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Belgian Competition Authority Launches Inspections in Personal Care and Retail Sectors

By  |  June 24, 2025

The Belgian Competition Authority (BCA) has announced that its Investigations and Prosecution Service is conducting inspections at the offices of several companies operating in the personal care and retail industries. These actions are part of an inquiry into potential violations of competition laws, according to a statement released by the Authority.

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    The inspections are linked to suspicions of breaches of Article IV.1 of the Code of Economic Law and Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, both of which prohibit agreements that may hinder fair competition. Per a statement from the BCA, the inspections are part of an early investigative phase and do not imply any conclusion about the companies’ culpability.

    “These inspections are a preliminary step in the investigation of restrictive practices and do not prejudge the outcome,” the Authority emphasized in its official communication.

    In light of the ongoing operations, the BCA has also revised its inspection guidelines to reflect updated procedural standards. These revised documents are now available on the Authority’s website and provide a clearer framework for how such inspections are to be carried out, per a statement accompanying the update.

    The BCA clarified that the timeline for concluding the investigation remains uncertain. It will depend on several elements, such as the intricacy of the case, the level of cooperation by the companies involved, and the observance of due process rights.

    Source: Belgian Competition