When grappling with complex competition or regulatory issues, clients turn to Karl Stas for no-nonsense, business-focused advice. As a senior counsel in the Antitrust & Competition Group in the Brussels office of Crowell & Moring, Karl focuses on EU and Belgian competition law, the regulation of network industries (in particular, telecommunications, postal, and energy), and the digital economy.
Karl assists international and Belgian clients in complex antitrust and regulatory matters, representing clients before both the European Commission and national antitrust and regulatory authorities. In addition to extensive advisory experience in these areas, he is also a seasoned litigator, regularly representing clients before Belgian civil and administrative courts at all levels as well as before the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).
Karl has been noted as a “key figure” for competition law in Belgium by the leading legal journal Legal 500 EMEA.
Representative Matters
- Advised a postal operator on the state aid aspects of the grant of €634mn of government support over five years for the provision of services of general economic interest. The European Commission cleared the measure unconditionally.
- Advised the Belgian print and online media group IPM on its acquisition of Editions de l’Avenir and L’Avenir Hebdo. The transaction was cleared unconditionally by the Belgian Competition Authority.
- Advised the telecommunications and media group Liberty Global on the creation of a subscription video on demand joint venture with DPG Media. The transaction was cleared unconditionally by the European Commission.
- Assisted a European federation of authorized car dealers in negotiations with the manufacturer concerning a new distribution model.
- Successfully represented a Belgian mobile operator in proceedings before the Market Court (a specialized division of the Brussels Court of Appeal) brought by a distributor of mobile signal repeaters who contested a decision by the Belgian telecommunications regulator requiring suppliers of repeaters to obtain the authorization of the licensed mobile operators to use their spectrum.
- Successfully represented a Belgian mobile operator in proceedings before the Market Court brought by several associations and individuals contesting the award of provisional 5G spectrum licenses to the existing mobile operators.
- Intervened on behalf of Telenet in litigation before the Liège Court of First Instance concerning the sale of Walloon cable operator VOO to a private equity fund. The court suspended the implementation of the transaction, prompting the buyer to abandon the deal and the seller to organize a new bidding process.
- Advised the telecommunications and media group Liberty Global on its acquisition of the remaining shares of De Vijver Media, the parent company of the Flemish TV broadcaster SBS and the TV production company Woestijnvis.
- Represented a Belgian postal operator in proceedings before the Brussels Market Court contesting a decision by the Belgian postal regulator preventing the client from raising stamp prices.
- Represented Belgian cable operators in proceedings before the Brussels Court of Appeal contesting network access regulation.
- Represented a Belgian electricity producer in proceedings before the Belgian Constitutional Court contesting a nuclear windfall tax.
- Represented a Belgian electricity producer and supplier in litigation with the transmission network operator in relation to the provision of reserve capacity.
- Represented sports betting companies before the Belgian Competition Authority in an abuse of dominance claim against the Belgian National Lottery. This resulted in the imposition of a fine on the National Lottery.
- Represented a diamond mining, trading, and retail group in defense against a claim of abuse of dominance by a Belgian diamond trader.
- Represented a Belgian mobile operator in a pioneering antitrust damages action against a competitor.
- Advised a Belgian mobile operator on infrastructure sharing and MVNO agreements.
- Represented a Belgian mobile operator in proceedings before the Constitutional Court and the CJEU contesting the imposition of license fees for the use of radio spectrum.
- Advised a Belgian company active in the banking and payment services industry in relation to third-party access to accounts under the second EU Payment Services Directive.
- Represented a Fortune 500 company in merger proceedings before the European Commission relating to a transaction in the OTC medicines markets.
- Intervened on behalf of a satellite communications operator in proceedings brought by a competitor before the Brussels Market Court contesting the client’s right to operate ground stations on the Belgian territory.
- Advised a manufacturer and supplier of medical devices on incentives to health care professionals as well as on public procurement issues.
- Assisted an international sports betting group in securing a license in Belgium.
- Carried out an antitrust compliance audit at a Belgian company active in the rail freight sector.
- Advised a European trade association on EU energy efficiency and ecodesign regulation.
Speeches & Presentations
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"Foreign Direct Investment Screening in Belgium—What to Expect?" Crowell & Moring Webinar, 2022.
(October 18, 2022).
Speakers: Karel Bourgeois and Karl Stas.
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"Revision of Horizontal Block Exemption Regulations and the Horizontal Cooperation Guidelines," Crowell & Moring Webinar, 2022.
(June 9, 2022).
Speakers: Thomas De Meese, Karel Bourgeois, and Karl Stas.
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"Competition Law in Times of Price Increases and Supply Shortages," Crowell & Moring Webinar.
(December 7, 2021).
Speakers: Karel Bourgeois and Karl Stas.
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"Big Data and Competition Rules: Competition Aspects of Collecting and Using (Big) Data," IJE/IBJ Deep Dive, Brussels
(February 7, 2019).
Presenters: Thomas De Meese, Karl Stas, Evi Mattioli, and Marieke Van Nieuwenborgh.
Publications
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"Filter voor risicovolle buitenlandse investeringen? Goed nieuws, maar opletten voor addertjes onder het gras," Knack
(December 9, 2022).
Author: Karl Stas.
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"The Digital Markets Act: The EU Takes On ‘Big Tech’" Computerrecht, 2022/219, 403-419
(2022).
Co-Author: Karl Stas.
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"The European Commission Updates Rules for Cooperation Between Competitors," IBJ/IJE Partner Blog
(September 9, 2022).
Authors: Karl Stas and Karel Bourgeois.
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"Algoritmische Prijsbepalingen en Artificiële Intelligentie: mededingingsrechtelijke aspecten," Artificiële Intelligentie door de ogen van de Bedrijfsjurist
(April 2022).
Authors: Karel Bourgeois and Karl Stas.
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"Misbruik van economische afhankelijkheid – eerste toepassingen," IBJ/IJE Partner Blog
(January 24, 2022).
Contacts: Karel Bourgeois and Karl Stas.
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Computerrecht: Tijdschrift voor Informatietechnologie en Recht (Computer Law Journal for IT and Law)
(2020).
Editor for Developments in the Telecommunications Sector (Belgium and the EU): Karl Stas.
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"Outsourcing," second edition, Chambers Global Practice Guide, Law and Practice Belgium
(2019).
Co-Authors: Emmanuel Plasschaert, Frederik Van Remoortel, Karl Stas, and Heidi Waem.
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"EU Court Clarifies the Application of the EU Legal Framework for the Electronic Communications Sector to Over-the-Top Services (C-142/18 Skype and C-193/18 Google)" European Competition and Regulatory Law Review, Vol. 3, Issue 3
(2019).
Authors: Thomas De Meese and Karl Stas.
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"’Over-the-top’-diensten en de grenzen van het regelgevend kader voor elektronische communicatienetwerken en –diensten," Computerrecht, 2018/5, 248-259
(2018).
Co-Author: Karl Stas.
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"The EU Regulatory Framework for Access to the Postal Network," European Competition and Regulatory Law Review, 2018/2, 92-106
(2018).
Co-Author: Karl Stas.
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"Eerste toepassing van het mededingingsrecht in de Belgische postsector," Tijdschrift voor Belgische Mededinging – Revue de la Concurrence belge, 2013/4, 343-361
(2013).
Co-Author: Karl Stas.
Client Alerts & Newsletters
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"European Commission Seeks Stakeholders’ Views on Draft Foreign Subsidies Implementing Regulation,"
Antitrust Law Alert
(February 15, 2023).
Contacts: Vassilis Akritidis, Karel Bourgeois, Karl Stas
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"EU Institutions Reach Agreement on Foreign Subsidies Regulation,"
Antitrust Law Alert
(July 20, 2022).
Contacts: Karel Bourgeois, Vassilis Akritidis, Karl Stas, Flavie Van Maldegem
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"The Digital Services Act: EU Regulation of Intermediary Service Providers Imminent,"
(July 7, 2022).
Contacts: Sari Depreeuw, Karl Stas, Sander Vogt
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"Belgium to Introduce Foreign Direct Investment Screening Regime by 2023,"
Antitrust Law Alert
(June 22, 2022).
Contacts: Karel Bourgeois, Karl Stas, Julie van Hevele
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"Digital Markets Act: EU Institutions Agree on New Rules to Curb the Power Of “Big Tech” Platforms,"
Antitrust Law Alert
(May 17, 2022).
Contacts: Thomas De Meese, Karl Stas, Yaël Rager
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"Adjusting Competition Policy To The Digital And Green Transition: The European Commission Publishes Draft New Rules For Cooperation Between Competitors,"
Antitrust Law Alert
(March 24, 2022).
Contacts: Thomas De Meese, Karl Stas, Flavie Van Maldegem
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"Belgian Competition Act Amended to Introduce Merger Filing Fees, Fines for Failure to Notify and Procedural Changes,"
Antitrust Law Alert
(March 14, 2022).
Contacts: Karel Bourgeois, Karl Stas, Flavie Van Maldegem
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"European Commission Proposal on Foreign Subsidies: Towards a Globalization of EU State Aid Control?,"
Antitrust Law Alert
(May 18, 2021).
Contacts: Vassilis Akritidis, Karel Bourgeois, Karl Stas
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"Recent Developments in EU Telecommunications Regulation,"
(April 14, 2021).
Contacts: Thomas De Meese, Karl Stas
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"Digital Services Act: The European Commission Proposes An Updated Accountability Framework For Online Services,"
Antitrust Law Alert
(January 12, 2021).
Contacts: Thomas De Meese, Jeane A. Thomas, CIPP/E, Karl Stas
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"Digital Markets Act: The European Commission Unveils Plans to Regulate Digital 'Gatekeepers',"
Antitrust Law Alert
(January 5, 2021).
Contacts: Thomas De Meese, Jeane A. Thomas, CIPP/E, Karl Stas
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"New EU Proposals to Regulate Digital Markets – What to Expect,"
Antitrust Law Alert
(December 9, 2020).
Contacts: Thomas De Meese, Karl Stas
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"EU Regulates Online Platforms and Search Engines,"
Antitrust Law Alert
(July 29, 2019).
Contacts: Thomas De Meese, Karl Stas
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"The European Union Adopts a New Telecoms Code,"
Regulatory Alert
(December 20, 2018).
Contacts: Thomas De Meese, Karl Stas
Firm News & Announcements