15 results The era of FDI screenings kicks off in Belgium 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. Informal views issued in agricultural industry and banana sector 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. The vertical fight continues: two more cases on vertical restraints Companies should not take competition rules lightly in their supply relationships. The EU General Court's Valve judgment and the ACM's LG decision illustrate the consistent attention to vertical restraints. Developments in DMA land: EU tags Big Tech as first Gatekeepers The European Commission has designated six Tech Giants (Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, ByteDance, Meta and Microsoft) as gatekeepers for 22 core platform services under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Belgian Competition Authority confirms jurisdiction for M&A transactions in hospital sector On 14 July 2023, the Belgian Competition Authority confirmed its jurisdiction to review M&A transactions between hospitals, regardless of whether these hospitals belong to the same hospital network. Digital Law Up(to)date: (1) Parliamentary initiatives about cyber attacks; (2) ‘Zero tariff’ options before the CJEU; and (3) Council of State, GDPR and encryption In this blog, we briefly present three interesting matters in the field of digital law: (1) Parliamentary initiatives to tackle cyber attacks; (2) 'Zero tariff' options and open internet access do not mix; (3) Council of State, GDPR and encryption. Belgian Competition Authority approves merger between Port of Antwerp and Port of Zeebrugge By decision of 7 January 2022, the Belgian Competition Authority approved the merger between the Port of Antwerp and the Port of Zeebrugge. This merger deals with two important ports in Europe, in particular in the Hamburg – Le Havre range. Abuse of economic dependence does not require contractual relationship On 20 February 2025, the Belgian Supreme Court confirmed that under Belgian law an abuse of economic dependence may be found even in a situation where there is no contractual relationship between the companies involved. Digital antitrust conduct: too elusive to catch? The ink on the Digital Market Act has barely dried, but fast-evolving digital developments already have competition authorities calling for new tools. Is Big Tech not kept in check by the DMA, the antitrust rules and the EU Merger Regulation after all? EU lift cartel damage claim rejected by Brussels Court of Appeal After 16 years of court battle, the Brussels Court of Appeal has rejected the EU’s EUR 12 million (+ interest) damage claim against the four lift producers that participated in the lift cartel fined in 2007. Belgian watchdog tackles bid rigging In recent cases in the fire protection and private security sectors, the Belgian Competition Authority has made the prosecution of bid-rigging one of its top priorities, imposing hefty fines on infringers for their participation in cartel schemes. Commission steers market definition to the 21st century Companies have a new and improved tool for the competitive assessment of their conduct and intended acquisitions. The European Commission has updated its guidance on how to define relevant markets for the purpose of EU competition law enforcement. First application of Towercast in Belgium and merger filing exemption for certain hospital merger The Belgian Competition Authority has applied the Towercast case law in a first case in Belgium. It could possibly try do so again for certain hospital mergers that the legislator has recently exempted from merger filing in Belgium. Finding your way through the maze of Belgian aid measures available to businesses in times of COVID-19 In order to help companies in these dire times of COVID-19, Belgium’s federal and regional governments have provided an arsenal of aid measures. Sophie Van Besien, Michèle de Clerck and Peter Wytinck provide an overview. Extended access to electronic data for the Belgian Competition Authority The Belgian legislator has amended some competition law provisions in Book IV Code of Economic law. The new provision on access to data of electronic communications operators endows the Belgian Competition Authority with new investigation powers.
The era of FDI screenings kicks off in Belgium 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.
Informal views issued in agricultural industry and banana sector 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.
The vertical fight continues: two more cases on vertical restraints Companies should not take competition rules lightly in their supply relationships. The EU General Court's Valve judgment and the ACM's LG decision illustrate the consistent attention to vertical restraints.
Developments in DMA land: EU tags Big Tech as first Gatekeepers The European Commission has designated six Tech Giants (Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, ByteDance, Meta and Microsoft) as gatekeepers for 22 core platform services under the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
Belgian Competition Authority confirms jurisdiction for M&A transactions in hospital sector On 14 July 2023, the Belgian Competition Authority confirmed its jurisdiction to review M&A transactions between hospitals, regardless of whether these hospitals belong to the same hospital network.
Digital Law Up(to)date: (1) Parliamentary initiatives about cyber attacks; (2) ‘Zero tariff’ options before the CJEU; and (3) Council of State, GDPR and encryption In this blog, we briefly present three interesting matters in the field of digital law: (1) Parliamentary initiatives to tackle cyber attacks; (2) 'Zero tariff' options and open internet access do not mix; (3) Council of State, GDPR and encryption.
Belgian Competition Authority approves merger between Port of Antwerp and Port of Zeebrugge By decision of 7 January 2022, the Belgian Competition Authority approved the merger between the Port of Antwerp and the Port of Zeebrugge. This merger deals with two important ports in Europe, in particular in the Hamburg – Le Havre range.
Abuse of economic dependence does not require contractual relationship On 20 February 2025, the Belgian Supreme Court confirmed that under Belgian law an abuse of economic dependence may be found even in a situation where there is no contractual relationship between the companies involved.
Digital antitrust conduct: too elusive to catch? The ink on the Digital Market Act has barely dried, but fast-evolving digital developments already have competition authorities calling for new tools. Is Big Tech not kept in check by the DMA, the antitrust rules and the EU Merger Regulation after all?
EU lift cartel damage claim rejected by Brussels Court of Appeal After 16 years of court battle, the Brussels Court of Appeal has rejected the EU’s EUR 12 million (+ interest) damage claim against the four lift producers that participated in the lift cartel fined in 2007.
Belgian watchdog tackles bid rigging In recent cases in the fire protection and private security sectors, the Belgian Competition Authority has made the prosecution of bid-rigging one of its top priorities, imposing hefty fines on infringers for their participation in cartel schemes.
Commission steers market definition to the 21st century Companies have a new and improved tool for the competitive assessment of their conduct and intended acquisitions. The European Commission has updated its guidance on how to define relevant markets for the purpose of EU competition law enforcement.
First application of Towercast in Belgium and merger filing exemption for certain hospital merger The Belgian Competition Authority has applied the Towercast case law in a first case in Belgium. It could possibly try do so again for certain hospital mergers that the legislator has recently exempted from merger filing in Belgium.
Finding your way through the maze of Belgian aid measures available to businesses in times of COVID-19 In order to help companies in these dire times of COVID-19, Belgium’s federal and regional governments have provided an arsenal of aid measures. Sophie Van Besien, Michèle de Clerck and Peter Wytinck provide an overview.
Extended access to electronic data for the Belgian Competition Authority The Belgian legislator has amended some competition law provisions in Book IV Code of Economic law. The new provision on access to data of electronic communications operators endows the Belgian Competition Authority with new investigation powers.