Market Intelligence

As of 1 October 2026, the Walloon Region in Belgium has significantly reduced its list of bottleneck professions from 56 to just 31, affecting how employers can obtain work authorizations for third-country nationals. This update creates new challenges for employers seeking to hire foreign workers, as fewer professions now benefit from the presumption of genuine labour shortage that simplifies the work permit application process.

The European Commission has proposed a sweeping overhaul of EU public procurement rules that would replace three existing directives with a single regulation, fundamentally reshaping how companies compete for government contracts across Europe. The proposal introduces mandatory quality-weighted evaluation criteria, establishes a new "European preference" framework that could significantly restrict non-EU suppliers, and creates enhanced security and resilience requirements for strategic sectors. Companies bi

The European Commission has launched a targeted consultation on EU copyright laws to review the 2019 Digital Single Market Directive and explore potential reforms addressing generative AI challenges.

Belgium's proposed hospital reform introduces a four-tier system with strict bed thresholds that will force many hospital sites to either grow, merge, reconvert to specialized care facilities, or cease operations entirely by 2031. Sites falling below the minimum requirements face critical decisions about their future structure, governance, and service delivery models.

Understanding the right of access under GDPR is crucial for organisations handling personal data requests. This comprehensive guide examines the legal requirements, procedural checks, and practical considerations companies must navigate when data subjects exercise their right to access personal information, including common pitfalls and exceptions that can lead to regulatory sanctions.

The EU General Court's landmark Booking/Etraveli judgment validates the European Commission's power to block digital mergers based on entrenchment theories, even without horizontal overlaps or significant market share increases. This watershed ruling arrives alongside new Article 102 Guidelines and draft Merger Guidelines that reshape how dominant platforms must justify acquisitions and demonstrate competitive benefits in ecosystem markets.