The new Belgian B2B Law – Is your business ready?

The Belgian legal arsenal was reinforced with a new Act of 4 April 2019 “amending the Code of Economic Law regarding abuse of economic dependence, abusive contractual provisions and unfair trade practices between enterprises” (the “Act“).

Not only B2C relationships but also B2B are now partially regulated. The Act's main objective is to regulate practices between enterprises and guarantee a fair conduct on the market avoiding abuses committed by enterprises which have greater economic power and capacities toward smaller entities, and increasing the latter's leverage in negotiation. In doing so, Belgium is following the lead of other European countries that have already adopted a similar set of laws.