authority (“BCA”) reimposed a fine of EUR 859,310 on three undertakings of the Caudalie group for imposing retail prices and restricting active and passive sales.
Brussels Court of Appeal rejects Carrefour’s request to suspend the Belgian Competition Authority’s decision authorising the concentration between Intermarché AB and Mestdagh, including Carrefour’s ‘gun-jumping’ argument
On 23 December 2022, the Brussels Court of Appeal (“Market Court”) rejected Carrefour Belgium’s application for the suspension of the Belgian Competition Authority’s (“BCA”) decision of 9 November 2022 authorising the concentration between Intermarché AB (“ITM”) and Mestdagh.
The Belgian Competition Authority fines Novartis for abuse of collective dominance regarding eye disease medicines
On 23 January 2018, the European Court of Justice (“ECJ”) handed down its judgment (C-179/16) in relation to Novartis’ Lucentis® and Roche’s Avastin® eye disease medicines, and ruled that disseminating misleading information on the off-label use of a medicine could constitute a restriction of competition ‘by object’.
Belgium takes important step in introducing Foreign Direct Investment screening
On 1 June 2022, Belgium’s Federal and various Regional governments entered into a draft cooperation agreement to introduce a mechanism for screening Foreign Direct Investments (“FDI”).
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”).
Modernisation of consumer law through the harmonisation of contracts for the sale of goods
On 31 March 2022, a legislative Act that makes considerable changes to the sale of consumer goods was published in the Belgian State Gazette.
Belgian competition act amended to transpose ECN+ directive into Belgian competition law and introduce merger filing fees fines for failure to notify and a number of procedural changes
On 17 March 2022, the Belgian Act transposing the ECN+ Directive and also introducing further amendments into the Belgian Competition Act entered into force.