The Belgian Competition Authority (BCA) recently hosted Colruyt Group to exchange best practices on cooperation in investigations. Colruyt Group, a major player in food and consumer goods distribution in Belgium, frequently contributes to BCA's investigations on restrictive practices and merger control.

BCA and Colruyt Group have a history of interaction and decided to identify best practices through mutual learning. The collaboration aims to benefit all stakeholders involved in discussions on cooperation best practices, emphasizing the importance of companies' cooperation in providing relevant data and understanding market dynamics.

The Belgian Code of Economic Law empowers BCA to gather necessary information from companies and individuals, who are obligated to respond fully and accurately within specified time limits. Failure to comply may result in fines, reflecting BCA's reliance on companies to effectively carry out its missions.

BCA's Prosecutor General highlighted the authority's dependence on companies for effective actions benefiting both companies and consumers. BCA is open to pragmatic solutions when companies face practical difficulties in providing requested information but warns of fines for obstructing investigations or providing misleading information.