The European Packaging Regulation: New Obligations for Distribution in a Circular Economy
The European legislator is taking another step towards a more sustainable internal market with the new Regulation (EU) 2025/40 on packaging and packaging waste (the “Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation” or “PPWR”). Whereas previous directives allowed room for national interpretation, Europe has now explicitly opted for a directly applicable regulation. This has far-reaching consequences for every link in the distribution chain: from manufacturers to importers, from wholesalers to retailers.
DSARs under scrutiny: CJEU clarifies abuse and non-material damage in Brillen Rottler
The GDPR gives individuals strong rights to access their personal data. But those rights are not absolute: organisations may refuse data subject access requests that are manifestly unfounded or excessive. On 19 March 2026, the Court of Justice of the…
Artificial Intelligence and Human Resources – Employer AI Literacy Obligations under the EU AI Act
The AI literacy obligation under Article 4 of the EU AI Act applies to all providers and deployers of AI systems commercialized or used in the EU — including where those entities are based outside the EU. It is a fundamental obligation to ensure staff and other individuals involved in AI deployment and/or development are educated and trained on risks, benefits and safeguards, ultimately supporting more informed human decision-making.
Reform of voluntary overtime: retroactive entry into force since 1 April 2026
The rules on voluntary overtime are changing substantially. A new act, amending Article 25bis of the Labour Act of 1971, was recently adopted by the Chamber of Representatives and still awaits publication in the Belgian Official Gazette. The Act significantly broadens the existing framework by increasing the annual overtime limit. The draft provides for entry into force on 1 April 2026, with retroactive effect.
Biofuels under the EU’s New Bioeconomy Strategy
In a fragile geopolitical context, where reliance on fossil fuels has become increasingly unstable and costly, Europe faces a dual imperative: safeguarding its economic resilience while accelerating decarbonisation.
The use of work-related chat groups: The DPA stresses the need for concrete internal guidelines for managers
In its decision of 27 January 2026 (No. 10/2026), the Belgian Data Protection Authority (DPA) issued a decision following a complaint by a student worker whose supervisor had shared private WhatsApp messages in a work-related WhatsApp group with other colleagues.
PSD3 and PSR: Proposed reforms to the EU Payments Framework
On 27 November 2025 the European Parliament and the Council of the EU announced that they’d reached a provisional political agreement on the texts of the proposed Directive on payment services and electronic money services (PSD3)1 and the Regulation on payment services in the EU (PSR),2 originally published by the European Commission in June 2023.
The Belgian Competition Authority’s 2026 Priorities: What In-House Counsel Need to Know
The BCA 2026 Priorities Papersets out the sectors in which the authority will exercise particular vigilance, and outlines its strategic policy priorities for the year, including the development and deployment of its enforcement instruments. For in-house counsel, the document is an important roadmap: it signals where investigations are most likely to originate, what new tools the BCA is acquiring, and which compliance initiatives deserve immediate attention. The most prominent change in the 2026 paper is the replacement of the construction sector, considered a priority sector in 2025, with sport, media and entertainment.
AI in Contract Review: Balancing Efficiency, Control, and Judgment
Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a futuristic concept, it is increasingly a practical tool in corporate legal departments. For in-house counsel, the pressure to deliver faster while managing risk has never been higher. AI-assisted drafting presents a significant opportunity to streamline work, yet it also raises valid concerns about accuracy, compliance, and strategic judgment.
The MDR/IVDR reform proposal: simpler rules, higher expectations
On 16 December 2025, the European Commission published its proposal to amend the rules governing medical devices and in vitro diagnostic medical devices in the European Union — the MDR and IVDR — under the formal reference COM(2025)1023. The label attached to the exercise is “simplification.” The substance is more ambitious than that.
Personal Data, Interrupted
Since the Court of Justice’s September judgment in EDPS v Single Resolution Board (C-413/23 P, ‘SRB Case’), the discussion on the notion of personal data has hardly slowed, and practitioners keep adding fresh voices on the likely consequences of the verdict. The discussion has also been enriched by proposed amendments to the GDPR and the Regulation 2018/1725 resulting from the latest Digital Omnibus proposal.
The EU Listing Act: Amendments to the Prospectus Regulation and the Market Abuse Regulation
The European capital markets are fragmented across Member States, burdened by high access costs, and governed by a framework that places EU markets at a disadvantage compared with the United States and the United Kingdom, particularly for smaller and growth companies. The EU Listing Act was developed as part of the Capital Markets Union to address these issues.