274 results Brand owners beware: Commission tough on cross-border sales restrictions The European Commission recently imposed a EUR 6.2 million fine on Hello Kitty owner Sanrio for preventing its licensees from selling licensed merchandising products across the entire EEA. General court dismisses all five appeals in the optical disk drives cartel The General Court recently upheld a Commission decision finding that suppliers of optical disk drives colluded in bids for sales to Dell and HP by engaging in a network of parallel bilateral contacts over a multi-year period. ICO to impose record-breaking fines for inadequate security measures and data breaches Though the European data protection authorities have taken their time in enforcing the GDPR two announcements by the ICO in the UK regarding proposed fines for British Airways and Marriott demonstrate that large fines are about to start landing regularly. CBAM: current and future obligations for importers of certain carbon-intensive goods The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) came into force on 1 October 2023. Importers of certain carbon-intensive goods have to report on emissions released during the production of those goods. Preventing environmental damage through sustainable cooperation Following the EC’s Horizontal Guidelines, the ACM and CMA have also published updated guidance on sustainability agreements. The approaches adopted by the three authorities are largely similar, but leave room for divergent assessments in some respects. Dutch court confirms: Samsung's 'price recommendations' practices were unlawful The Rotterdam District Court has delivered its judgment in the ACM's first-ever vertical restraints case. It upholds the fine imposed on Samsung for coordinating its retailers' online consumer prices under the pretence of 'price recommendations'. BEFIT and TP Directive On 12 September 2023, the European Commission published a proposal for a Council Directive on Business in Europe: Framework for Income Taxation (BEFIT Directive). Proposed amendments in the Dutch 2024 Tax Package related to ESG On Budget Day the Dutch Ministry of Finance published the 2024 Tax Package, including the 2024 Tax Plan. Certain proposals related to ESG that may be relevant to international businesses are addressed in this Tax Alert. Corporate social responsibility for Dutch companies: from B Corp to BVm Since to this date no specific legal form for the social enterprise exists in the Netherlands, companies are looking for other ways to demonstrate their commitment to CSR, for instance by aligning with private codes and labels. The vertical fight continues: two more cases on vertical restraints Companies should not take competition rules lightly in their supply relationships. The EU General Court's Valve judgment and the ACM's LG decision illustrate the consistent attention to vertical restraints. Settlement procedure and fine for vertical price fixing in Belgium The Belgian Competition Authority imposed a fine of €490,112 on Le Creuset for vertical price fixing (also known as resale price maintenance). Court of Appeal of The Hague rules on liability for antitrust follow on damages claims in the elevator sector In a judgment of 23 January 2024 (case no. 200.304.621 and 200.304.673), the Court of Appeal ruled that elevator manufacturer Kone can be held liable for damages alleged by 23 parties that combined their claims in a litigation vehicle. On repeat but louder: the ACM’s 2024 priorities On 23 January 2024, the ACM announced its priorities for 2024. The energy transition, the digital economy and sustainability are still on the ACM’s priority list, but now with better-equipped enforcement methods available. Stibbe advises Excent Tandtechniek on its acquisition of Ortholab Excent Tandtechniek, a leader in the dental technology market with 30 dental laboratories within the Benelux and part of Liberty Dental Group, acquires Ortholab. Invalidation of agreements entered into by a bankruptcy trustee with the approval of the supervisory judge under Article 69 of the Bankruptcy Act? The Dutch Supreme Court handed down a judgment on 15 Dec 2023 clarifying whether agreements entered into by a bankruptcy trustee with the approval of the supervisory judge can be affected by an application under Article 69 of the Dutch Bankruptcy Act. Competition law in 2024: putting theory into practice 2023 marked the near finale of the European Commission’s overhaul of its competition policy, leaving only a few loose ends to tie up in 2024/2025. It is now time to watch theory be put into practice by the competition authorities and at the courts. From Farm to Fairness: Unpacking the Dutch Unfair Trading Practices Act for the Agri-Food Supply Chain Since 2021, Dutch rules against unfair trading practices, which implemented an EU Directive, apply to business-to-business relationships in agri-food supply chains. Enforcement by the ACM, initially slow, is now intensifying. Tax Alert: Legislative proposal on Dutch implementation of ATAD 2 (anti-hybrid rules) On 2 July 2019, the Dutch State Secretary of Finance has published a legislative proposal to implement the EU Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive 2 ("ATAD 2") into Dutch domestic legislation (the "Bill"). ATAD 2 provides for minimum standards to neutralize hybri Pagination Previous page Page 2 Current page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Next page
Brand owners beware: Commission tough on cross-border sales restrictions The European Commission recently imposed a EUR 6.2 million fine on Hello Kitty owner Sanrio for preventing its licensees from selling licensed merchandising products across the entire EEA.
General court dismisses all five appeals in the optical disk drives cartel The General Court recently upheld a Commission decision finding that suppliers of optical disk drives colluded in bids for sales to Dell and HP by engaging in a network of parallel bilateral contacts over a multi-year period.
ICO to impose record-breaking fines for inadequate security measures and data breaches Though the European data protection authorities have taken their time in enforcing the GDPR two announcements by the ICO in the UK regarding proposed fines for British Airways and Marriott demonstrate that large fines are about to start landing regularly.
CBAM: current and future obligations for importers of certain carbon-intensive goods The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) came into force on 1 October 2023. Importers of certain carbon-intensive goods have to report on emissions released during the production of those goods.
Preventing environmental damage through sustainable cooperation Following the EC’s Horizontal Guidelines, the ACM and CMA have also published updated guidance on sustainability agreements. The approaches adopted by the three authorities are largely similar, but leave room for divergent assessments in some respects.
Dutch court confirms: Samsung's 'price recommendations' practices were unlawful The Rotterdam District Court has delivered its judgment in the ACM's first-ever vertical restraints case. It upholds the fine imposed on Samsung for coordinating its retailers' online consumer prices under the pretence of 'price recommendations'.
BEFIT and TP Directive On 12 September 2023, the European Commission published a proposal for a Council Directive on Business in Europe: Framework for Income Taxation (BEFIT Directive).
Proposed amendments in the Dutch 2024 Tax Package related to ESG On Budget Day the Dutch Ministry of Finance published the 2024 Tax Package, including the 2024 Tax Plan. Certain proposals related to ESG that may be relevant to international businesses are addressed in this Tax Alert.
Corporate social responsibility for Dutch companies: from B Corp to BVm Since to this date no specific legal form for the social enterprise exists in the Netherlands, companies are looking for other ways to demonstrate their commitment to CSR, for instance by aligning with private codes and labels.
The vertical fight continues: two more cases on vertical restraints Companies should not take competition rules lightly in their supply relationships. The EU General Court's Valve judgment and the ACM's LG decision illustrate the consistent attention to vertical restraints.
Settlement procedure and fine for vertical price fixing in Belgium The Belgian Competition Authority imposed a fine of €490,112 on Le Creuset for vertical price fixing (also known as resale price maintenance).
Court of Appeal of The Hague rules on liability for antitrust follow on damages claims in the elevator sector In a judgment of 23 January 2024 (case no. 200.304.621 and 200.304.673), the Court of Appeal ruled that elevator manufacturer Kone can be held liable for damages alleged by 23 parties that combined their claims in a litigation vehicle.
On repeat but louder: the ACM’s 2024 priorities On 23 January 2024, the ACM announced its priorities for 2024. The energy transition, the digital economy and sustainability are still on the ACM’s priority list, but now with better-equipped enforcement methods available.
Stibbe advises Excent Tandtechniek on its acquisition of Ortholab Excent Tandtechniek, a leader in the dental technology market with 30 dental laboratories within the Benelux and part of Liberty Dental Group, acquires Ortholab.
Invalidation of agreements entered into by a bankruptcy trustee with the approval of the supervisory judge under Article 69 of the Bankruptcy Act? The Dutch Supreme Court handed down a judgment on 15 Dec 2023 clarifying whether agreements entered into by a bankruptcy trustee with the approval of the supervisory judge can be affected by an application under Article 69 of the Dutch Bankruptcy Act.
Competition law in 2024: putting theory into practice 2023 marked the near finale of the European Commission’s overhaul of its competition policy, leaving only a few loose ends to tie up in 2024/2025. It is now time to watch theory be put into practice by the competition authorities and at the courts.
From Farm to Fairness: Unpacking the Dutch Unfair Trading Practices Act for the Agri-Food Supply Chain Since 2021, Dutch rules against unfair trading practices, which implemented an EU Directive, apply to business-to-business relationships in agri-food supply chains. Enforcement by the ACM, initially slow, is now intensifying.
Tax Alert: Legislative proposal on Dutch implementation of ATAD 2 (anti-hybrid rules) On 2 July 2019, the Dutch State Secretary of Finance has published a legislative proposal to implement the EU Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive 2 ("ATAD 2") into Dutch domestic legislation (the "Bill"). ATAD 2 provides for minimum standards to neutralize hybri