contrast competition update

🚨 contrast competition update 🚨

👀 Yesterday, the Court of Justice of the European Union ('ECJ') issued its preliminary ruling regarding the damage claim by Heureka against Google following the European Commission’s Google Shopping decision.

💡 The ECJ reiterates that the principle of effectiveness of EU law is crucial and precludes national limitation rules which make it practically impossible or excessively difficult to claim damages for continuous anticompetitive practices.

💡 Importantly, the ECJ clarifies that, even in case of an infringement having started before the expiry of the time limit for transposing the Damages Directive, the latter’s rules on the limitation period (Article 10) apply.

💡 The ECJ further confirms that the first moment an injured party knows that the conduct constitutes an infringement coincides with the publication of the summary decision in the EU Official Journal.

Questions? Contact our competition partners Filip Tuytschaever, Herlinde Burez or Sebastien Engelen, or your usual contact at contrast.

You can read the ECJ’s press-release here 👉 https://lnkd.in/epnWb-kc

You can find the Judgment via the following link 👉 https://lnkd.in/efPctYTP

#eucompetitionlaw #competitionlaw #damagesdirective #privateenforcement #ECJ #contrastupdates #contrastlaw

conference organised by EU Competition Policy (DG COMP)

20 years that made a difference 🎉

Yesterday, senior associate Laura Sente attended the conference organised by EU Competition Policy (DG COMP) to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the EU Merger Regulation 139/2004 and to reflect on the impact of EU merger control over the last two decades. The day was filled with interesting keynote speeches and inspiring panels.

Here are Laura’s key take aways from the event:

• AG Kokott expressed her view that following the Towercast judgement ex post control of transactions under Article 102 TFEU should remain the absolute exception.

• Everyone is eagerly awaiting the Court of Justice’s judgement in the Illumina/Grail case on Article 22 referrals. Following the Commission’s renewed approach to Article 22, numerous so-called referral letters have been sent out by the Commission.

• Be careful when preparing internal documents. You better think twice when describing your company as a European champion post-merger.

• Market knowledge is key, especially in innovation driven and digital markets.

• Effective merger control fosters competitiveness and should not be seen as a piranha! 🐟

We look forward to see how EU merger control will evolve for the next 20 years!

Did you also attend the event? Do share your key take aways in the comments below 👇

#20yearsEUMR #EU #mergercontrol #contrast #contrastlaw #lawfirm #meetcontrast

Day of the coworker 2024!

We wish everyone a happy 'day of the coworker'! We are very grateful to our team members for their dedication to contrast and its clients. ☀️🙌 Team work makes the dream work! 

#contrastvibes #wemakethedifference #dayofthecoworker #teamwork 

Commercial & corporate update: Civil Code Book 7

Yesterday 16 April 2024, the proposal regarding a new Book 7 ‘Special Contracts’ of the Civil Code was submitted to the Belgian Chamber of Representatives. This proposal marks an important next step in the general reform of the Belgian Civil Code. 

The text covers, among other things, sale, rental and service agreements and will thus be relevant for all Belgian companies.

You can read the text of the proposal here 👉 https://www.dekamer.be/FLWB/PDF/55/3973/55K3973001.pdf

Be sure to follow our page, so we can keep you updated! 

#contrastupdate #civilcode #corporatelaw #commerciallaw

Eid Mubarak!

contrast wishes everyone who celebrates a blessed Eid filled with peace and joy!

We want to take this opportunity to thank our invaluable colleague Rachid. We are incredibly grateful to keep our offices in tip-top shape and are very appreciative of his relentless kindness and thoughtfulness. 

Eid Mubarak! ✨🌙

#contrastvibes #eid2024 #eidmubarak

Veel succes aan onze baliestagiairs!

Deze week start het blokverlof voor onze eerstejaars baliestagiairs.

Het hele contrast team wenst Emiel Weyers, Maarten Cnudde, Emma Fransen, Marie-Julie Kormoss en Charlotte Van Weehaeghe veel goede moed en succes bij hun balie-examens beginnen volgende week 💪

#thecontrastisclear #balie #examens

Webinar on demand: Knipperlichten en Compliance

Heb je ons jaarlijkse seminarie ‘Knipperlichten’ gemist, maar wil je nog graag alle ondernemingsrechtelijke aandachtspunten van het voorbije jaar op een rijtje?

Of leer je graag meer over de opbouw van een effectief compliance programma tijdens het webinar-on-demand 'Compliance on track'?

Schrijf je dan via onze website in voor beide seminars!

#thecontrastisclear #contrastseminars #seminars #compliance #handelsrecht #mededingingsrecht #vennootschapsrecht

In the Picture - Navigating the relevant market

For the first time in more than 25 years, the European Commission published a new notice on the definition of the relevant market, which is often the start of the competitive assessment.

The new notice consolidates the decision practice and case law and addresses the impact of the digitalisation of the economy.

What you need to know is in our latest #inthepicture 'Navigating the relevant market' on our website, written by our senior associate Mathieu Vancaillie and associate Emma Fransen.

#competitionlaw #contrastlaw #marketshares #EUlaw

The Legal 500 rankings

We are proud to announce that The Legal 500 again ranks all our practice areas🌟

Special congratulations to our amazing Competition & EU team for again ranking in band 1 for ‘Competition Belgium’👏

We are very grateful to all our clients and peers for their warm recommendations. Thank you!

You can read all quotes on our website.

hashtag#contrasttalent hashtag#legal500 hashtag#thelegal500 hashtag#lawfirm

Soft skill trainings at contrast

Working at contrast means having a constant opportunity to learn and improve yourself. We value the professional and personal development of our members. That’s why, in addition to legal training, we also organise a lot of soft skill training sessions.

This month, we had the opportunity to welcome Ineke Couck from Excelleer.be back TWICE for a masterclass in Microsoft Office Word and a follow-up session on Microsoft Office Excel!

Thank you Ineke all for these sessions 🙌

Interested in working at contrast? Check out our website for open job vacancies!

#lawfirm #contrasttraining #softskils #Word #Excel #thecontrastisclear #wemakethedifference