Latest blog articles

  • State aid and export credits: which law applies?

    Officially supported export credits are instruments that governments can use to boost or support their exports, either through insurances, loans or guarantees. Most governments provide this support through Export Credit Agencies (ECAs), the first of which were founded in the 1920s (Stephens, 1999).

  • Should we worry about sovereign debt?

    In her recent book “The Deficit Myth” star economist Stephanie Kelton tells us why economists should not worry too much about sovereign debt and deficits. But is that the same for lawyers? And are all countries truly treated equally?

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  • Contract law in times of corona and other sanitary crises

    The yearly Ius Commune conference, this year held online on 26 November 2020, traditionally includes a contract law workshop. This year the theme of the workshop was “Contract law in times of corona and other sanitary crises”. Five researchers presented recent work dealing with subthemes.

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  • The similarity between Le Quattro Stagioni and the Brabançonne

    Since the elections of 26 May 2019 for a new Belgian federal government, intensive negotiations have been held and various possible coalitions have been explored.1 Eventually, the Vivaldi coalition2 succeeded in forming a new Belgian federal government on 30 September 2020. 3 This contribution...

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  • Work in progress: Belgian social policy under construction

    After 493 days of intensive negotiations, Belgium has a new federal government1  The largest amount released for the new policy is invested in social policy, i.e. 2.3 billion euros out of a total of 3.2 billion euros. The federal government's objective is to protect social security and secure long...

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  • Quarantine exception insufficient for border region

    Continued disproportionate impact on daily life in the border region

    With the circulation of the Coronavirus, governments are trying to restrict the movement of people. Staying at home and limiting unnecessary travel and visits is a frequently used and successful recipe against the flare-ups of...

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  • Shades of European righteousness in California’s handling of Uber

    Back in 2017, the European Court of Justice ruled in Asociación Profesional Elite Taxi v. Uber Systems Spain, SL (Case C-434/15) that Uber offers common transportation services and thus, ought to be regulated as such. Various European national courts subsequently made similar rulings against Uber...

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  • The regulation of social media influencers

    Social media influencers have become increasingly pervasive in the past years. Influencers (also often called content creators) are individuals with a large following on social media who create content which filters information, advertises products and services, offers advice, and promotes political...

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  • Three countries, three ways of counting?

    Comparing figures on corona infections and mortality can be misleading

    The number of people dying in Belgium from the effects of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) is higher than in neighbouring countries. This high mortality rate makes it seem as if Belgium is not doing as well as its neighbours. The...

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