Belgium: Compliance

The European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism is undergoing critical legislative refinement as the Commission, Council, and Parliament have each established distinct positions on extending CBAM to downstream goods and strengthening anti-circumvention measures. With trilogue negotiations now underway and the first political trilogue scheduled for October 2026, significant divergences remain between the institutions on scope, exemptions, and enforcement mechanisms that will shape the final framework

The European Commission has released comprehensive guidelines on applying Article 102 TFEU to exclusionary conduct by dominant firms, modernizing EU competition policy while codifying existing case law. These guidelines introduce analytical frameworks for assessing various types of anticompetitive behavior, including predatory pricing, margin squeeze, exclusive dealing, and tying arrangements, while addressing the role of presumptions and efficiency defenses in establishing abuse of dominance.

The European Commission's new Guidelines on exclusionary abuses of dominance under Article 102 TFEU provide companies with a comprehensive framework for assessing their market position and commercial conduct. These Guidelines consolidate decades of case law and enforcement practice, offering businesses a structured approach to evaluate dominance, understand how different types of conduct will be analyzed, and identify the evidence that matters when commercial strategies come under scrutiny.

Artificial intelligence is transforming workforce management across Asia-Pacific, yet most jurisdictions rely on existing employment and data protection laws rather than AI-specific legislation. Governments supplement these frameworks with ethical principles and voluntary guidance, though recent developments in Australia and Malaysia suggest a shift toward more targeted oversight of AI systems that significantly impact workers.

The European Parliament has approved a comprehensive reform of the Union Customs Code, marking the most significant overhaul of EU customs law since the Customs Union's establishment. This reform introduces groundbreaking digital infrastructure including an EU Customs Data Hub and a new EU Customs Authority, fundamentally transforming how businesses and customs authorities interact across member states while addressing the explosive growth of e-commerce imports.

Belgium's new Private Investigations Act fundamentally transforms how companies must conduct internal investigations, establishing comprehensive legal requirements for everything from fraud inquiries to HR incidents.

The European Union's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation introduces sweeping changes for food and beverage businesses, establishing new compliance categories, recyclability standards, and phase-out timelines. Understanding which role your company plays—producer, importer, or distributor—determines your specific obligations under this comprehensive framework.

The Belgian legislator has completed the implementation of AIFMD II through the Law of 22 July 2026, introducing significant regulatory changes for investment funds and their managers. Beyond the mandatory transposition, Belgium has introduced welcome flexibilities including expanded permitted activities for UCITS management companies and AIFMs, streamlined share class creation processes, and relaxed fit and proper requirements for certain fund managers.

The European Union's new CRD VI directive fundamentally reshapes how US banks can conduct corporate lending across EU Member States, introducing mandatory branch licensing requirements that eliminate...