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Portrait ofAnnabelle Lepièce

Annabelle Lepièce

Partner

CMS DeBacker
Chaussée de La Hulpe 178
1170 Brussels
Belgium
Languages French, English, Dutch

Annabelle Lepièce is specialized in European law, with a focus on competition law (antitrust, State aid, merger control) and in foreign subsidies (EU Foreign subsidies regulation). She also has a broad experience in the EU freedoms (services, goods, establishment).

She assists public entities and companies in European law, in the context of the transposition of directives or the compliance of their actions and projects with European law. She represents them in the context of investigations by the European Commission into state aid, the management of ERDF funds, infringement proceedings, etc.

Her legal practice includes drafting and submitting notifications of public interventions, individual aids or aids schemes to the European Commission (rescue and restructuring aid, RDI aid, investment aid, etc.) and representing the public authorities in European investigations on illegal aids. She advises public entities on the qualification of a measure as state aid, its potential compatibility with EU rules and the setting up of aid schemes, including measures co-financed with European structural funds (RDI aid, de minimis aid, public guarantees, rescue and restructuring aid scheme).

She files merger notifications, lodges complaints for abuses of dominant position and represents undertakings in investigations on cartels before national and European Competition authorities.

She also advices public authorities on compliance of their actions to the relevant European law, for instance on the implementation of European directives.

She represents undertakings in litigations with the European Commission regarding European subsidies.

She has an extensive experience in EU litigation, representing both public authorities and private undertakings before the General Court and the Court of Justice of the European Union.

She has a recognized expertise in air transport and the airport sector (financing of airport activities and infrastructure, contracts with airlines, groundhandling, airport charges, etc.), the banking sector, the steel manufacturing industry, energy and public investments (capital injections, guarantees, loans). In the aviation sector, she has represented the Belgian authorities in the investigation of the European Commission on the financing of the Charleroi Airport and Ryanair airport since 2002. She has assisted French, Dutch, Romanian and Spanish regional authorities and airports in European Commission investigations and advises them daily on the compliance of their funding and their contracts with airlines to European law and more particularly to State aid rules. She is also consulted by airlines on the public investments they may benefit from their public shareholders.

Annabelle is a highly recommended lawyer in the 2022 edition of the 100 Global Competition Review as well as in the Chambers Global 2023 in State aid (band 2), Chambers 2022 editions in Competition and State aid and in the 2023 edition of the Legal 500 EMEA in Competition (band 2 and leading individual) and in Aviation (band 3 and leading individual).

She lectures on State aid at the Université Paris I - Panthéon- Sorbonne [Panthéon-Sorbonne University], at the Ecole d’Administration publique commune à la Communauté française et à la Région wallone [Common Public School of Administration to the French Community and the Wallonia region],at the Ecole Nationale d’Aviation Civile [National School of Civil Aviation] and at the Assembly of European Regions, at Connect, etc.

Annabelle Lepièce presented the Wahlub project in December 2022 with Agoria in the context of a workshop for European digital innovation clusters.

She is regularly invited to hearings by the Committee of the Regions as an expert in State aid. Thus, on 19 September 2016, she participated, as a legal practitioner, in a presentation of the Communication of the European Commission on the notion of State aid to the members of the Committee of the Regions, along with representatives of the European Commission.

She is a member of the “Competition Women’s Network” and the Belgian Competition Law Association and has been invited to join the new European State Aid Law Association.

 

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"Annabelle Lepièce is always attentive and does not just understand the matter itself but also the global context in which it takes place."

State Aid client - Chambers Europe, 2023

"Her explanations are always very clear."

State Aid client - Chambers Europe, 2023

"Annabelle Lepièce is a one of a kind person to work with. She is committed to her work and always on top of knowledge and the business. My trust in her is full and if I ever have any special needs in my work, Annabelle is the one I contact. She is the best!"

Feedback from a client - Legal 500, 2023

"Annabelle Lepièce: persistent, out of the box thinker when needed and well balanced leadership."

Feedback from a client, Legal 500, 2022

Relevant experience

  • Setting up aid schemes (investment incentives, RDI aid, regional aid, de minimis aid, etc.) and drafting state aid notifications to the European Commission (intermodal transport, RDI) and individual government interventions (guarantee, capital injection, restructuring aid);
  • Acting on behalf of state entities in investigations of the European Commission on illegal aid, and before the Court of Justice of the EU (aviation sector, financing of hospitals, glass sector, steel manufacturing sector);
  • Acting on behalf of companies within the context of antitrust investigations carried out by the Belgian Competition Authority (BSE testing, distribution sector, etc.);
  • Merger notifications to the European Commission and to the Belgian Competition Authority (steel sector, bank, airport, etc.);
  • Drafting and filing anti-trust complaints to the European Commission and to the Belgian Competition Authority (advertising, energy, postal service, copyright, etc.).
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Publications

  • « The Belgian Competition Authority adopts new decision to fine a skincare company for imposing minimum prices and active and passive sales restrictions (Caudalie) », 18 January 2023, e-Competition May 2023 – II, art. N° 111111;
  • Monthly articles published on Practical Law (Reuters) on Belgian Competition law;
  • «The Belgian Competition Authority adopts new decision in the Caudalie case following Court annulment », February 2023, Lexology;
  • « Indepthfeature : Foreign investment & National Security 2023 », Financier Worldwide Magazine, January 2023, p. 19-24;
  • « Passengers’ rights: the European judge clarifies the concept of ‘connecting flight’ (flightright GmbH v American Airlines Inc)», 13 October 2022, LexisNexis Case Analysis;
  • « Air cargo cartel: The General Court of the EU confirms the Commission's decision», to be published, e-Competitions Bulletin;
  • « Priorities of the Belgian Competition Authority for 2022: what to expect/fear in the coming year », Financier Worldwide Magazine, to be published;
  • « Arrêt ASIT Biotech : les abattements de créances publiques dans le cadre d’une procédure en réorganisation judiciaire au regard de la règlementation européenne en matière d’aides d’Etat », with Marguerite Soete, Competitio, March 2022 ;
  • « Arrêt Sumal : responsabilité civile d’une filiale en raison des pratiques anticoncurrentielles de sa société mère », with Marie Vandenneucker, JDE, February 2022, n° 286, p. 60 ;
  • « Arrêt « Volvo »: compétence en matière d’action en réparation du dommage causé par une infraction à l’article 101 TFUE », with Marie Vandenneucker, JDE, December 2021, n° 284, p. 468;
  • The chapter on Belgium of the FDI Multi-jurisdictional guide, with Raphael Brochier, published by LexisNexis
  • « How to support the development of new routes at an airport: commercial incentives and compatible aids in favour of airlines under EU Law », in Competition Law on Tourism, November 2021;
  • « State aid 2020 – Belgium », Global Competition Review, 7 January 2021;
  • « Aid schemes : an overview of EU and national cases”, with Marguerite Soete, Concurrences, 28 January 2021;
  • « Le cadre européen applicable aux aides d’Etat dans le contexte de la crise du COVID-19 », with Marie Vandenneucker, Revue de Droit commercial, December 2020;
  • « Arrêt Otis : l’action en réparation pour toute personne ayant subi un préjudice indirect à la suite d’un cartel », with Marie Vandenneucker, JDE, April 2020, n° 268, p. 167 ;
  • Annabelle Lepièce is the national expert for Belgium as part of a study commissioned by the European Commission on the application of State aid rules and decisions by national courts;
  • « State aid 2019 – Belgium », Global Competition Review, August 2019;
  • « 25 years of existence ! An overview of the BCA’s activity », with Marguerite Soete, in Financier Worldwide, June 2019;
  • « Les subventions du D.G.A.S. au regard de la réglementation européenne en matière d’aides d’état », with Marguerite Soete, in Le décret de gestion et d’assainissement des sols du 1er mars 2018 (D.G.A.S.), Larcier, January 2019 ; 
  • « State aid and the market economy operator principle », LexisNexis, 2018;
  • « Competition law and algorithms : the Luxembourg Competition Authority exempts a booking platform in the taxi sector », Competition law insight, September 2018 ;
  • « State aid 2018 – Belgium », Global Competition Review, http://globalcompetitionreview.com/preview_jurisdiction/1004485/belgium?preview=1000290 ;
  • « Le financement public des infrastructures de transport et leur tarification au regard de la réglementation européenne en matière d’aides d’Etat », RDIR, 2017/2-3, 129-156 ;
  • « Stade aid 2017 – Belgium », Global Competition Review, http://globalcompetitionreview.com/preview_jurisdiction/1004485/belgium?preview=1000290 ;
  • « Airport charges and selectivity under State aid rules: The Lübeck Airport Case », Competition Law Insight, March 2017;
  • « To be selective or not to be selective? That is the question for tax measures under State aid rules », with Kim Gillade, Competition Law Insight, 13 December 2016;
  • Co-author «101 juridische vragen over concurrentie », Intersentia, 2016;
  • « La protection des consommateurs dans la réglementation européenne applicable aux SIEG », RDIR, 2016/03, p. 229-237 ;
  • Commented judgement of the Court of Justice of the European Union of 17 March 2016 (C.J.U.E, 17 March 2016), Case K. Ruijssenaars and others v Staatssecretaris van Infrastructuur en Milieu, C-146/15, RDIR, 2016/03, pp. 297- 299 ;
  • « No more safe harbor for the port sector under State aid rules », Competition Law Insight, 12 April 2016 ;
  • « Spanish Tax Lease scheme: tax advantages open to any investor carrying out a certain type of operation », Journal of European Competition Law & Practice, 26 February 2016 ;
  • « Les obligations de service public dans le secteur du transport aérien en droit européen », with Hanne Baeyens, RDIR, 2015/04, pp. 419 – 428;
  • « Arrêt Aéroport de Lübeck : les redevances aéroportuaires et le critère de sélectivité en matière d’aides d’Etat », RDIR, 2015/02, p. 225 ;
  • « Lufthansa’s new surcharging policy raises concerns », E-Commerce Law & Policy, Augustus 2015;
  • « Flying high – the first three French aviation aid schemes have been approved », Competition Law Insight, 9 June 2015, p. 12 ;
  • « Arrêté royal du 23 novembre 2014 modifiant l’arrêté royal du 6 novembre 2014 réglementant l’accès au marché de l’assistance en escale à l’aéroport de Bruxelles-National et arrêté ministériel du 19 novembre 2014 relatif à l’agrément des prestataires de services d’assistance en escale à l’aéroport de Bruxelles-National », RDIR, 2015/01 ;
  • « Les nouvelles lignes directrices de la Commission européenne sur les aides d’Etat aux aéroports et aux compagnies aériennes : sursis de dix ans pour les aéroports régionaux », RDIR, 2014/3, p.321-337 ;
  • « Access to facilities in the transport sector : an overview of EU and national case law », e- Competitions, July 2014 ;
  • « The new EU Guidelines on state aids to airports and airlines », the Journal of Airport Management, July 2014, p.226-243 ;
  • « Droit de la concurrence dans le secteur de la grande distribution : aperçu de quelques pratiques à risque », avec Sébastien Engelen , Aperçu   juridique / Juridisch bekeken - Hommage André Lombart / Eerbetoon aan André Lombart, Larcier, 2014, p. 79 – 113 ;
  • « The European Commission’s consultation on its draft EU guidelines on State aid to airports and airlines », Journal of Airport Management, vol. 7, n° 4, Augustus 2013 ;
  • « EU Fines Microsoft € 561 M for breaching commitments », with Sébastien Engelen, Journal of E- commerce Law & Policy, April 2013, http://www.e-comlaw.com/e-commerce-law-and-policy/ ;
  • « EU competition law: price fixing in the e-book market », with Hanne Baeyens, Journal of E- commerce Law & Policy, January 2013, http://www.e-comlaw.com/e-commerce-law-and-policy/ ;
  • « Le paquet Post-Almark II : Réforme de la réglementation européenne sur le financement des missions de services public », Journal de Droit Européen, September 2012, p. 205 ;
  • « The Leipzig Airport judgment: The application of EU state aid rules to the financing of airport infrastructure », Journal of Airport Management, October 2011 ;
  • « Incentives and Aids for the development of routes under EU law : Practical guide for airports and airlines », Journal of Airport Management, January-March 2011, volume 5, n° 2, p. 160;
  • « Le financement des missions de service public : les contraintes européennes » in Les pouvoirs publics dans un monde en mutation, Kluwer, 2010, p. 133 ;
  • « Les aides d’Etat et les entreprises en difficulté » in Les pouvoirs publics dans un monde en mutation, Kluwer, 2010, p. 165 ;
  • « The new EC Directive on Airport charges », Journaal LuchtRecht, November 2009, p. 25 ;
  • « Financing of airport infrastructure under State aid rules : Guidelines and Practice of the European Commission », Journaal LuchtRecht, November 2008, p. 110 ;
  • « A Concorrência e a Tributaçao no direito europeu», with J-M. De Backer, Temas de Tributaçao e direito internacional, APED, 2008, p. 89 ;
  • « The Community Guidelines on financing of airports and start up aid to airlines departing from regional airports: promoting regional airports or creating more legal uncertainty? », Journaal LuchtRecht, February 2007, pp. 5 à 28.
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Lectures list

Since 2011, Annabelle Lepièce has been giving yearly a seminar on state aid   in the aviation transport sector at the national school of civil aviation (ENAC – Toulouse) as part of the Masters degree programme in airport management and the management of aviation transport. She also gives this seminar at the University of Panthéon – Sorbonne, Paris, as part of Master II – International Transport.

Annabelle is often consulted for her expertise in European law and is a speaker at numerous conferences that will be included hereafter.

  • « Workshop on ASR revision and essential air connectivity (PSO & thin commercial routes) : setting up the scene », European Regions Airline Association (ERA), 24 May 2023; 
  • « The implementation of Commission recovery decision before national Courts », EJTN Training on the enforcement of State aid law by national Courts, 12 May 2023;
  • « New state aid rules to support the Green Deal – the EU’s answer to the IRA», CMS EU Competition Law Briefing, 28 April 2023;
  • « Post-pandemic State aid: back to the future? », Connect, 23 February 2023;
  • « EU Aviation Strategy for Europe: what is the current status? », Connect, 22 February 2023;
  • « Guide pratique des règles d'aides d'État applicables aux investissements de décarbonation des aéroports – Cadre juridique », with Marie Vandenneucker, UAF&FA and Oxera, 23 January 2023;
  • « From recovery to sustainability : how to finance the costs? », Airport Regions Council, 21 April 2022;
  • « Exchange of strategic information between competitors: do’s and don’ts », with Marie Vandenneucker, 24 March 2022;
  • « State aid policy: from recovery to sustainability », CMS EU Law Briefing on State aid Outlook 2022, 11 March 2022;
  • « From recovery to sustainability : how to finance the costs? », Connect Tampere, 24 February 2022;
  • « Introduction au droit de la concurrence : dos & don’ts », CMS, 3 June 2021;
  • « Les aides d’Etat » with Marguerite Soete, S.R.I.W., 12 and 17 May 2021;
  • « COVID-19 : update on how to support airlines, airports and the relaunch of routes? », Connect, 29 April 2021;
  • « COVID-19: How to support the companies under State aid rules? », avec Marguerite Soete, Amcham Belgium, 17 décembre 2020;
  • « How to support airports in the context of the COVID-19? », Connect, 17 November 2020; 
  • « How to support airports and the relaunch of routes? », Airport Regions Council, 10 November 2020; 
  • « How to support the relaunch of routes? », Connect, 13 October 2020;
  • « The Apple State aid case (Cases T-778/16 and T-982/16) » CMS EU Competition Law Briefing, 30 July 2020 (the recording is available via the following link: EU Competition Law Briefings | Webinar series | CMS);
  • « Le soutien public de nouvelles liaisons aériennes à l’aéroport d’Andorra-Pirineus », Empresa Familiar Andorrana, 9 July 2020;
  • « Comment soutenir les aéroports régionaux et assurer la relance des liaisons aériennes dans le cadre de la crise du COVID-19 ? – aspects juridiques », UAF & FA, 3 July 2020;
  • « EU update: aids to airport, commercial incentives to airlines, Brexit and other news », Connect Antalya, 19 February 2020;
  • « Mesures incitatives en faveur des compagnies aériennes en droit européen » with Marguerite Soete, Aéroports de Lyon, 4 February 2020 ;
  • « Les aides d’Etat » with Marguerite Soete, Service Public de Wallonie, 20 January 2020;
  • « The European review of state aid rules in the airport sector », ACI Europe «State Aid Task Force », 17 December 2019;
  • « La révision européenne du régime des aides d’Etat – aspects juridiques », UAF & FA « Ruptures », 6 November 2019;
  • « Keep calm and Brexit », Connect Cagliari, 6 June 2019; 
  • « Competition law and employment law’s interactions: tips and tricks », CMS, 7 May 2019;
  • « European Union External Aviation Policy », Connect, Dubaï, 30 April 2019;
  • « Comment appliquer les lignes directrices aux mesures incitatives accordées aux compagnies aériennes ? », UAF & FA « Séminaire Techniques : Les aéroports d’aviation générale et d’affaires et aéroports de proximité », 31st January 2019;
  • « Una estratègia aeroportuària per a Andorra »,  17è Forum d’Empresa Familiar Andorrana, 30th November 2018;
  • « The implementation of the Aviation Strategy for Europe », Tampere Aviation Forum, 16 May 2018 ;
  • « The implementation of the Aviation Strategy for Europe », Connect, Tbilisi, 22 February 2018;
  • « The development of new routes under EU State aid rules », CONNECT, Ajaccio 23 February 2017;
  • « State aids and Regional Development », Tampere Aviation Forum, 1 December 2016;
  • « The notion of State aid: a practitioner’s point-of-view », presentation for the “Lunchtime briefing - Notice on the Notion of State aid: implications for investments at regional and local level”, Committee of the Regions, 19 September 2016;
  •  « State Aid and Airports session », Competition Law Challenges in the Transport Sector conference, London, January 2016.
  • « New EU Aviation Guidelines: their impact on airports and airlines », Connect, Kilkenny, from 3 to 5 June 2015 ;
  • « Aides d’Etat et panorama des aides régionales (Wallonie-Bruxelles) disponibles », Kluwer training, actualités comptables et fiscales, 23 October 2014 ;
  • « State aids to airports and airlines: old rules versus the new Guidelines », Airneth Conference, Utrecht, 16 June 2014 ;
  • « State aids to airports and airlines : how to develop your activities under the new European Guidelines », French Connect, Marrakech, 5 June 2014 ;
  • « L’influence du droit européen sur les politiques des entités fédérées », lecture, Masters in Public Management organised by the EMMAP in association with the École d’Administration publique commune à la Communauté française et à la Région wallonne, September 2013 ;
  • « La réforme des lignes directrices européennes : quel impact sur le financement des aéroports régionaux », French Connect, Bordeaux, 2 July 2013 ;
  • « Les aides d’Etat dans le secteur du transport aérien », Round Table organised by the German Aviation Research Society, in association with the Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne as part of the Master 2 in International Transport, on 5 February 2013 ;
  • « European news : better airports package (capacity, groundhandling and slots) », French Connect, Paris, 20 March 2012 ;
  • « Les aides et mesures incitatives aux compagnies aériennes et le financement public des aéroports: quelle est la marge de manœuvre dans le cadre européen actuel ? », French Connect, Lille, 24 March 2011;
  • « Le financement public des infrastructures aéroportuaires : une approche pratique pour les gestionnaires d’aéroports et leurs actionnaires publics », Conference organised in October 2010 as part of the Belgian presidency of the EU in relation to sustainable development in the aviation sector in Wallonia ;
  • « Les aides d’Etat », training of the Cabinet du Ministre-Président de la Wallonie, Rudy Demotte, September and October 2010 ;
  • « Les réglementations européennes : contraintes ou nécessités ? Exemple concret de la crise volcanique. Comment l’industrie va-t-elle s’adapter à ces changements dans une période de déclin économique ? » en « Développement des routes dans le cadre légal de l’Union européenne », French Connect, Lourdes, June 2010 ;
  • « Le financement des missions de service public : les contraintes européennes », Winds of Change conference cycle organised by the CMS DeBacker law firm in February 2010 ;
  • « The notification of State aids for film production », presentation to Ciné- Regio in February 2010 in Berlin ;
  • « The 2005 Guidelines on the financing of airports and start-up aids : practical experiences », European Assembly of Regions, September 2009 ;
  • « Les interventions publiques en faveur des entreprises en difficulté », the Winds of Change conference cycle organised by the CMS DeBacker law firm in November 2008 ;
  • « EU Regulation concerning regional airports », European Assembly of Regions, September 2007 ;
  • « The Community Guidelines on financing of airports : recent practice of the European Commission », European Regional Airports Forum, May 2006.
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Education

  • 2001 - University of Edinburgh and British Council - Scotland (European Young Lawyers Scheme)
  • 1997 - Bar admission (Brussels, Belgium)
  • 1997 - University of Cambridge - United Kingdom (Certificate of English Legal Methods)
  • 1997 - Université Libre de Bruxelles, ULB - Belgium (Postgraduate in European Law)
  • 1996 - University of Aberdeen - Scotland  (Certificate in Legal Studies)
  • 1996 - Université Libre de Bruxelles, ULB - Belgium (Law Degree)
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11/09/2023
Priorities of the Belgian Competition Authority for 2023
The Belgian Competition Authority (the “BCA”) adopted on 30 May 2023 its annual communication setting out its policy priorities for the current year. It was published with a slight delay on 20 July 2023.This publication, which has existed since 2014,

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12/03/2024
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Until recently, the hospital sector has escaped the attention of the Belgian Competition Authority (BCA).When the Belgian legislator, through the law of 28 February 2019 required hospitals to create loc­al-re­gion­al...
29/12/2023
Belgian Competition Authority opens first in-depth investigation into abuse...
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20/12/2023
Revision of the European rules applying to de minimis aid
The Commission Regulation (EU) No 1407/2013 of 18 December 2013 on the application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union to de minimis aid (“de min­imis Reg­u­la­tion”)...
01/12/2023
EU Competition Law Briefings
The EU Competition Law Briefings have been created to provide a platform for our clients and other competition law experts to stay up to date on the developments of EU Competition Law. Every month CMS...
27/11/2023
State aid: Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework extended
The European Commission has adjusted the timetable for phasing out the provisions of the State aid Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework after sending Member States this proposal for partial adjustment...
02/11/2023
Belgian Competition Authority closes investigation on alleged gentlemen’s...
In August 2023, the Belgian State decided to organise, via the Federal Debt Agency, a subscription to a State treasury bond in the face of low savings rates offered by banks. Although interests rates...