Author: Ariane Mutoni

At first sight, the new Code mainly appears to involve a renumbering exercise: 84 of the 89 articles of the 2018 code have been carried over word for word. The changes that have been made, however, are far from insignificant. They shift the nature of the Code from a set of professional conduct rules governing…

The common practice A Spatial Implementation Plan (‘Ruimtelijk Uitvoeringsplan’ or RUP) is the instrument through which a municipality, province, or the Flemish government determines the zoning of land and specifies exactly what may be built. In this sense, the RUP is the successor to the former regional plans and special development plans (‘Bijzonder Plan van…

What is the “public concerned”? The Flemish Environmental Permitting Decree (Omgevingsvergunningsdecreet – OVD) defines the public concerned as natural or legal persons, associations or organisations that are affected or likely to be affected by an urban and/or environmental permit, or that have an interest in the decision concerning such a permit (Article 2, 1° OVD).…

What is substandard housing? The Flemish Housing Code (‘Vlaamse Codex Wonen’ or VCW) requires every residence to meet minimum quality standards. These include adequate structural stability, fire safety, or a healthy indoor environment. Anyone who rents out, offers for rent, or makes available a dwelling that does not meet these standards is committing a crime…

Although this measure represents only one part of the European directive, the preliminary draft marks the beginning of a much broader reform of Belgian company law. Directive (EU) 2025/25 aims to further expand the use of digital tools and processes, make company information more easily accessible across borders and avoid requiring companies to submit the…

The case in brief A Belgian investment company wants to develop a new ‘Bioscape Campus’, also known as Bioscape Antwerpen, on the University of Antwerp’s Drie Eiken Campus in Edegem. The project involves a new research centre of approximately 28,000 m², comprising a single central community building of 9,987 m² and two accelerator buildings of…

The measure was prompted by the sharp increase in low-value imports, mainly from e-commerce platforms established outside the European Union. Every year, billions of small parcels cross the Union’s borders, creating an unprecedented administrative burden for customs authorities. According to the EU legislator, the previous regime also encouraged practices such as undervaluing goods or artificially…

The facts A couple applied to rent an apartment in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert. The monthly rent amounted to EUR 1,395, plus EUR 195 in fixed charges. The prospective tenants had a combined net income of approximately EUR 4,200 per month. This income met the commonly applied standard of three times the basic rent, but not three times…

New binding social objective through 2042 The most significant change concerns the introduction of a new binding social objective (BSO) for the period 2026-2042. The decree stipulates that the existing social housing stock must be expanded by 50,000 additional social rental units by no later than December 31, 2042 (Article 2.23, §1 VCW). This objective…

1. Background and scope of the new obligation Directive (EU) 2023/2673, amending Directive 2011/83/EU as regards financial services contracts concluded at a distance and repealing Directive 2002/65/EC, inserts a new Article 11a into the Consumer Rights Directive. This introduces a new obligation for traders concluding distance contracts with consumers through online interfaces. Although the Directive…