In the Picture - 20 years of contrast, a fresh look at 'In the Picture'

𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐈𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔!

This month, no legal development but a short review of what ‘In the Picture’ has become after more than 100 editions and fun cartoons.

𝐖𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔? Read our latest #inthepicture ‘20 years of 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭, a fresh look at ‘In The Picture’’ 👉 https://lnkd.in/eXvADBym

#legalnewsletter #competitionlaw #commerciallaw #corporatelaw #20yearscontrast

Knipperlichten 2026 - mededingingsrecht in de spotlight

𝐊𝐧𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞 – 𝐮𝐰 𝐣𝐚𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐣𝐤𝐬𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐥 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 💡

Op donderdag 5 maart organiseert 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭 connects het 15e Knipperlichten seminarie waarbij de meest recente evoluties in het vennootschaps-, handels-, mededingings-, en het bijzondere contractenrecht worden toegelicht.

𝐈𝐧 𝐝𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭: 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐭
Dit jaar verwelkomen we een bijzondere gast: Axel Desmedt, voorzitter van de Belgische Mededingingsautoriteit. Hij zal zijn inzichten delen en uw vragen tijdens het seminarie beantwoorden. Hierover later meer details.

Daarnaast lichten 𝐨𝐧𝐳𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐧 u de belangrijkste ontwikkelingen in het mededingingsrecht van 2025 toe.
👇 Ontdek in de visuals de sprekers en hun topics.

𝐌𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐳𝐞 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐭!
Schrijf u vandaag nog in via deze link.

· Zo blijft u mee met de juridische en economische tendensen die uw praktijk in 2026 en de komende jaren zullen bepalen.
· Deelname levert 𝟓 𝐎𝐕𝐁/𝐈𝐁𝐉‑𝐩𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧 op (aangevraagd).
· Uw inschrijvingsgeld gaat integraal naar KickCancer.

#legalseminars #EUlaw #competitionlaw #antitrust #distributionlaw #contrastconnects #20yearscontrast

Knipperlichten 2026: feesteditie

Het jaarlijkse 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭 ‘𝐊𝐧𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐧’ 𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞 keert terug op 𝟓 𝐦𝐚𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 (09u30–15u00) en het wordt een 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞. Dit jaar vieren we de 𝟏𝟓𝐞 𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞 𝐯𝐚𝐧 𝐊𝐧𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐧 én 𝟐𝟎 𝐣𝐚𝐚𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭.

𝐓𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐬 – Tijdens deze editie brengen we opnieuw een heldere samenvatting van de belangrijkste ontwikkelingen van het voorbije jaar binnen vennootschapsrecht, handelsrecht en mededingingsrecht. Het programma wordt geopend door Axel Desmedt, Voorzitter van de Belgische Mededingingsautoriteit, met een keynote en Q&A. Prof. dr. Bernard Tilleman licht de actuele stand van zaken toe van de hervorming van het Burgerlijk Wetboek.

𝐖𝐚𝐚𝐫? Radisson Collection The National Hotel, Sterrebeek

𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞? Registreer hier.

𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐣𝐬 – 200 EUR (excl. btw), inclusief koffie en lunch. De volledige opbrengst gaat naar KickCancer 💛

𝐒𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬 – Axel Desmedt | Prof. dr. Bernard Tilleman | Filip Tuytschaever | Bart Bellen | Herlinde Burez | Milena Varga | Kristof De Wael | Laurence Vanhyfte | Mathieu Vancaillie | Camille Verstraete | Karlien De Ryck | Emiel Weyers

#corporatelaw #commerciallaw #competitionlaw #contractlaw #BCA #KickCancer #contrastconnects

Lunch session @ the office on Copilot

AI is moving fast! We’re making sure we move smarter.

Yesterday, our colleagues Maarten Cnudde and Hendrik Verbruggen hosted a hands-on Copilot training for the entire team.

We explored practical ways to embed Copilot in everyday work, from drafting and summarising to better structuring our thoughts and refining outputs.

We compared what works (and what doesn’t), shared experiences, and learned from each other in a truly interactive session.

At 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭, continuous learning matters. We actively invest in training and innovation to strengthen the quality of our services so our legal advice remains efficient, pragmatic and high-quality.

Big thanks to Maarten Cnudde, Hendrik Verbruggen, and our 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭 training team for organising this insightful session.

#AI #Copilot #legaltech #continuouslearning #digitaltransformation #contrasttraining

Welcome Annabelle!

This week, we welcome Annabelle Kokkelmans as new associate to our competition & EU team.

Annabelle has recently completed her first experience as an intern and contractual agent at the Court of Justice in Luxembourg.

She now joins us at 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭 as junior lawyer. Take a look at her profile on our website: https://lnkd.in/eEdJN-Pi

Happy to have Annabelle join us! Here’s to a successful journey together!

#lawyers #associate #competitionlaw #careergrowth #contrasttalent

Warmest holiday wishes!

𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭: 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟎𝟔.

Next year we turn 20, and we’ll mark it with opportunities to connect.

Warmest holiday wishes! ✨

Lukoil - Court of Justice clarifies scope of essential facilities doctrine

This week, the Court of Justice clarified in case C 245/24 (Lukoil) the application of the essential facilities doctrine, first established in the 1998 Bronner judgement. This doctrine imposes a higher evidentiary burden on competition authorities when assessing refusals to supply or grant access under Article 102 TFEU, to protect property rights and maintain incentives to invest. It requires authorities to demonstrate that the refusal concerns an essential facility, making access indispensable for competitors on downstream markets.

The Court of Justice has progressively narrowed the scope of this doctrine. In recent years, it excluded its application in cases:
• where there is a legal obligation to supply (Deutsche Telekom and Slovak Telekom),
• where there is no outright refusal to supply (Google Shopping),
• where the dominant undertaking does not own or control the facility (Lithuanian Railways), or
• where the facility was not developed for the undertaking’s own use (Android Auto).

In its latest judgement, the Court adds another exclusion: the doctrine does not apply where the facility was developed by a public authority and transferred to the undertaking at non market terms, meaning without a proper competitive bidding process.

In its Opinion on this case, the Advocate General hinted that Android Auto may apply only to digital platforms. The Court did not however address the Android Auto judgement, deeming it irrelevant to the case, so further clarification on its scope remains pending.

#competitionlaw #ECJ #Article102 #Bronner #abuseofdominance #essentialfacilities #Lukoil #contrastupdate

New publication: Distributieovereenkomsten (EU - België - Nederland)

The newest edition of the book Distributieovereenkomsten has just landed as the perfect gift under our Christmas tree! 🎄

This clear, practice oriented guide is designed for legal professionals working with distribution and other vertical agreements. It combines in-depth analysis with practical tools you can apply in your day to day advisory work.

𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝? Get your copy here. 

#competitionlaw #verticalagreements #legalpublications #contrastpublications

In the Picture - Legal uncertainty for mergers and acquisitions between sector peers

𝐈𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞 ... 💭

You are the CFO of a company that supplies artisanal bakeries. You acquire your largest competitor. The acquisition remains well below all notification thresholds and therefore does not need to be notified to any competition authority. You proudly announce the takeover. The business is very enthusiastic. Since there is no need to wait for approval from competition authorities, this time you won’t spoil your company's ambitious timeline.

Or at least that’s what you thought. One day a letter from the French Competition Authority lands on your desk. It informs you that it is investigating the acquisition for a possible breach of competition law.

How strange. You had heard that this could happen when companies with a dominant position make acquisitions, but your company is not dominant at all. The letter from the French Competition Authority does not say that either, but it does say that the acquisition may be an anti-competitive agreement between undertakings.

What do you mean? Does this mean that all your acquisitions are now threatened?

𝐖𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞? Read our latest #inthepicture ‘Legal uncertainty for mergers and acquisitions between sector peers’, or contact our competition partner Herlinde Burez or senior associate Laura Sente 👉https://www.contrast.law/en/newsletters/in-the-picture/legal-uncertainty-for-mergers-and-acquisitions-between-sector-peers/

#competitionlaw #mergersandacquisitions #towercast

EU parliament approves Omnibus I amendments to CSRD & CSDDD

At noon today, the European Parliament gave its 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 to the provisional agreement reached last week on the 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 (𝐂𝐒𝐑𝐃) and 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐃𝐮𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 (𝐂𝐒𝐃𝐃𝐃) amendments under the Omnibus I package.

That only leaves formal approval by the Council, after which the text will enter into force 𝟐𝟎 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐉𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥.

📌Key elements can be found in our previous post below, or in today’s press release.
📌The adopted text is also already available. 

💬 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬? Feel free to reach out to our corporate team or your usual contact person at 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭!

#EU #CSDDD #CSRD #Omnibus #corporate #duediligence #ESG #sustainability #corporatesustainability