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Dirk Arts

Partner

Brussels

Arts Dirk
Dirk Arts

Partner

Brussels

Dirk is the head of the Belgian competition law department. He specialises in Belgian and EU competition law as well as general EU law. He advises and assists clients in administrative and judicial procedures, both before national and European authorities and courts.

Dirk has particular experience within the energy, media, chemical, retail and automobile sectors. He represents clients in cartel investigations conducted by both the Commission as well as the Belgian competition authority, and advises on merger control cases.

Dirk is a member of the editorial board of Competitio and a founding member of the Belgian Association of Competition Lawyers.

Dirk has worked as a research assistant at the Institute for European Law of the KULeuven before serving as a Référendaire (legal secretary) in the General Court. He teaches Judicial Protection in the EU at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel.

Dirk has been identified by Global Competition Review’s independent research with clients and peers as being among the world’s leading competition lawyers.

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Publications: 14 March 2022

European Commission consults on new rules for horizontal cooperation agreements featuring sustainability agreements and data sharing

On 1 March 2022, the European Commission published for consultation draft revised Horizontal Block Exemption Regulations on research & development and specialisation agreements as well as draft…

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Publications: 09 March 2022

Belgian legislator introduces a filing fee for merger control notifications to the Belgian Competition Authority

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Publications: 18 December 2020

Antitrust in focus - December 2020

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Publications: 22 September 2020

The European Commission’s evaluation of the antitrust rules on vertical agreements: where are we heading?

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Office

Brussels

Tervurenlaan 268A avenue de Tervueren
Brussels
1150

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Qualifications

Professional

Stagiair, Belgium, 1997

Admitted as advocaat, Belgium, 2001

Exempt european lawyer, England and Wales, 2004

Academic

Law Degree, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL), 1988

LLM, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 1990

Published work

  • Arts. D, Lenaerts. K, (1995) "Europees Procesrecht", Antwerpen/Apeldoorn, Maklu Uitgevers, p.458
  • Arts. D, Lenaerts. K, (1999) "Europees Procesrecht (tweede uitgave)", Antwerpen/Apeldoorn, Maklu Uitgevers, p.61
  • Arts. D, Lenaerts. K, (Robert Bray uitg.), (1999) "Procedural Law of the European Union", Londen, Sweet & Maxwell, p.53
  • Met Koen Lenaerts, Europees Procesrecht (derde uitgave), Antwerpen/Apeldoorn, Maklu Uitgeverij, 2003, 618
  • Arts. D, Lenaerts. K, Mawelis. I, (2006) "Procedural Law of the European Union" London, Sweet & Maxwell, p.789, (Robert Bray ed.
  • Chapter “Judicial Review of Cartel Decision”, in Frank Wijckmans and Filip. Tuytschaever (eds), Horizontal Agreements and Cartels in EU Competition Law, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2015, p. 269-311.
  • 'Het Francovich-arrest en zijn toepassing in de Belgische rechtsorde', TBP, 1993, 495-510.
  • Belgian contribution to 'Ratification processes of the Treaty on European Union', European Law Review, 1993, 228-232
  • With Koen Lenaerts, 'Le principe d'égalité en droit communautaire et dans la convention européenne de sauvegarde des droits de l'homme et des libertés fondamentales' in La personne humaine, sujet de droit, Collection de la Faculté de Droit et des Sciences Sociales de l'Université de Poitiers, 1994, 101-134
  • 'Direct Actions before the Court of Justice and the Court of First Instance', published in a report on a the seminar 'Taxpayers' Protection' organised for EFS of the Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam
  • With Jacques Steenbergen, chapter on competition law in 'Bestendig Handboek Distributierecht', part IX in D. Struyven (ed.) Kluwer, Mechelen, 2002, 355-398.
  • With Karel Bourgeois, "Samenwerking tussen de mededingingsautoriteiten en rechtsbescherming : enkele bedenkingen", Tijdschrift voor Belgische Mededinging, 2006 nr. 1.
  • "Een nieuwe wet, een nieuwe uitdaging", Tijdschrift voor Belgische Mededinging, 2006, nr 3.
  • "Enkele krachtlijnen van de nieuwe Belgische mededingingswet", Tijdschrift voor Belgische Mededinging, 2007 nr. 1
  • With L. Eskenazi : "Arrêt Schneider c. Commission – La responsabilité extracontractuelle de la Commission dans le cadre du contrôle des concentrations.", JTDE, 2007 nr. 14, p. 299-301.
  • Book review: Ysewyn, J, "Tien jaar Belgisch Mededingingsrecht Rechtspraakoverzicht" in de reeks Bibliotheek Handelsrecht Larcier, Larcier, Gent, 2008, 600 p., Tijdschrift voor Belgische Mededinging, 2009, Nr. 1
  • With C. Pommiès : "Les limites à la confidentialité des correspondances juridiques en droit de la concurrence – Implications pratiques pour les juristes d'entreprise.", Bulletin droit & Banque 43, avril 2009.
  • "Schneider and the non-contractual liability of the European Community in the field of merger control", Journal of European Competition Law and Practice, 30 December 2009.
  • With H. Gilliams, J. Wouters, P. De Man, P. Wytinck and A. Godfroid : "Kroniek van rechtspraak: Europees ondernemingsrecht (januari 2008-december 2010) – Deel VII - Overheidssteun", RDC/TBH, 2011/7, September 2011.
  • "Iedereen gelijk voor de wet? Beschouwingen over de rechtmatigheid van het verlenen van clementie in kartelzaken.", Tijdschrift voor Belgische Mededinging, 2012, p. 3-18.
  • With K. Bourgeois : "Cartels, Enforcement, Appeals & Damages Actions – Belgium", Global Legal Insights, Global Legal Group, 2013, p 29-36.
  • With K. Bourgeois: “Some reflections on the effect on trade concept contained in Articles 101 and 102 TFEU”, D.Arts, W. Devroe, R. Foqué and I. Verougstraete (eds), Mundi et Europae Civis – Liber Amicorum Jacques Steenbergen, Larcier, 2014, p 331-346.
  • With K. Bourgeois and Marlies De Deygere : "Cartels, Enforcement, Appeals & Damages Actions – Belgium", Global Legal Insights, Global Legal Group, 2015, p 36-45.