The Business Law Guide to Belgium is essential reading for all companies doing business in Belgium, as well as for their legal advisers. This book is a time- and money-saving companion that deals with the legal aspects of most commercial scenarios from a practical point of view.
Topics covered in the book include company law, mergers and acquisitions, accounting law, taxation and tax law, customs and excise law, financial law, employment law, residence and work permits, distribution law, E-commerce rules, intellectual property law, antitrust law, unfair trade practices, property law, environmental law, state aid rules, product liability law, data-protection rules, judicial composition and bankruptcy, and litigation and arbitration.
Written by a team of Belgian lawyers at Van Bael & Bellis, this book reflects their day to-day experience with respect to the complex legal issues that arise under Belgian business law. This book is the only comprehensive treatise of Belgian business law available in English.
Established in 1986, Van Bael & Bellis is one of the few independent international law firms based in Brussels. It advises companies from around the world on international trade law, antitrust law and Belgian business law, including corporate transactions and litigation.
Publisher’s note, Foreword and Acknowledgements 1. Belgium: An
Introduction I. Introduction II. Basic Principles of Belgian
Federalism III. The Federal Authorities IV. The Communities V.
The Regions VI. Community and Regional Finances VII.
Co-Operation and Conflict Resolution VIII. Provinces and Communes IX.
Use of Languages 2. Company Law I. Introduction II.
Requirements for The Establishment of a Branch Office III. Requirements
for the Establishment of a Subsidiary IV. Other Corporate Forms 3.
Mergers & Acquisitions I. Introduction II. Mergers under
Belgian Law III. Acquisitions under Belgian Law IV. Divisions,
Demergers and Split-Ups 4. Accounting I. Introduction II.
Applicable Law III. Financial Statements IV. Auditing and
Accounting Professions 5. Taxation I. Introduction II.
Individual Income Tax III. Corporate Income Tax IV. Legal
Entities Income Tax V. Non-Resident Income Tax VI. International
Aspects of Income Taxation VII. Value Added Tax VIII.
Registration Tax IX. Inheritance Tax 6. Customs And Excise Law I.
Customs Law II. Excise Law 7. Finance I. Introduction II.
Credit Institutions III. Introduction to Credit and Finance
Transactions IV. Financial Markets 8. Employment I. Introduction
II. Labour Law 9. Residence And Work Permits I. Residence in
Belgium II. Rules Applying to Employment of Foreigners 10.
Distribution I. Introduction II. Distributors III.
Commercial Agents IV. Commercial Representatives 11. E-Commerce I.
Introduction II. Jurisdiction and Applicable Law III.
Contracting on the internet IV. European Directive on E-Commerce V.
Electronic Signatures VI. Intermediary Liability VII. Domain
names VIII. Codes of conduct and the observatory of internet rights
IX. E-Commerce and Competition Law 12. Intellectual Property I.
Copyright and neighbouring rights II. The Legal Protection of Databases
III. Patents IV. Designs and Models V. Trademarks VI.
Know- How VII. Semiconductor Topographies VIII. Protection of
plant varieties 13. Antitrust I. Introduction II. Substantive
Rules III. Institutions IV. Rules of Procedure 14. Unfair
Trade Practices I. Introduction II. Information to the Consumer
III. Regulated Sales Methods IV. Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts
V. The “Catch-All” Provisions of the Law on unfair trade Practices: The
General Prohibition on unfair trade Practices 15. Real Estate I.
Acquisition of Real Estate II. Construction Right and Long Term Lease
III. Types of Lease Agreements IV. Expropriation 16.
Environmental Law I. Institutional Framework II. Legislative
Framework III. Direct Regulation Instruments IV. Liability For
Environmental Damage V. Environmental Issues in Mergers And
Acquisitions 17. Subsidies I. Introduction II. Sources of Aid
III. Types of Aid IV. Applications for Aid 18. Product Liability
I. Introduction II. The Law on Product Liability III.
Product Liability and Consumer Safety IV. Implied Warranty V.
Tort Liability VI. Future Legislation on the Sale of Consumer Goods
19. Data Protection I. Introduction II. Definitions and Main Actors
in the Processing of Personal Data III. Applicability of Belgian Law
IV. Permitted Forms of Processing V. Data Protection Principles
VI. Special Categories of Data VII. Conservation and Further
Processing of Personal Data for Historical, Statistical And Scientific
Purposes VIII. Rights of the Data Subject IX. Obligations of the
Controller X. Liability and Sanctions XI. Personal Data
Processed by Public Authorities in the Context of Police and Intelligence
Activities XII. Transfers of Personal Data to Third Countries XIII.
Register f Automatic Processing XIV. Sector-Based Data Protection
Rules 20. Judicial Composition and Bankruptcy I. Introduction II.
Tracing of Companies in Difficulty III. Judicial Composition IV.
Bankruptcy V. International Aspects 21. Litigation And Arbitration
I. Introduction II. Litigation III. Arbitration, Index