Partnerblog

Whistleblower protection: ready for action?
The European Whistleblowing Directive (the Directive) provides for the establishment of mandatory secure channels for reporting breaches of EU law and the protection of those who report breaches in a professional context.

The EU data strategy: a complex attempt to unlock data
Since the European Commission proposed its European strategy for data on 19 February 2020 (followed by the European Parliament’s resolution “European strategy for data”), the Commission has issued the Data Governance Act (DGA) and the Data Act (DA) aiming at creating a single market for data and establishing European leadership in the global data economy.

Updates regarding the telework cost compensation
Updates regarding the telework cost compensation

The new restructuring directive and its implementation in belgian law
On June 20th, 2019 the EU issued a new Directive on preventive restructuring frameworks, discharge of debt and disqualifications, and measures to increase the efficiency of procedures concerning restructuring, insolvency and discharge of debt (hereafter referred to as ‘The Directive’), in its first attempt to harmonize substantive rules on insolvency law within the Union.

Overview of upcoming social legislation in Belgium
The Belgian government is currently working on several important new and amending laws and rules regarding employment law. Below, we provide a concise overview and an estimated timeline for their implementation.

Contracts for the sale of goods and for the supply of digital content and services: new rules to enter into force in Belgium on 1 June 2022
On 1 June 2022, the Belgian law transposing the EU directives on certain aspects of contracts for the supply of digital content and digital services (2019/770) and for the sale of goods (2019/771) will enter into force, thereby ushering in a number of changes.

Arbitrage en consumentenbescherming
Het ‘Handboek Arbitrage’ van mr. Kris Wagner is momenteel het enige Nederlandstalige omvattende handboek . De auteur biedt hierin een grondige en praktijkgerichte bespreking van de materie.

Making sustainable products the norm in the EU
In our society today, we use a variety of products often without reflecting on their impact on the environment.

Discrimination in the workplace anno 2022: How recent legislation and case law affects you and your company
As a society, we may never have been more aware of discrimination than we are today. This goes for the workplace as well. Perhaps your company has made a special effort to promote diversity by introducing diversity and inclusion programs, or by offering or participating in workplace diversity awards, or by implementing tools to measure and improve inclusivity, etc.

What do you need to know about the new Belgian Labour Deal?
The Belgian Federal Government recently reached an agreement on the reform of the labour market. The deal includes various social policy measures, which will result in legislative changes in employment law. These measures are currently transposed in an Act regarding diverse labour provisions. Below, we present an overview of the most important elements.

Abuse of economic dependence: abuse, but not as we know it
Last November, the General Court in Luxembourg confirmed the fine of € 2.42 bn imposed on Google for abusing its dominant position in the market for online general search services.

Trade Defence Instruments for European producers: the AD questionnaire
As a member of the World Trade Organization, the European Union (“EU” or “Union”) stands for free and fair trade. At its disposal, it has trade defence – or trade remedy – instruments (“TDI”) for unilateral action when EU industries face unfair competition from imports.

Labour tribunal accepts urgent dismissal for not wearing face mask (correctly) and not respecting social distancing
Labour tribunal accepts urgent dismissal for not wearing face mask (correctly) and not respecting social distancing

Pandemic, energy crisis, shortage of raw materials: your costs are increasing – how can you pass them on in your ongoing private and public contracts?
Several recent crises have highlighted the tension between the rapid increase in costs borne by companies, and the assumed impossibility of passing on all or part of this increase to their co-contractors under public or private contracts concluded at fixed prices.

Deliveroo in Belgium: its couriers are self-employed workers and not employees rules Brussels court
For the first time in Belgium, a Labour Tribunal has ruled on the status of workers in the “gig” economy (in the particular case of Deliveroo).