The Belgian Competition Authority (BCA) has, for the first time, published an overview of its merger control enforcement activities. It tells a story of how several organizational measures have positively impacted the BCA’s...more
Place of supply for virtual streaming services Under current Belgian VAT law, the place of supply for admission to cultural, artistic, sporting, scientific, educational, and entertainment events is determined by the location...more
What is the legal framework governing bribery in Belgium? The offense of bribery and corruption in Belgium is currently dealt with in the Belgian Criminal Code (BCC), and notably by the articles 246-252 (public bribery)...more
The Belgian Data Protection Authority recently ruled on a complaint after an employer shared a full court judgment with all its staff, revealing the personal data of employees and trade unions involved in the case. Below we...more
The Belgian Competition Authority (BCA) has suspended a technical standard of the International Cycling Union (UCI) under antitrust rules. The decision shows that interim measures continue to be an effective enforcement tool...more
All EU member states must transpose (or implement) European Directive (EU) 2023/970 on pay transparency (hereafter referred to as the “Directive”) into national legislation by June 2026 at the latest. Many countries already...more
What is the legal framework governing bribery in Belgium? - The offense of bribery and corruption in Belgium is currently dealt with in the Belgian Criminal Code (BCC), and notably by the articles 246-252 (public bribery)...more
Starting 1 January 2026, the Belgian Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products (“AFMPS”) will implement accelerated evaluation timelines for initial applications for clinical trials involving medicines for human use....more
On 10 September 2025, the Belgian Competition Authority (the BCA) published a communication clarifying the conditions under which pharmaceutical companies may exchange information specifically in the context of reimbursement...more
EC Investigates Provision of Aftermarket Services On 25 September 2025, the European Commission (EC) announced an investigation into SAP’s activities in the provision of maintenance and support services for its enterprise...more
Seven years after relevant judgments from the CJEU, the Belgian VAT authorities now (broadly) allow the recovery of input VAT beyond the standard Belgian limitation period of three years, subject however to strict conditions....more
The Belgian Data Protection Authority recently ruled that a Belgian government entity, FPS Finance, cannot transfer the personal data of “accidental Americans” to the IRS. According to the decision, the transfers needed to...more
The Belgian legislature recently adopted a new act on private investigations ("Act")....more
A labour court in Brussels has issued one of the first published rulings on the question of whether Data Protection Officers are entitled to compensation if they are fired for performing their duties....more
Previously, for credit insurance covering the price of a supply including VAT, in so far as the credit insurer was subrogated in the rights of the insured supplier, the insurer was entitled to exercise the VAT refund right...more
In Belgium we have seen a rise in prosecutions of environmental issues, inappropriate behaviour at work, social fraud, social dumping (where companies employ cheaper labour from other countries to undercut local wages), and...more
I. INTRODUCTION - (i) Our law firm - & DE BANDT is a law firm with a multidisciplinary approach and a focus on complex litigation. It addresses legal issues within the European economy that are driven by digital...more
The Belgian Competition Authority recently rendered a decision imposing significant fines totaling EUR 47 million on competitors guilty of a variety of anti-competitive agreements, including ‘no-hire’ clauses....more
Notwithstanding the lack of clear legislative intent, Belgian judges have unilaterally prohibited the arbitration of exclusive distribution disputes, unless a specific Belgian pro-distributor statute was applied or unless...more
On 19 September 2024, the Belgian Data Protection Authority (DPA) issued new Guidance on the interplay between the recently adopted EU Regulation on Artificial Intelligence (the AI Act) and the General Data Protection...more
The rules on the employment of third-country nationals (which apply regionally) were recently amended in the Brussels Capital Region by an ordinance issued on February 1, 2024, and its implementing decree on May 16, 2024. The...more
The United Kingdom continues to see rapid growth in the number of workplaces adopting remote and hybrid work arrangements, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although this new type of work offers many...more
To tackle illegal employment through subcontracting more effectively, the Flemish government improved chain liability, and introduced a duty of care. According to this duty of care, companies working with subcontractors in...more
The Situation: Tort liability rules for directors in Belgium changed significantly following the recent publication of a new Book 6 of the Civil Code. The new rules will enter into force on January 1, 2025....more
Research has indicated that 60% of employees have work that frequently or always involves repetitive movements, and 24% of employees have work that often or always involves painful or tiring postures (including sitting still...more