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Client Alerts 62 results

Client Alert | 7 min read | 05.21.26

A New Playbook for M&A in the EU: The European Commission's Draft Merger Guidelines - 10 Key Changes

On 30 April 2026, the European Commission published draft merger guidelines that will replace both the 2004 Horizontal Merger Guidelines and the 2008 Non-Horizontal Merger Guidelines, consolidating them into a single analytical framework.
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Client Alert | 6 min read | 05.12.26

EU Pharma Package: Advertising Compromise Proposal

In our ninth alert in this EU Pharma Package Series, we discussed the proposals of the Commission, Council, and Parliament with respect to advertising of medicinal products.
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Client Alert | 4 min read | 05.11.26

New Temporary State Aid Framework Throws A Lifeline To Sectors Hit By The Middle East Crisis

On 29 April 2026, the European Commission adopted the Middle East Crisis Temporary State Aid Framework (METSAF), a temporary framework relaxing the conditions under which EU Member States can support companies in sectors particularly affected by fuel, fertilizer, and electricity price surges driven by the Middle East crisis.
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Client Alert | 7 min read | 05.06.26

Artificial Intelligence and Human Resources in the EU - Part 2: AI Literacy - Employer AI Literacy Obligations under the EU AI Act

The EU AI Act defines ‘AI literacy’ as the skills, knowledge and understanding to enable the informed use and operation of AI systems and increase awareness of the opportunities, risks and possible harm that AI systems may present — with the ultimate purpose being to ensure that staff (and other relevant individuals) are able to take informed decisions in relation to AI, such as how to interpret AI output and decision-making processes and their impact on natural persons.
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Client Alert | 11 min read | 04.27.26

The New EU "Pharma Package": Access Conditionalities and Shortage Measures Compromise Proposal

In our seventh alert in this EU Pharma Package Series, we provided an analysis of the increasing focus on shortages of medicinal products in the EU and the prevention and mitigation measures as proposed by the EU institutions.
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Client Alert | 7 min read | 04.20.26

The New EU Pharma Package: The “Bolar” Exemption Compromise Proposal

In our sixth alert in this EU Pharma Package Series, we provided an analysis of the history and interpretation issues for another highly debated topic: the “Bolar” exemption.
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Client Alert | 5 min read | 04.13.26

The New EU "Pharma Package": Global (Orphan) Marketing Authorization Compromise Proposal

In our fifth alert in this EU Pharma Package Series, we provided an analysis of the background and ongoing legal debates regarding the concept of the global marketing authorization (GMA). We discussed in particular the missed opportunities in the Pharma Package to further codify and clarify the GMA, in view of its central role in determining the regulatory data protection (RDP) rights of a medicinal product.
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Client Alert | 3 min read | 04.07.26

The New EU "Pharma Package": Fiscal Imports in the Supply Chain Compromise Proposal

In our fourth alert in this EU Pharma Package Series, we provided an analysis of the long-standing but increasingly debated issue of fiscal imports in the pharmaceutical supply chain and the EU’s evolving approach to this issue.
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Client Alert | 5 min read | 03.22.26

The New EU "Pharma Package": Regulatory Data Protection Compromise Proposal

In our second alert in this EU Pharma Package Series, we provided a detailed overview of the diverging positions of the European Commission (Commission), the European Parliament (Parliament), and the Council of the European Union (Council) on one of the most debated and anxiously anticipated topics, the regulatory data protection (RDP). While all EU institutions proposed a modulation system, they differed significantly in terms of the baseline period and the structure of the possible extensions.
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Client Alert | 2 min read | 03.12.26

The New EU "Pharma Package": Formal Adoption in Sight

The EU Pharma Package represents the most significant reform of EU pharmaceutical legislation in over two decades, setting the stage for a new era in medicine regulation. Introduced by the European Commission back in April 2023, the proposals are designed to promote innovation, strengthen medicine availability and affordability, reduce regulatory burdens, ensure a fair and competitive European pharmaceutical market, and modernize the EU's pharmaceutical framework. The EU Pharma Package will replace the more than twenty-year-old Directive 2001/83/EC and Regulation 726/2004, and incorporates the separate regulations on orphan and pediatric medicines, thereby bringing the entire regulatory framework up to date.
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Client Alert | 4 min read | 03.11.26

CJEU Sets the Bar Low for Evidence Disclosure in Competition Damages Litigation

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has delivered a significant ruling that clarifies the rules governing evidence disclosure in competition damages litigation. The judgment addresses three critical questions: (1) whether pre-action disclosure falls within the scope of the EU Damages Directive, (2) what evidence is needed to establish that there is a plausible damages claim, and that therefore a disclosure request should be granted, and (3) how the plausibility threshold should be assessed.
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Client Alert | 5 min read | 02.18.26

The CeramTec Case, or How to (not) Navigate the Patent to Trademark Transition

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) recently delivered its judgment in the CeramTec case (C-17/24).
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Client Alert | 5 min read | 11.05.25

The EU’s Defense Readiness Roadmap and Omnibus: What Are the Competition Law Implications?

As part of a comprehensive plan to ensure that EU Member States achieve “defense readiness” by 2030, the European Commission has proposed a package of measures to facilitate public and private investments in defense by simplifying legal frameworks relevant to defense. In a previous alert, we provided an overview of the Defense Readiness Omnibus and examined its implications for defense procurement. In this alert, we focus on its implications for the enforcement of competition law.
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Client Alert | 9 min read | 10.23.25

The EU’s Defense Readiness Roadmap and Omnibus: What are the Implications for Defense Procurement?

On October 16, 2025, the European Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy presented their Defense Readiness Roadmap 2030 to the EU Member States. This comprehensive plan aims to strengthen European defense capabilities. It follows, and should be read together with, the Commission’s Defense Readiness Omnibus that was published in June 2025. The Omnibus contains a set of proposals to facilitate defense investments and boost EU Member States’ responsiveness to today’s security challenges.
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Client Alert | 3 min read | 06.30.25

Client Alert Series: The New EU “Pharma Package”

The proposed overhaul of the EU general pharmaceutical legislative framework known as the Pharma Package, has been a long time in the making. The European Commission first published its proposal back in April 2023. One year later, in April 2024, the European Parliament adopted its position. Finally, on June 4, 2025, after intense debate and negotiation between the 27 EU Member States, the Council of the European Union adopted its position.
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Client Alert | 4 min read | 06.05.25

The Abolition of Directors’ “Quasi-Immunity” by Book 6 Looked at in the Light of the Belgian B2B Contractual Terms Legislation

In recent years, there has been a wave of new legislation impacting contracts and contractual terms. The Belgian legislator is gradually adopting the different Books of our new Belgian Civil Code, such as Book VI. Last February, a new proposal for Book VII on special contracts, including sale and loan agreements was submitted. Additionally, the Belgian Code of Economic Law has been updated several times, impacting the drafting of contracts and of contractual terms, not only between companies but also with consumers.
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Client Alert | 10 min read | 05.13.25

The Belgian Competition Authority Steps Up Its Merger Control and Cartel Enforcement Activities

Under its new leadership, the Belgian Competition Authority (BCA) has stepped up its enforcement activities and launched a number of initiatives and investigations that put it at the forefront of competition law developments in the European Union.
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Client Alert | 3 min read | 05.12.25

EU Retaliatory Trade Measures Against the U.S. – Public Consultation

On 8 May 2025, the European Commission published new lists of products potentially subject to EU rebalancing measures in retaliation to U.S. tariffs. The proposed measures would apply if EU-U.S. trade negotiations fail. They are designed to stand alongside previously adopted EU countermeasures, which are currently suspended until 14 July 2025.
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Client Alert | 4 min read | 04.03.25

Unfair Clauses in B2C and B2B Contracts: Be Aware of Different Sanctions

In recent years, there has been a wave of new legislation impacting contracts and contractual terms. The Belgian legislator is gradually adopting the different Books of our new Belgian Civil Code. Last February, a new proposal for Book VII on special contracts, including sale and loan agreements was submitted. Additionally, the Belgian Code of Economic Law has been updated several times, impacting the drafting of contracts and of contractual terms, not only between companies but also with consumers.
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Client Alert | 5 min read | 03.11.25

European Commission Unveils Plan To Boost Europe’s Automotive Industry

On March 5, 2025, the European Commission presented a comprehensive Action Plan to boost the global competitiveness of the European Union’s automotive industry and support its transition to zero-emission, connected, and automated vehicles.
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