Final adoption of Book 7 of the Belgian Civil Code and what this means for Construction Contracts
On 16 July 2026, the Belgian House of Representatives definitively approved legislation introducing Book 7 (ʻSpecial Contractsʼ) into the Belgian Civil Code. Book 7 was published on 23 September 2026 which means that it will enter into force in September 2027.
Supreme Court takes strict approach to pre-2014 notice period rules
Traditionally, legislation on employment contracts stipulated different notice periods for blue-collar and white-collar workers. The notice periods for blue-collar workers were far shorter, but only blue-collar workers could claim an indemnity of six months’ remuneration for arbitrary dismissal, defined as a dismissal not based on the worker’s conduct or the employer’s organisational requirements.
More than a Minimum Age: the EU KIDS Act and the Redesign of Online Services
On 17 September 2026, the European Commission published its proposal for the EU Keeping Internet Digital Spaces Accountable and Trustworthy Act (EU KIDS Act). The proposal has attracted significant attention because it would introduce a minimum age of 15 for the autonomous use of certain social networking and video-sharing platform services.
The CRA support period: a patch to eu product legislation?
Under the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), manufacturers of products with digital elements (PDEs) must keep handling vulnerabilities and providing security updates for years after the product has left the factory. This applies to standalone software, software embedded in hardware and standalone hardware alike. The duration of that obligation is set by the support period. For most product manufacturers, this is an unfamiliar idea. EU product legislation has traditionally stopped at the moment a product is placed on the market or has limited mandatory support to consumers. The CRA does not. This blog post explains what the support period is, how manufacturers must determine and communicate it, and why it breaks with the logic of the New Legislative Framework (NLF), the common model on which EU product legislation is built.
Belgian Supreme Court clarifies the transitional notice period rules and the court’s role in setting bonuses
In its judgment of 1 June 2026, the Court of Cassation ruled on two questions that regularly arise in employment disputes. Firstly, does the transitional two-step calculation of the notice period apply to an employee whose seniority dates from before 2014, but whose current employment contract only commenced after 2014? Secondly, may a court determine an employee’s bonus itself where the employer failed to discuss or set the bonus conditions as agreed in the contract?
Internal investigation policies under the Private Investigation Act: deadline approaching
On 16 December 2026, the transitional period provided by the legislator for the implementation of internal regulations under the Belgian Private Investigation Act (PIA) will come to an end. From that date onwards, employers conducting private investigations involving employees must have PIA-compliant internal regulations in place.
Legal Ops: moving from a reactive legal department to a data-driven, well-managed function
Urgent requests, scattered contracts, deadlines tracked manually. When a legal department spends most of its time dealing with issues as they arise, there is little room left for strategic work. Legal Ops introduces a different way of operating. By applying…
IT-contracten : aandachtspunten bij de invoering van Boek 7 BW
Dienstencontracten vormen de ruggengraat van het moderne IT-contractenlandschap in België. Sinds de invoering van Boek 7 van het Burgerlijk Wetboek (BW) is het dienstencontract (of “aanneming”) de centrale contractsvorm voor IT-dienstverlening, al blijven ook onbenoemde overeenkomsten (zoals softwarelicenties) en koopcontracten een rol spelen.
Belgium strengthens its sanctions enforcement framework
On 1 September 2026, Belgium’s new Criminal Code entered into force. In parallel, many specific criminal laws have been amended to align with the new general criminal law framework. This includes Belgium’s Economic Sanctions Law, which governs the implementation of restrictive measures adopted by the Council of the European Union.
European Commission clarifies the Pay Transparency Directive in a FAQ
EU Member States had to transpose the European Pay Transparency Directive into national law by 7 June 2026. The Directive aims to strengthen the principle of equal pay for women and men performing equal work or work of equal value.…
Itʼs LIVE: The Cyber Resilience Act Reporting Is Mandatory as of Now
The Article 14 CRA reporting obligation applies from 11 September 2026; the remainder of the CRA generally applies from 11 December 2027. Readiness is now an incident-response issue. Know your reporting route, have your Authorised Representatives (ARs) in place, and maintain an escalation process capable of running against the 24-hour clock.
Het gouden argument zit in een juridisch dossier vaak in een minderheidsstandpunt of een recent arrest. Maar krijgen die ook de aandacht die ze verdienen wanneer AI een antwoord formuleert? Of geven taalmodellen van nature meer gewicht aan bekende auteurs, dominante rechtsopvattingen en vaak geciteerde rechtspraak? Het antwoord ligt in de wisselwerking tussen technologie en content. Met krachtige AI die gebouwd is op gezaghebbende bronnen, samengesteld en geactualiseerd door juridische experts, is de juiste informatie snel vindbaar – ook de uitzonderingen.
The shift towards platform liability: four judgments, one clear direction of travel
There was a time when “we’re just the platform” was close to a legal magic word. Host the content, don’t look too closely, and Article 14 of the e-Commerce Directive (now Article 6 of the Digital Services Act) would generally…
Belgium’s New Private Investigation Act: What Organisations Need to Know Before Starting an Internal Investigation
Internal investigations have become increasingly formalised and strategically important within corporate governance and compliance frameworks. Organisations investigate allegations of fraud, conflicts of interest, data misuse, breaches of internal policy, unfair competition, expense irregularities and many other workplace issues. These investigations…
Belgium expands flexi-jobs and shortens notice periods for new employees
The flexi-job system was introduced by the Act 16 November 2015 stipulating various provisions in social matters.
Initially, the system only applied to hotels, restaurants and pubs. The key idea was that people employed for at least 80% of the full-time working time could take a second job in a hotel, restaurant or pub and they would get favourable tax and social security conditions on the remuneration earned in the second job.
The M&A Process Step by Step: Key Takeaways from the June 25 Webinar
On 25 June 2026, Aubry Daerden (Partner), Ward Overlaet (Associate), and Anass Arbage (Associate) from the Brussels office of Crowell & Moring LLP presented a webinar titled "The M&A Process Step by Step: A Practical Guide for Junior Legal Counsel." The session was organized for the Belgian Institute for Company Lawyers (IBJ / IJE) and offered a practice-oriented walkthrough of the main phases, documents, and negotiation dynamics that structure M&A deals. This article summarizes the key insights shared during that session.