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In our Belgian Pharma Law Summer Blog Series, we examine recent developments in Belgian pharmaceutical law. Whether you are looking for an informative summer read or a concise overview of the latest legal developments to catch up on after the holidays, our series has you covered.

In our Belgian Pharma Law Summer Blog Series, we examine recent developments in Belgian pharmaceutical law. Whether you are looking for an informative summer read or a concise overview of the latest legal developments to catch up on after the holidays, our series has you covered.

As of 1 September 2026, employers applying for a single permit in the Flemish Region will be required to pay a retribution of EUR 180 per application. The retribution applies to both first applications and renewals and will be collected via the One-Stop Counter (“Uniek Loket” / “Guichet Unique”) at the time of submission. Applications will not be processed without payment.

Voluntary overtime hours are popular with employers because they allow them to have their employees perform overtime without any justification ground being required. Whilst the system was rather complex in the past, with two different types of voluntary overtime hours applying, namely “ordinary” voluntary overtime hours and the so-called “relance” overtime hours, it has now been simplified to include just one type of voluntary overtime.

Belgian online traders must incorporate a mandatory online withdrawal function by 19 June 2026. Consumers who conclude distance contracts enjoy a right of withdrawal, allowing them to cancel without giving any reason and without incurring any penalty. This right is a cornerstone of EU consumer protection law.

Belgium’s Act of 20 April 2026 introduces a new notification obligation for businesses that use automatic renewal clauses in fixed-term B2C contracts. From 1 May 2027, businesses must inform consumers at least 15 days before the consumer’s deadline to object to a renewal.

This article is an updated version of Chapter 2 originally from our 2025 blog series “Retail promotions & pricing: legal essentials for businesses” and was revised in May 2026 following the Council of State‘s decisions of 20 May 2026 to annul fines imposed on textile retailers for breaching Belgium’s statutory sales period rules. Promotions and price reductions are powerful tools in the retail sector, and are subject to legal regulations.

For years, many businesses have followed the same playbook when ending a commercial agency relationship: send the termination notice, then use the notice period to negotiate a quick, cost-effective settlement before things get complicated. On 23 April 2026 Europe’s highest court put a definitive end to that approach.

The Veterinary Medicinal Products Regulation (EU) 2019/6 has applied in the EU since 28 January 2022, replacing Directive 2001/82/EC. The new rules on good manufacturing practice (GMP) will in turn be fleshed out by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2091, which will apply from 16 July 2026. In addition, the European Commission is introducing new GMP requirements concerning the retention of samples for veterinary medicinal products that are repackaged for parallel trade.

CEPANI, the Belgian Centre for Arbitration and Mediation, has issued new Arbitration Rules entering into force on 1 June 2026, building on the modernisation achieved in the 2020 revision with the core objective of delivering a clearer, more efficient dispute resolution framework. Below is an overview of what we consider to be the five most noteworthy changes. The 2026 Rules formally embed mediation at every stage of the arbitral process.