Public procurement | 30-day payment deadlines now in force: time to adapt
A significant shift in Belgian public procurement is now upon us! As of January 1, 2025, the Royal Decree of August 12, 2024, amending payment deadline rules imposed on contracting authorities has come into force, introducing a strict 30-day payment processing deadline for most contracts. This impacts all public contracting authorities and contractors. This change, […]
Belgian Coalition Agreement | What It Means for Your Business
After seven months of negotiations, Belgium has a new federal government. The Federal Coalition Agreement (2025-2029) outlines key policy changes that will shape the business landscape in the coming years. At Simont Braun, we have carefully analysed the agreement and compiled a business-focused summary to help you navigate the upcoming changes. While numerous principles still […]
Belgian NIS 2 Law | Cybersecurity Strengthen
On 14 December 2022, the EU legislator adopted the Directive (EU) 2022/2555 of 14 December 2022 on measures for a high common level of cybersecurity across the Union (the “NIS 2 Directive”), repealing the 2016 NIS 1 Directive (the “NIS 1 Directive”). The NIS 2 Directive has been transposed in Belgium by the law of 26 April […]
DORA | Strengthening Cybersecurity and Resilience in the EU Financial Sector
In today’s digital society, cybersecurity and cyber resilience have become one of the first priorities at the forefront of lawmaking initiative. On 14 December 2022, the EU adopted the Regulation (EU) 2022/2554 of the European Parliament and of the Council on Digital Operational Resilience for the Financial Sector (commonly referred to as Digital Operational Resilience […]
Transposition of CSRD into Belgian Law | Get Prepared
What is CSRD? The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (“CSRD”) is part of the EU’s ambition to harmonise sustainability reporting standards and ensure greater transparency by companies within the European Union. It introduced robust obligations for large and listed companies to disclose information regarding both their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) impacts as well as the […]
Game over for in-game purchases? Enter financial regulation
1. Context In September 2024, the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) took the lead in filing a complaint with the European Commission and the Consumer Protection Cooperation Network (CPC-Network) regarding in-game purchase practices of leading video game companies. On that same date, the BEUC also published a report with recommendations on regulating in-game currencies and enforcing […]
Recent Belgian Case Law on Dismissals | Key Points for Employers
Most case law in employment matters relates to the termination of employment contracts by employers. Recently, two significant rulings have been issued, both of which have a substantial impact on HR practices. The first decision, made by the Brussels Labour Court on April 29, 2024, concerns age discrimination in the context of an employer terminating […]
The Vitra / Kwantum Case | A Next Step in the Harmonisation of EU Copyright Law
On 24 October 2024, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) delivered an important judgment in the Vitra/Kwantum case (C-227/23) : EU Member States cannot use reciprocity provisions to deny copyright protection to original works of applied art, even if these works originate from non-EU Member States that do not offer copyright protection. […]
One year of FDI screening | Key figures and main takeaways
On 1 July 2023, the Belgian Foreign Direct Investment (“FDI”) screening mechanism entered into force. One year later, the Federal Public Service of Economy (“Federale Overheidsdienst Economie” / “Service Public Fédéral Economie”) published its first annual report on the screening mechanism (“Report”). I. Key figures A. Notifications The Interfederal Screening Commission (“Interfederale Screeningscommissie” / “Comité […]
The new EU Design package | Repair clause soon EU-wide
On 10 October 2024, the Council of the European Union adopted the two proposals to revise both the Design Directive (Dir. 98/71/EC) and the Community Design Regulation (Council Regulation (EC) No 6/2002. This new “Design package” mainly aims to align the design protection system in the EU with the digital age and to create a […]
AI Act | Pioneering AI Regulation in Europe
On 12 July 2024, Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 laying down harmonised rules on artificial intelligence (the “AI Act”) was published in the EU Official Journal. As part of a wider package of EU policy measures, the AI Act forms the first comprehensive legal framework to regulate the use of artificial intelligence (AI) across Europe. Its purpose […]
CJEU clarifies “First” Marketing Authorization in SPC Applications
A Supplementary Protection Certificate (SPC) is an intellectual property right that serves as an extension to a patent right. It extends patent protection for medicinal products which must undergo testing and clinical trials before being authorised to be placed on the EU market. SPCs can last for up to five years, depending on the time […]
