EU and Competition Law

The Belgian screening mechanism for FDIs will enter into force on 1 July 2023. The mechanism is designed to safeguard Belgium's critical infrastructure and to protect sectors crucial to Belgium's public order, national security and strategic interests.

The Dutch national security screening regime (Wet veiligheidstoets investeringen, fusies en overnames or Wet Vifo) enters into force today, 1 June.

The ACM needs to ‘try, try again’ when assessing healthcare mergers. The Rotterdam District Court overturned two of the ACM’s healthcare merger prohibitions within less than two months.

Beware of the fine line in antitrust investigations between illegal fishing expeditions and accidental discoveries pointing at a separate antitrust infringement.

The EU Court of Justice dismissed Amazon’s claim that the exclusion of Italy from the European Commission’s investigation into its Buy Box feature deprived Amazon of its protection against a parallel investigation by the Italian competition authority.

The European Commission recently adopted a package to simplify its procedures for reviewing concentrations under the EU Merger regulation. Under the new rules, more cases can benefit from the simplified procedure.

Where is the line between openness and protectionism in the European single market? At both EU and national level, more and more protective barriers against foreign investors and acquirers have been created in the international competition.

The Belgian Competition Authority (BCA) informally accepted a commitment agreed by the partners of the Belgian Agro Food Chain Platform, limiting the possibility to contractually exclude the theory of change of circumstances.