ALTIUS

CJEU: Settlement Agreements With Commercial Agents During Notice Period at Risk

For years, many businesses have followed the same playbook when ending a commercial agency relationship: send the termination notice, then use the notice period to negotiate a quick, cost-effective settlement before things get complicated. On 23 April 2026 Europe’s highest court put a definitive ...

New EU sample retention rules coming up for veterinary medicines repackaged for parallel trade

The Veterinary Medicinal Products Regulation (EU) 2019/6 has applied in the EU since 28 January 2022, replacing Directive 2001/82/EC. The new rules on good manufacturing practice (GMP) will in turn be fleshed out by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2091, which will apply from 16 July ...

The CEPANI 2026 Arbitration Rules: 5 Key Changes

CEPANI, the Belgian Centre for Arbitration and Mediation, has issued new Arbitration Rules entering into force on 1 June 2026, building on the modernisation achieved in the 2020 revision with the core objective of delivering a clearer, more efficient dispute resolution framework...

EU General Court bars patient association from challenging medicine authorisation refusal

In Case T‑278/25, the EU General Court recently dismissed as inadmissible a challenge brought by a patient advocacy association against the European Commission’s refusal to renew the conditional marketing authorisation for a treatment against Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). The case is ...

Despite harmonisation, EU countries may require approval for pharmacy-made medicines

Under EU pharmaceutical law, certain medicines fall outside the scope of Directive 2001/83/EC (i.e. the Community code on medicinal products for human use). This includes “magistral formulae” (prepared in a pharmacy for an individual patient on prescription) and “officinal formulae” ...

16 April 2026: AIFMD II Finally Takes Effect

After years of legislative process, the local transposition deadline of 16 April 2026 for AIFMD II (Directive 2024/927/EU) has finally arrived. This marks a significant milestone for the investment fund industry across the European Union, bringing with it a range of important changes for both ...

EU General Court: technical vaccine data does not have to be disclosed on request

The EU General Court delivered a significant judgment concerning access to documents held by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), this time relating to a conditionally authorised COVID-19 vaccine. This case (T-623/22) serves as an addition to the elaborate case law on the balance between ...

Belgium’s healthcare plans for 2026 – and where pharma fits in

Every year, Belgium’s federal ministers publish their policy notes for discussion in Parliament. They give a high-level snapshot of what each minister plans to focus on in the coming year. For the pharmaceutical industry, the healthcare policy note is usually the one to watch. Interestingly, ...

New EU De-minimis Registration Obligation: What Businesses Receiving Public Subsidies Need to Know

As of 1 January 2026, the administrative landscape for de-minimis aid in the EU has changed significantly. Businesses that receive public subsidies should understand how this new system works – and what it means in practice.

A Protocol for IP Disputes at the Brussels Enterprise Court

The Dutch-speaking Enterprise Court of Brussels has long been a central forum for intellectual property litigation in Belgium. On 2 March 2026, a protocol entered into force setting out best practices for interactions between lawyers and the court in IP matters. Its aim is straightforward...

Game-changing rules for managing sick leave: What every employer must know now

On 1 January 2026, new legal rules entered into force aimed at accelerating the reintegration of incapacitated employees. They include important changes to the reintegration track and the force majeure track, as well as the obligation for employers to include a procedure for maintaining contact ...

The new Product Liability Directive

The new Product Liability Directive (“PLD”) replaced the old Product Liability Directive (Directive 85/375/EEC) and aims to bring the European Union’s product liability regime ‘up to speed’ with the digital age, circular economy business models and global supply chains. It also focuses on ...

Be ready for the long-awaited Flemish duty of care obligation in the construction sector

From 1 January 2026, a duty of care obligation applies to clients and (sub)contractors active in the construction sector. Some years ago, the Flemish government launched the idea of optimising contractor chain responsibility schemes in case of illegal employment, but actual implementation ...

Belgian Parliament has adopted urgent 2026 healthcare budget measures: impact on the pharma industry

Over the Christmas break, the Belgian Parliament adopted an urgent law with several measures linked to the approved 2026 healthcare budget, with effect from 1 January 2026. The law is intentionally limited to provisions that must enter into force immediately to ensure that the required savings ...

1/1/2026: Take a look at your autonomous lease guarantees with the entry into force of Title1 of Boo

As of 1 January 2026, Title 1 “Personal securities” of Book IX “Securities” of the new Belgian Civil Code has entered into force and does apply to all new personal securities being vested (even in relation to a principal agreement which is already in place before such date)...

EU Reaches Pharma Package Deal: Key Changes at a Glance

On 11 December 2025, following overnight negotiations, the Council and the European Parliament announced a political agreement on the long-awaited Pharma Package (see here). The reform seeks to update the EU’s pharmaceutical rulebook to facilitate access to safe and affordable treatments ...

The circulation of judgments between Belgium and the United Kingdom

Brexit dismantled the Brussels I Recast regime for the UK and resulted in a fragmented framework of domestic rules and a residual treaty. However, the entry into force of the 2019 Hague Judgments Convention for the UK partially restores judicial cooperation in the post-Brexit era.

The 10 EUR meal voucher is officially here

In its Coalition Agreement, the government had already announced that during this legislative term, the maximum amount of meal vouchers would be increased twice by 2 EUR. A first increase - from 8 EUR to a maximum of 10 EUR - was published in the Belgian Official Gazette on 17 November 2025...

Belgian Constitutional Court strikes down pharma industry ‘unavailability contribution’

The Belgian Constitutional Court (“CC”), on 6 November 2025, annulled some provisions of the Law of 18 May 2024 containing various provisions on health and finance, striking down the pharma industry ‘unavailability contribution’.

A medical certificate: not always what it seems

When an employee is unable to work due to illness, the employer may request a medical certificate. This obligation usually stems from the work rules. A medical certificate confirms the incapacity for work and its likely duration...

Pay more to your employees and less to the social security regime

In Belgium, employers’ social security contributions have always been due on an employee’s full uncapped salary. The Programme Act of 18 July 2025 caused a ‘minor earthquake’ by introducing, for the first time, a cap on employers’ social security contributions providing that, from 1 July 2025, ...

Food Hygiene for Fish: EU General Court Requires Scientific Basis to “Clarify” the Law

Food company Mowi Poland successfully challenged the European Commission’s new hygiene rules governing ‘stiffening’—a specialised fish processing technique—on the grounds that the Commission failed to obtain mandatory scientific consultation...

Belgium’s Pre-Pack Procedure: A Two-Year Reality Check

​Introduced in 2023 to help companies prepare a discreet business transfer before declaring bankruptcy, Belgium’s pre-pack procedure promised confidentiality, speed and value preservation. Two years later, practice shows both clear advantages and persistent legal uncertainties...

100 Deals, Zero Rejections: What Belgium’s FDI Report for 2024-2025 Reveals

The Belgian Interfederal Screening Commission (ISC) has released its Annual Report on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Screening 2024–2025, providing valuable insights into how the country has tried between July 2024 and June 2025 to navigate the fine line between remaining an open economy and ...

Combination therapies in Belgium: how to collaborate without breaching competition law

As the landscape of modern medicine evolves, combination therapies—those that use two or more distinct medicines, often from different companies—are becoming increasingly vital, especially in treating complex diseases like cancer...

Employer of Record in Belgium: the Flemish Government clarifies its position

In our September 2022 newsletter[1], we discussed the rise of Employers of Record (EoR) in Belgium. Despite the grey legal area in which EoRs operate, their number has continued to grow in recent years...

Sports federations face Belgian Competition Authority Scrutiny in two interim measures cases

The Belgian Competition Authority (BCA) has recently ruled on two requests for interim measures against sports federations. In one case, the BCA examined new rules in Belgian football that require a minimum number of Under-23 (U23) teams in the second division...

Titanium dioxide: General Court strikes down classification as human carcinogen and ECJ now confirms

The European Commission often relies on scientific evidence for its regulatory decisions. But when challenged, how much deference is owed to the regulator’s interpretation of the underlying science?...

Two kiwis a day to chase constipation away – European Commission approves fruit health claim

The European Commission has authorised a new food health claim recognising the digestive health benefits of green kiwifruit. The claim—“Consumption of green kiwifruit contributes to normal bowel function by increasing stool frequency”—has recently been added to the Union list of permitted claims.

The future of defence procurement: the proposed amendments to European Directive 2009/81/EC

Referring to the war in Ukraine, the European Commission launched a proposal to amend Directive 2009/81/EC on public procurement in the fields of defence and security. Unlike the public procurement directives for the classical and utilities sectors, this legislation did not receive an update in 2014