Best E-commerce & Internet Law Lawyers in Hasselt

About E-commerce & Internet Law in Hasselt, Belgium

E-commerce and internet law in Hasselt sits at the intersection of Belgian federal rules, EU regulations, and practical business realities for companies operating online in Flanders. Whether you sell goods through a webshop, run a platform or marketplace, develop apps, process customer data, or use digital advertising, you are subject to a framework that combines the Belgian Code of Economic Law, the GDPR, consumer protection rules, electronic communications and payment standards, and newer EU acts governing platforms and online content. Because Hasselt is in the Flemish Region, additional language and consumer information duties in Dutch apply to many business-to-consumer communications.

The legal landscape is dynamic. Recent changes include stricter transparency and review practices under the EU Omnibus Directive, marketplace and content moderation duties under the Digital Services Act, and roadmap measures for mandatory e-invoicing in Belgium. Getting compliant early is often less costly than fixing issues after complaints, audits, or enforcement begin.

Why You May Need a Lawyer

Many online ventures start quickly with off-the-shelf tools, yet legal questions arise as soon as you collect data, sell across borders, or advertise. You may need a lawyer to audit your website and policies, draft compliant terms and privacy notices, and align checkout flows with mandatory information, pricing, and withdrawal rules. Legal counsel also helps when you operate a marketplace or SaaS product, because your role and risk profile change compared to a simple webshop.

Common triggers for legal help include receiving a customer complaint about returns or misleading pricing, facing a data protection inquiry from the Belgian Data Protection Authority, dealing with a chargeback or payment dispute, moderating unlawful user content, rebranding and protecting trademarks, resolving a .be domain name conflict, engaging influencers or affiliates, handling cookies and tracking technologies, scaling to other EU markets with VAT implications, and negotiating vendor or platform terms. Early review prevents fines, takedown orders, reputational harm, and expensive redesigns.

Local Laws Overview

Core Belgian sources include the Code of Economic Law, especially Book VI on market practices and consumer protection and Book XII on the digital economy. These set out obligations on price transparency, product information, distance selling, withdrawal rights, unfair terms, and legal guarantees. Belgian law also implements the EU E-commerce Directive, which provides liability rules for intermediaries, and the rules on electronic contracts and signatures that recognize qualified and advanced e-signatures under eIDAS.

Data protection is governed by the GDPR, enforced by the Belgian Data Protection Authority, and supplemented by Belgian rules implementing the ePrivacy framework for cookies and electronic communications. In practice, most non-essential cookies and similar tracking demand prior consent that is freely given, specific, informed, and documented. Dark patterns in consent banners and pre-ticked boxes are not allowed.

The EU Digital Services Act applies to most online intermediaries, including hosting providers and marketplaces. It requires clear notice-and-action mechanisms, transparency reporting, trader traceability for marketplaces, and due diligence processes proportionate to the service size. Platform operators must adapt terms, internal processes, and user interfaces accordingly.

Consumer rules derive from the EU Consumer Rights Directive and the updated Omnibus reforms. They establish a 14-day withdrawal right for most distance contracts, detailed pre-contract disclosures, and obligations when offering digital content or services. New price reduction announcements must reference the lowest price in the prior 30 days. Publishing consumer reviews requires disclosure of authenticity checks.

VAT on cross-border e-commerce follows the EU 2021 package. Belgian sellers frequently use the One Stop Shop for intra-EU sales and the Import One Stop Shop for low-value consignments. Payment services must comply with PSD2 strong customer authentication. Belgium is transitioning to mandatory B2B e-invoicing from 2026, while B2G e-invoicing is already expected in Flanders.

Local to Hasselt and the Flemish Region, economic communications aimed at consumers should be in Dutch. Website legal information, consumer-facing terms, and key product details should be provided in Dutch when targeting Flemish consumers. If you target Wallonia or Brussels, French or bilingual materials may be needed. Belgian enterprises must display their enterprise number, registered address, contact email, and VAT status on their website and in legal notices.

Intellectual property protection includes Belgian copyright and related rights, Benelux trademarks and designs through the Benelux Office for Intellectual Property, and .be domain name rules administered by DNS Belgium, with an established dispute mechanism. Cybersecurity responsibilities vary by business type, with sectoral rules and guidance from the Centre for Cyber Security Belgium and evolving requirements under NIS2 for certain entities.

Frequently Asked Questions

What information must my Belgian webshop display on its site

You must clearly state your business name, legal form, registered office, enterprise number and VAT number if applicable, contact email, and geographic address. You also need accessible terms and conditions, privacy notice, cookie policy, pricing including taxes and delivery costs, delivery times, and the process to exercise the 14-day withdrawal right. If you provide an online contact form, you should also give a direct email address.

Do I have to provide content in Dutch if I am based in Hasselt

Yes for consumer-facing economic communications in Flanders. Key information such as product descriptions, pricing, terms, pre-contract notices, and customer service should be available in Dutch when you target Flemish consumers. If you target other regions, provide the relevant language versions as needed.

How do the 14-day returns work for distance sales

Consumers generally have 14 days from delivery to withdraw without giving reasons. You must provide a model withdrawal form and refund the price including standard delivery costs within 14 days of being informed, but you can wait until goods are returned or proof of return is provided. Some items are excluded, such as custom goods, sealed health products once unsealed, or digital content once the consumer has consented to immediate performance and waived the withdrawal right.

What are my obligations for cookies and tracking

Non-essential cookies, analytics that identify users, and advertising trackers require prior opt-in consent. The banner must be clear, offer a real choice, and allow refusal as easily as acceptance. You need a granular preference center, proper categorization, and an up-to-date cookie policy identifying each tool, purpose, and retention period. Consent must be recorded and easily withdrawn.

Are electronic signatures valid for online contracts

Yes. Belgian law recognizes electronic contracts and signatures under the eIDAS Regulation. Qualified electronic signatures have the highest evidential value. Advanced electronic signatures are widely used in commerce. Choose the level that matches your risk profile and consider identity checks for higher value agreements.

What changes under the EU Digital Services Act for my platform

If you host user content or run a marketplace, you must offer notice-and-action procedures, provide clear terms, act on illegal content with due process, and for marketplaces, verify trader information and display it to consumers. Larger services face enhanced transparency and risk mitigation duties. You should map your role, update policies, and implement internal workflows and record keeping.

How do VAT and invoicing work for cross-border online sales

For B2C sales within the EU, you can use the One Stop Shop to declare VAT in a single return at the customer country rate. For imports of low-value goods, the Import One Stop Shop can simplify VAT collection. Keep accurate records, display VAT-inclusive prices to consumers, and prepare for Belgian B2B e-invoicing obligations that start in 2026.

What are the rules for price reductions and reviews

When announcing a price reduction, reference the lowest price in the 30 days before the reduction. Do not use fake or unverifiable reviews. Disclose how you ensure reviews are from real customers, and tell consumers if reviews are incentivized or moderated. Influencer and affiliate promotions must be clearly identifiable as advertising.

What legal guarantees apply to goods and digital content

Consumers benefit from a two-year legal warranty for goods, with specific rules for second-hand items. The burden of proof is significantly favorable to the consumer in the initial period after delivery. For digital content and services, you must ensure conformity and provide updates for a period appropriate to the type of service. Remedies include repair, replacement, price reduction, or contract termination.

How are .be domain and brand disputes resolved

.be domains are administered by DNS Belgium, with an alternative dispute procedure that can transfer or cancel a domain registered in bad faith or infringing rights. For brand protection, file trademarks with the Benelux Office for Intellectual Property and monitor platforms and marketplaces. A coordinated IP and domain strategy helps avoid conflicts.

Additional Resources

Federal Public Service Economy for consumer protection, market practices, and business registration guidance.

Belgian Data Protection Authority for GDPR compliance guidance, decisions, and complaint handling.

Centre for Cyber Security Belgium and Safeonweb for cybersecurity alerts and good practices.

BIPT Belgian Institute for Postal Services and Telecommunications for electronic communications matters.

DNS Belgium for .be domain registration policies and dispute procedures.

Benelux Office for Intellectual Property for trademarks and designs in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.

FPS Finance VAT administration for OSS and IOSS registration and VAT guidance.

Consumer Ombudsman Service and Belmed for alternative dispute resolution in consumer conflicts.

Balie Limburg the local bar association for finding lawyers in the Hasselt area.

European Commission resources on the Digital Services Act, consumer law, and platform compliance.

Next Steps

Clarify your business model and risk areas. Are you a webshop, a marketplace, a SaaS provider, or a content platform. Identify where you sell, which users you target, and what data you process.

Perform a compliance audit. Check website disclosures, terms, privacy and cookie notices, checkout screens, pricing and promotions, returns workflow, marketplace onboarding, content moderation, and supplier contracts. Map your data flows and third party processors.

Prioritize fixes that address regulator hot spots. These typically include cookie consent, consumer information and withdrawal rights, price transparency, review authenticity, and data protection governance. Adjust your UX to avoid dark patterns and ensure language-localized content for Flemish consumers.

Organize key documents. Gather your enterprise and VAT numbers, company details, product catalogs, pricing history, vendor and payment processor agreements, data processing agreements, and logs that evidence consent, notices, and takedown actions.

Consult a lawyer experienced in Belgian and EU e-commerce law. Ask for a scoped engagement covering policy drafting, contract templates, DSA readiness, GDPR compliance, VAT setup, and IP protection. For Hasselt-based operations, request guidance on Dutch language obligations and local court practice.

Implement and train. Update your policies and interfaces, deploy cookie tools correctly, configure notice-and-action and trader checks for marketplaces, and train staff on returns handling, data rights requests, and content moderation procedures.

Plan ongoing monitoring. Schedule periodic audits, track legal changes like e-invoicing milestones, and maintain incident response playbooks for data breaches, platform notices, and consumer disputes. Document decisions and keep versioned records to show compliance if challenged.

If you need immediate help, prepare a brief describing your activities, technologies, markets, and current pain points. This will allow a lawyer to give targeted advice and realistic timelines for bringing your online business into compliance.