Our firm intervenes in the field of commercial and civil litigation.

Commercial litigation

The vast majority of national legislation in the commercial sector is now derived from or inspired by European Union law.

Thanks to our expertise in the field of European Union regulatory law, we are called upon to advise and undertake litigation actions in all areas related to the interpretation of European legislation relating to the Internal Market. In this context, we may be required to formulate preliminary questions to the Court of Justice of the European Union with a view to the interpretation of a European directive or regulation, or even to contesting the validity of a European legislative or regulatory act.

We also intervene in matters relating to the application of national laws, such as laws on distribution contracts.

Our firm intervenes in the field of debt collection, both in Belgium and in France and abroad, either directly or by helping its clients to use the European small claims settlement procedure provided for by Regulation 861/2007 , or even through its foreign correspondents.

In the latter case, we also compile and submit their files on behalf of our clients to the medical accident fund in Belgium or to the Regional Conciliation and Compensation Commissions (CRCI) or the National Compensation Office. Medical Accidents (ONIAM) in France.

European litigation

There are four main categories of actions that can give rise to European litigation. Our firm can claim professional experience in each of these four categories.

Failure to do so

When a company or an individual considers that the authorities of a member state do not apply the existing rules of European law, he or she can lodge a complaint with the European Commission. This complaint consists of a file submitted to the Commission in which the complainant details the reasons why, in his opinion, from a legal point of view, the authorities of the State in question are not complying with European law. If it considers the complaint to be well founded, the European Commission asks the Member State to change its law or administrative practice in order to comply with European law. Failing that, the European Commission can refer the matter to the Court of Justice of the European Union to have the failure of the State in question to comply with its obligations and to possibly order the Member State to pay a fine.

Our firm prepares the complaint file on behalf of the client to be submitted to the European Commission.

Action for annulment

When a company receives a decision from an EU authority (most often the European Commission) and contests its validity, it can bring an action for annulment of this act before the General Court. ‘European Union. It may also, under certain conditions, bring an action for annulment against a legislative act of general scope.

As direct actions for annulment often result in judgments declaring the action inadmissible, our firm advises its clients on the advisability of bringing a direct action for annulment before initiating such an action before the General Court.

Preliminary questions

In the context of the litigation files that we lead on behalf of our clients before Belgian or French courts, we may be required to formulate preliminary questions to the Court of Justice of the European Union with a view to the interpretation of a European directive or regulation, or even on the validity of a European legislative or regulatory act.

European civil service litigation

Our firm defends the interests of European civil servants and elected representatives (parliamentarians, full civil servants but also temporary and contractual agents, etc.) against the institutions for which they work.

Article 90 of the Service Regulations obliging us to file a prior internal complaint, we advise our clients in the context of this complaint before considering an appeal to the Civil Service Tribunal.