On 27 February 2026, the Belgian Competition Authority (BCA) published its Priorities Paper for 2026 (PP – see, attachments).

Not surprisingly, the new PP resembles that of 2025 (see, VBB Belgian Antitrust Watch of 30 April 2025) and of previous years in that the BCA seeks to protect the position of the Belgian economy and pay “particular attention to the competitiveness and sustainability of [Belgium’s] industrial assets” (p. 2).

As a result, the BCA confirms its interest in a series of industries, including the agri-food sector, digitalisation and telecommunications, basic services (regulated professions, banking and finance), and sports, media, and entertainment.

The BCA also maintains its focus on healthcare and points to the importance of the competition rules, even in highly regulated sectors. For the BCA, its credibility in this area stems from its recent enforcement and policy activities in:

• Protecting competition between biological medicines and biosimilar alternatives (see, Van Bael & Bellis Life Sciences News & Insights of 17 March 2025);
• Supporting innovation by offering guidance on the exchange of information between applicants in reimbursement procedures for combination therapies (see, Van Bael & Bellis Life Sciences News & Insights of 12 September 2025); and
• Opening a formal investigation into a possible abuse of dominant position by healthcare data provider and analyst IQVIA (see, Van Bael & Bellis Life Sciences News & Insights of 9 December 2025).

Additionally, the BCA will also keep a watchful eye on wholesaler-distributors, pharmacists, hospitals, and healthcare professionals.

Lastly, it will also publish a revised guide on public procurement and competition law to strengthen the integrity of public procurement and improve the efficiency of spending public funds by hospitals, retirement homes, and other healthcare-related institutions (see, Van Bael & Bellis Life Sciences News & Insights of 8 January 2026.