Mio/Konektra | A Strengthened Framework for Copyright in Applied Art (CJEU 4 Dec 2025, C‑580/23 and C‑795/23)
On 4 December 2025, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) delivered a seminal judgment in the joined cases Mio/Asplund (C‑580/23) and USM/Konektra (C‑795/23), both concerning the copyright protection of furniture designs. The judgment builds upon and refines the CJEU’s established case law – most notably in Cofemel and Brompton – to delineate […]
Belgium’s Proposed Capital Gains Tax on Financial Assets
I. Introduction: from political intention to legislative reality For decades, Belgium has been an outlier in Europe by not levying a general capital gains tax on financial assets held as private wealth. That exceptional position is now formally coming to an end. With the filing in Parliament on 17 December 2025 of a 272-page bill introducing a capital […]
Public Procurement in the Defence & Security Sector | 10 Strategic Points
10 strategic points of attention to secure your opportunities in Belgium Public procurement in the defence and security sector in Belgium is governed by a specific legal regime, stemming from the Act of 13 August 2011 and its implementing Royal Decree of 23 January 2012, which transposes European Directive 2009/81/EC. This framework seeks to reconcile […]
Advocate General’s Opinion in Ikea v Vlaams Belang | Political Use of Trade Marks and “Due Cause”
Introduction On 13 November 2025, Advocate General (AG) Szpunar delivered his Opinion in Case C‑298/23, Inter IKEA Systems BV v. Vrijheidsfonds VZW and others. The case concerns the use of IKEA’s well‑known trade marks in a political campaign run for the Belgian political party Vlaams Belang and, more broadly, how far political actors can go […]
OECD Releases Side-by-Side Administrative Guidance Package on Pillar Two
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has released a Side-by-Side administrative guidance package under the Pillar Two Global Anti-Base Erosion (GloBE) framework. The guidance is designed to support the coordinated and consistent application of the GloBE rules across jurisdictions, with a particular focus on the practical operation of side-by-side regimes adopted by different implementing countries and regions. From an administrative […]
MiCAR licence applications finally available in Belgium
1. Introduction Since 30 December 2024, the EU’s Regulation 2023/1114 on markets in crypto-assets (“MiCAR”) has been fully applicable. On 4 December 2025, the Belgian Parliament adopted, in plenary session, a law implementing MiCAR (the “Implementing Law”), which designates the national competent authorities responsible for the licensing, supervision, and enforcement of crypto-asset entities. The law, […]
The EBA sheds new light on Strong Customer Authentication
In October 2025, the European Banking Authority (“EBA”) released three Question and Answers (“Q&A”) on the topic of strong customer authentication (“SCA”). In particular, the Q&As focussed on the topics of (i) payment terminals that do not allow for an offline PIN, (ii) which encryption techniques should be used for exchanging data and (iii) the […]
An “alcohol-free gin” cannot be called “gin”
In a judgment of 13 November 2025 (C-563/24), the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) clarified that the use of the mention “gin” for non-alcoholic gin is prohibited, even if accompanied by the mention “alcohol-free” PB is a company that sells and promotes, among other things, a non-alcoholic beverage called “Virgin Gin Alkoholfrei” […]
Book 9 “Securities” of the Belgian Civil Code, Title 1 “Personal Security”
On 15 May 2025, the Belgian legislature passed the bill introducing Title I “Personal Securities” of Book 9 “Securities” into the Civil Code. This title comprises the first part of a book that will ultimately also govern mortgages, pledges, retention of title and retention rights, and privileges. It will enter into force on 1st January […]
EU Pay Transparency Directive | Practical Implications for (all) Employers
The EU Pay Transparency Directive (Directive 2023/970) introduces significant obligations aimed at increasing transparency to strengthen the principle of equal pay for equal work or work of equal value between men and women. Member States must transpose the Directive into national law by 7 June 2026. Therefore, employers should start reviewing and adjusting their pay […]
Belgium (finally) prepares the MiCAR implementation
Since 30 December 2024, the EU’s Regulation 2023/1114 on markets in crypto-assets (“MiCAR”) has been fully applicable. In Belgium, however, the implementation process is not yet complete. A draft law is currently pending before Parliament which should formally designate the national competent authorities responsible for licensing, supervision, and enforcement of the MiCAR (the “Draft law”). […]
EU Listing Act | Key Changes to the Prospectus Regulation
I. Introduction: EU Listing Act Package On 8 October 2024, the Council of the European Union adopted the Listing Act, a legislative initiative designed to enhance the attractiveness and accessibility of EU public capital markets, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (“SMEs”), with the overarching objective of making these markets more attractive to both issuers […]