Dismissal of Prevention Advisors | Formal Designation Not Required for Legal Protection
In a landmark decision dated 18 November 20241, the Belgian Supreme Court (Cour de cassation/Hof van Cassatie) ruled that the absence of a formal designation does not exclude an employee from the legal protection granted to prevention advisors. As long as the employee effectively carries out tasks associated with this role, they are entitled to […]
Brussels Introduces Mandatory Rent Caps as of 1 May 2025
On 1 May 2025, the Brussels’ Ordinance of 10 April 2025 (the “Ordinance of 10 April 2025”) “organising the entry into force of articles 8-13 of the Ordinance of 28 October 2021 (the “Ordinance of 28 October 2021”) creating a joint rental commission and combatting excessive rents” entered into force. The Ordinance of 28 October […]
Marchés publics : l’agréation peut reposer sur une entité tierce
Dans un arrêt du 31 janvier 2025 (n° 262.195), le Conseil d’État a confirmé qu’un opérateur économique peut valablement s’appuyer sur les capacités techniques et professionnelles d’une entité tierce afin de satisfaire à une exigence d’agréation, pour autant que celle-ci soit présentée dans le cahier des charges comme un critère de sélection relatif aux capacités […]
EU General Court confirms invalidity of KnitPro’s chevron mark for lack of distinctive character
In its recent judgment of 21 May 2025 in case T-133/24 (KnitPro International v EUIPO and 135 Kirkstall, Inc.), the General Court of the European Union concludes a long-running legal dispute spanning more than a decade over the registrability as an EU trade mark of a geometric pattern composed of chevrons and parallel lines, applied […]
Exclusive distribution & EU competition law – CJEU clarifies parallel imposition requirement
In its judgment of 8 May 2025 (Beevers Kaas, C-581/23), the CJEU clarified one of the requirements for an exclusive distribution agreement to be exempted from the general prohibition of anti-competitive agreements under the EU Commission Regulation No 330/2010 on vertical agreements (in force until 31 May 2022, and applicable in the proceedings before the […]
Easing the Path from Prototype to Product | EU General Court Clarifies Design Grace Period
In its recent judgment of 12 March 2025 in case T-66/24, Lidl Vertriebs GmbH & Co. KG v EUIPO and Liquidleds Lighting Corp., the General Court of the European Union delivered significant clarification on the scope and application of the “grace period” in EU design law under Article 7(2) of EU Regulation No. 6/2002 on […]
Leveraged distribution | Positive case-law on the deductibility of interest
Recent case-law of the Court of Appeal of Ghent marks a positive evolution in the deductibility of interest on loans taken out to finance a dividend distribution or capital decrease. This situation is commonly referred to as a leveraged distribution, and it is a topical issue in Belgian corporate income tax. After prior case-law which […]
New Private Investigations Act | Key Considerations for Employers Investigating Their Employees
Private investigations can be a valuable tool for employers, enabling them to assess employee conduct and gather evidence in cases such as internal fraud or dismissals for serious cause. The legal framework governing private investigation activities has recently been updated by the Private Investigation Regulation (Act of 18 May 2024 regulating private investigation, the ‘Act’). […]
Le coliving à Bruxelles : un flou juridique persistant
Dans un contexte où le marché immobilier bruxellois évolue rapidement, le coliving se présente comme une alternative attractive à l’habitat traditionnel. Ce mode d’hébergement est-il soumis à un permis d’urbanisme ? Les règles générales en matière de permis d’urbanisme En principe, toute construction, rénovation, démolition, transformation ou changement de destination d’un bien immobilier nécessite un […]
EU has adopted the Insurance Recovery and Resolution Directive (IRRD)
On 27 November 2024, the EU legislator adopted the Directive (EU) 2025/1 of 27 November 2024 establishing a framework for the recovery and resolution of insurance and reinsurance undertakings (the “IRRD”). The IRRD must be transposed into national law, including Belgium, by 29 January 2027, with its provisions becoming applicable as from 30 January 2027. […]
New EU Regulation | Cyber Resilience Act
As part of the broader EU Cybersecurity Strategy, the EU Regulation 2024/2847 of 3 October 2024 on horizontal cybersecurity requirements for products with digital elements (the ‘Cyber Resilience Act’ or ‘CRA’) was formally adopted on 23 October 2024. In this edition, we dive into the key components of this new regulation and its expected impact […]
The Belgian reform of the Civil Code goes on | A new law for specific contracts
After the adoption of Book 5 (law of obligations) in 2022 and Book 6 (law of torts) in 2024, the year 2025 should see the adoption of the Book 7 of the new Civil Code. Indeed, a new bill, reworked on the basis of the public consultation organised in recent months, was tabled in the […]