The retail park encompasses ca. 10,000 sq.m. of shopping area divided over 9 stores and is let to chains such as Carrefour, Hubo, JYSK, Vanden Borre Kitchen, Impermo, BNP Paribas and Sushiworld.

Read press release.

This transaction follows the earlier acquisition this year of the shares of Immo Bree Invest nv, the company controlling the Gerkens retail park in Bree.

Gerkenspark encompass together ca. 11,500 sq.m. of shopping area divided over 9 stores, including Jumbo, McDonald’s, Jysk, X2O, Torfs, ZEB, vanHaren, Yess! and Impermo.

More at: https://www.pertinea.com/news/bree-draft/

Racine assisted Pertinea on both transactions with a multidisciplinary team led by partner Anthony Van der Hauwaert with the support of Stijn Claeys, Sien Vermeesch, Arne Baert, Joeri Leten and Alexis Debier.

We would also like to thank the colleagues at Cazimir for their tax support.

The post Racine assists Pertinea Property Partners on two of its latest acquisitions first appeared on Racine.

The fact that this tank station would only supply fossil fuels was a problem for the Council, given the fact that the municipality of Boechout had imposed some climate objectives on itself by signing a Covenant of Mayors on 1 June 2015. Moreover, the municipality of Boechout had refused the permit in the first instance for this reason, and also issued a negative opinion in the framework of the administrative appeal procedure. Reference is also made to the Paris Agreement.

Central to the discussion is article 4.3.4. of the Flemish Codex on Spatial Planning (hereafter VCRO) which stipulates:

“A permit may be refused if an obligatory opinion shows that the application is undesirable in the light of objectives or duties of care that are applied in other policy areas than spatial planning. For the application of the first paragraph, “objectives or duties of care” are understood to mean: provisions of international law, European law, regulations or decrees that oblige the government, when implementing or interpreting regulations or pursuing a policy, to take account of a certain objective or of certain precautions, without these being in themselves sufficiently clear in legal terms to be able to be implemented immediately.” (free translation)

This is by no means a recent legislative provision, nor one that has caused much controversy in the past. Indeed, since the word ‘may’ is mentioned in the first paragraph, this provision only provides for an optional ground for refusal. In other words: the deciding authority decides for itself whether the breach of the objective or duty of care should lead to the refusal of the permit.

It goes without saying that this provision can have a very broad scope. Every possible policy field can be involved. Until now, this provision has remained rather a dead letter.

Despite what is reported by certain media sources, the Council for Permit Disputes did not rule that the permit application had to be refused in that context. The Council did rule that the Antwerp Provincial Executive could not limit itself to stating that it did not consider the negative advice from the municipality to be “a valid legal reason for refusing the application from an environmental point of view”.

Such reasons may indeed, given the reading of Article 4.3.4. VCRO, constitute a valid ground for refusal. By ruling that the incompatibility with the objective could not be a valid reason for refusing the permit, the Province indeed violated the VCRO. However, it is important to point out that the Council for Permit Disputes already ruled in other cases that an authority granting a permit is not subject to a special duty to state reasons if it does not apply an optional ground for refusal (see, for example, the optional possibility of taking policy-driven developments into account in the assessment of good spatial planning).

However, the VCRO leaves the choice entirely up to the deciding authority. The question therefore arises as to what the Council for Permit Disputes would consider if the Antwerp Provincial Executive were to state in the decision after annulment that the application of article 4.3.4. VCRO is only an optional ground for refusal and that, in the light of certain concrete facts, it considers that this incompatibility does not outweigh the impact on the economy and fuel supply. In that context, the deciding authority would recognize the possibility of refusal, but would explicitly indicate why it does not wish to make use of it in this case.

Let’s wait and see, for less severe measures are usually applied than announced.  However, one can expect Article 4.3.4. VCRO to be encountered much more frequently in permit cases in the near future.

Do you need specific assistance in applying for or contesting permits?

Contact our public law team!

The post A new climatic evaluation in permit procedures? first appeared on Racine.

Racine Brussels advised Belgian family office Immo Corporate on the acquisition of the Olen Shopping Park from Aberdeen Standard European Balanced Property Fund.

The Olen Shopping Park is the owner of a retail park located in the Antwerp province in Belgium totalizing 35,400 m² GLA spread over 33 units. Anchor tenants include food retailer Albert Heijn, Decathlon, Maison du Monde and H&M.

We are proud and thankful of the Racine team that has worked on this transaction, which is the largest retail transaction in Belgium in 2020 in a very challenging market.

The Racine transaction team consisted of Anthony Van der Hauwaert and Sien Vermeesch with support of Stijn Claeys, Arne Baert and Louise Geerebaert. The deal value remains confidential.

Stay informed? Follow Racine on LinkedIN.

The post Racine assisted on the acquisition of the Olen Shopping Park first appeared on Racine.

Racine Brussels is also this year the exclusive contributor to The Legal 500: Construction Law (3rd edition) Country Comparative Guide.

Our partner Isabelle Cooreman and senior associate Bram Tollet provide an overview of the laws and regulations governing the construction industry in Belgium. These series of online country comparative legal guides are designed to give the in-house community greater insight to the laws and regulations in unfamiliar jurisdictions. Each country chapter is written by a firm ranked by The Legal 500 in an easy to use Q&A format.

The post Construction Law 2020 – Belgium first appeared on Racine.

Racine Brussels is proud to again be recommended as a leading firm in the following practice areas in this year’s Legal 500 EMEA guide:

• Corporate, Commercial and M&A
• Insolvency and Restructuring
• Real Estate and Construction practice

Our Partner Joan Dubaere has been recommended as a “leading individual” in Insolvency and Restructuring and Rubben Lindemans as “rising star”.

This is what Legal 500 says about us in their 2020 guide:

Corporate, Commercial and M&A

Our corporate and commercial practise is considered ‘very agile‘ and attracts praise for its ‘hands-on approach, outstanding knowledge of the local market and its ability to access its cross-border network‘. ‘The team is well acquainted with the Belgian Market and knows the right people at the right place. They work with a lot of discretion.‘

Practice head Anthony Van der Hauwaert has a broad practice with experience in corporate, M&A and private equity transactions as well as real estate and employment matters. Stijn Claeys is a key name to note for commercial and competition advice, particularly in the retail sector.

Insolvency and Restructuring

Our insolvency and restructuring team has ‘a very strong reputation for insolvency‘ and attracts praise for being ‘embedded in local practice and down to earth‘. It is a ‘Large practice with in depth experience and a real focus on insolvency.‘ ‘The group is instructed in insolvency and restructuring-related litigation and is frequently appointed as trustee and liquidator in bankruptcies and liquidation proceedings. Racine has a strong reputation in the area of insolvency law. With a considerable number of accredited bankruptcy administrators within this firm, it is the go-to firm when dealing with insolvency situations. Their combined practical experience is unrivalled by any other Belgian law firm.

Practice head Joan Dubaere, Stijn Vanschoubroek, Stefaan Aerts and senior associate Rubben Lindemans are all experienced in insolvency matters.

Real Estate and Construction practice

Racine’s ‘very professional‘ team provides ‘sound legal advice‘ to clients regarding real estate disputes, and has also been handling acquisition mandates. They provide ‘solution driven advice’ and are ‘client oriented with a solid theoretical knowledge‘. The ‘eloquent’ Isabelle Cooreman is the name to note.

Some testimonials from clients and peers:

‘Joan Dubaere and associate Rubben Lindemans have a pragmatic approach and propose practical solutions for clients.‘

‘Stefaan Aerts is a talented lawyer with a hands-on approach, which is highly valued by clients. His advice is always clear and straightforward. It is also a pleasure working with someone who is this available and responsive.‘

‘Rubben Lindemans has also built a strong reputation as one of the rising stars in the insolvency landscape. I look forward to working with him.‘

‘Stijn Claeys and his team offer a hands-on approach, efficient meetings and get straight to the core of the problem.‘

‘Stijn Claeys captures the problem or legal issue very quickly and builds a practical response with the client’s specifics in mind.‘

‘Stijn Vanschoubroek was very much available and helped out on a daily basis. He is a great person to work with: direct, interactive, no-nonsense.‘

‘Isabelle Cooreman is very pragmatic and goal oriented‘.

Follow the link to view the rankings and editorial.

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RACINE RECOMMENDED IN THE LEGAL 500 EMEA 2019 GUIDE

Racine Brussels is proud to be recommended as a leading firm in the following practice areas in this year’s Legal 500 EMEA guide:

• Corporate, Commercial and M&A
• Insolvency and Restructuring
• Real Estate and Construction practice

Our corporate and commercial practise is praised for its “commercially-minded” approach and stands out for its profound experience, excellent service and for providing very good value for money. The ‘committed and solution-driven’ Anthony Van der Hauwaert is highlighted as ‘a shrewd and calm negotiator’. Stijn Claeys is noted for his ‘pragmatic, hands-on approach and profound legal knowledge’.

Our insolvency and restructuring team is considered “well known and highly reputed in the market” and attracts praise for its ‘no-nonsense pragmatic approach’. The truly professional Joan Dubaere and Stijn Vanschoubroek, who combines sharp legal analysis with a cost-effective approach, jointly head the practice, which includes the ‘hands-on and pragmatic’ Anthony Van der Hauwaert.

Isabelle Cooreman is recommended for our Real Estate and Construction practice.

The post Racine recommended in the Legal 500 Emea 2020 Guide first appeared on Racine.

De TM is op vele vlakken zeer vergelijkbaar met de vroegere THV: het betreft een vennootschap van bepaalde duur, zonder rechtspersoonlijkheid en met hoofdelijke (en onbeperkte) aansprakelijkheid van de vennoten. Hoewel de regels betreffende de TM in het huidige WVV uitgebreider werden uitgewerkt dan de regels betreffende de THV in het vroegere Wetboek van vennootschappen, blijft er een belangrijke rol weggelegd voor de contractuele vrijheid van partijen. De vroegere constructies van geïntegreerde en niet-geïntegreerde samenwerkingsvormen kunnen nu dus ook vormgegeven worden in het kader van een TM-overeenkomst.

Wanneer u overgaat tot oprichting van een TM dient u ervoor te zorgen dat zij wordt ingeschreven in de Kruispuntbank van Ondernemingen (KBO). Deze verplichting vloeit voort uit het Wetboek van economisch recht (WER: artikelen III.49, § 1, 1° en I.1, 1°, (c)). Vaak stelt zich, gelet op deze inschrijvingsplicht, de vraag vanaf wanneer dergelijke inschrijving in orde moet zijn. Zeker in het kader van overheidsopdrachten waar er soms een lang voorbereidend traject wordt doorlopen, stelt deze vraag zich.

Het WER geeft aan dat deze inschrijving dient te gebeuren “voor de aanvang van hun activiteiten” (artikel III.49, § 1, 1°). Het hierbij gehanteerde concept van de “aanvang van hun activiteiten” is echter niet meteen het helderste criterium. Zodoende rezen er vragen omtrent het uiterste moment van inschrijving.

Die vraag werd tijdens een vergadering van de Commissie voor Justitie die plaatsvond op 18 september 2019 ook aan de Minister van Justitie Koen Geens gesteld, waarop deze verduidelijkte dat er tijdens de gunningsfase nog geen inschrijvingsplicht bestaat. Dit leidt hij af uit het gegeven dat de maatschap pas over een inschrijving in de KBO dient te beschikken van zodra er sprake is van deelname aan het rechtsverkeer en er rechten en verplichtingen worden aangegaan met derden. Dit brengt hem tot de conclusie dat de inschrijvingsplicht geldt van “zodra de betrokken aannemers worden aangesteld als uitvoerder van de werken, zelfs indien de werken nog niet zijn aangevangen”. Vóór het ogenblik van aanstelling en dus tijdens de periode voor het klaarmaken en indienen van een offerte, zou dergelijke inschrijvingsplicht nog niet gelden, aldus de Minister (zie het volledige verslag op: https://www.dekamer.be/doc/CCRI/pdf/55/ic012.pdf).

Dit antwoord heeft de verdienste enige duidelijkheid te scheppen doch de juridische waarde ervan staat (nog) niet vast. Bijkomend wordt er zodoende tegemoetgekomen aan een pragmatische overweging: in de praktijk lijkt het immers weinig nut te hebben om steeds bij of vóór inschrijving reeds een KBO-nummer aan te vragen voor samenwerkingen waarvan men niet eens weet of ze effectief tot concrete activiteiten zullen leiden (buiten het voorbereiden van de offerte zelf).

Om hiermee in orde te zijn, doet u er dus goed aan om de nodige stappen te ondernemen van zodra u wordt ingelicht van de aanvaarding van uw offerte.

The post Oprichting van een tijdelijke maatschap: wanneer dient uw KBO-inschrijving in orde te zijn? first appeared on Racine.

Opened in 2010, the hotel has 150 rooms and is located in the heart of the European district.

The Racine team was led by Partner Anthony Van der Hauwaert with support by senior associate Sien Vermeesch.

The hotel is part of a larger development known as ‘Leopold Village’ composed of apartments, retail space and the hotel. Anthony Van der Hauwaert advised the owners since their acquisition of the land in 2006 on the construction, financing and realization of this development.

Further information can be found in coverage by the newspaper L’Echo (in French) and in the Schroder’s press release (in English).

The post Racine assists on the sale of the Aloft Brussels Schuman hotel first appeared on Racine.