Open navigation
Search
Senior Associate

Pauline Abba

Brussels, Belgium
Languages
  • French
  • English
  • Dutch
Social media

A lawyer since 2016, Pauline joined CMS in April 2023 and specialises in public and administrative law, with a particular interest in public procurement and PPPs.  

She advises both contracting authorities and economic operators in these matters. Her expertise covers the award and execution of all public contracts, including public procurement and concessions. She regularly advises clients in the construction sector, in the hospital and medical sector, in the education and cultural sector, as well as in the energy and IT services sectors.  

In particular, she assists contracting authorities in the drafting of procurement documents, as well as in the follow-up of the procurement award (questions and answers, modification notices, etc.). Its expertise also covers the execution of the procurement.  

She represents her clients in litigation before the Council of State, the judicial judge and the European courts.  

In parallel to her career as a lawyer, Pauline is also an assistant in administrative law at the Université catholique de Louvain since 2016. In this context, she supervises seminars and carries out research in general administrative law.  

She has spoken at several conferences in the field of administrative law and regularly gives presentations on public procurement.  

She was a lawyer in another law firm specialising in public procurement law between 2016 and 2023 and a member of the coordination committee of the law review L'entreprise et le Droit between 2018 and 2022. 

Publications

  • P. ABBA et G. POULAIN, "Les règles de preuve dans l’exécution des marchés publics", in Code civil et droits supplétifs : quelques enjeux pour le droit des marchés publics, Limal, Anthemis, 2026, pp. 119-151.
  • D. RENDERS, P. ABBA, C. DELFORGE, "Principes élémentaires du droit des marchés publics", 3e éd., Bruxelles, Larcier, 2026, 194 pp.
  • P. ABBA, M. LOMBAERT, C. MOLITOR et K. POLET, "Le contrôle des mesures de police administrative générale", in La police administrative générale (sous la dir. de D. Renders et C. Delforge), Bruxelles, Larcier, 2025, pp. 585-686.
  • P. ABBA et D. WILLEMS, "Quelques lignes directrices pour la conclusion d’un contrat de transaction relatif à un marché public" in La commande publique à la croisée des chemins – Overheidaankopen op een tweesprong (sous la dir. de D. De Roy, P. Thiel, M. Vanderhelst et K. Wauters), Bruxelles, Larcier, 2025, pp. 399-460.
  • V. DOR, Y. MUSSCHEBROECK, M. VILAIN XIIII, F. VERHOEVEN & P. ABBA, "La régularité des offres", Kluwer, 2024, 232 p.
  • P. ABBA, D. DE VALKENEER, A. PERCY, D. RENDERS, “Local Governance in Belgium”, in M. Nicolini et A. Valdesalici, Local Governance in Multi-LayeredSystems. A Comparative Legal Study in the Federal-Local Connection, Berlin, Springer, 2023, pp. 211-236.
  • P. ABBA, C. DELFORGE, L. LABRUYERE, "Les garanties procédurales applicables à l'agent statutaire" in D. RENDERS (dir.), La discipline dans la fonction publique, coll. Centre Montesquieu d’études de l’action publiques, Bruxelles, Larcier, 2023, pp. 183-301.
  • D. RENDERS, P. ABBA, S. GOBERT, E. ROMBAUX, "La gestion de la pandémie de COVID dans l’Etat fédéral belge", in J. FOUGEROUSE (dir.), La gestion de la Pandémie de COVID par les Etats, Bruxelles, Larcier, 2023, pp. 221-233.
  • D. RENDERS, P. ABBA , E. ROMBAUX, "L’action publique face au COVID-19 – Belgique", Annuaire Européen d'Administration Publique, vol. 43, 2023, pp. 27-86.
  • D. RENDERS, P. ABBA, A. VOLDERS, "Chronique de vie administrative –  Belgique (2020)", Annuaire Européen d'Administration Publique, vol. 43, 2023,  pp. 367-424.
  • K. WAUTERS, P. ABBA, "Marchés publics. Travaux – Fournitures – Services" In F. PICOD (dir.), Jurisclasseur "Europe traité", fasc. n°1052, Paris, LexisNexis, 2022, pp. 1-24.
  • L. CECI, P. ABBA, R. BORN, "Le médiateur, amicus curiae du juge ?" in  D. RENDERS and M. BERTRAND (dir.), Le citoyen and l’administration face au juge et au médiateur institutionnel, Bruxelles, Larcier, 2021, pp. 297-334.
  • D.RENDERS, P. ABBA, A. VOLDERS, "Administrative law/Droit administratif – Belgium/Belgique", European Review of Public Law, 2021, vol. 33,  pp. 929-1007.
  • D. RENDERS, P. ABBA, A. VOLDERS, "Chronique de vie administrative –  Belgique (2019)", Annuaire Européen d'Administration Publique , vol. 42, 2021, pp. 343-381.
  • D.RENDERS, P. ABBA, A. VOLDERS, "Administrative law/Droit administratif – Belgium/Belgique", European Review of Public Law, 2020, vol. 32/3, pp. 1179-1231.
  • R. SIMAR, P. ABBA, "Titre VII, Sous-titre 3, Marchés publics de travaux and de services, Chapitres 1 à 3", in Guide de droit immobilier, Kluwer, 2020.
  • P. ABBA, C. MOLITOR, E. WILLEMART, "L’acte créateur de droits", in D. RENDERS (dir.), La théorie du retrait d’acte administratif, Bruxelles, Larcier, 2019, pp. 65-130.
  • R. SIMAR and P. ABBA, "Sécurité juridique, légitime confiance, patere legem quam ipse fecisti. Transparence administrative ou principes transparents ?" in BEN MESSAOUD and F. VISEUR (coord.) Les principes généraux de droit administratif, Bruxelles, Larcier, 2017, pp. 91-131.
  • P. ABBA, "Le contrat de transaction en droit public", A. P. T., 2017/4, pp. 345-363.

Lectures list

  • Lecturer as part of the Certificate in Good Administration organised by UCLouvain.
  • Annual Conference of Centrale des Marchés – Opdrachtencentrale, conference speaker, 10 September 2026
  • “Public Procurement Training Courses”, training sessions for public and private sector clients, since 2017
  • “Public Procurement Training Courses”, training sessions for EMBUILD Wallonie, 2017-2023
  • “La discipline dans la fonction publique”, conference speaker (with C. DELFORGE and L. LABRUYERE), Louvain-la-Neuve, 24 March 2023
  • “Marchés publics et RGPD”, webinar for the Association belge du droit de la construction (with J. LIGOT), 21 March 2023
  • “Droit souple. Quelle place pour les ‘normes molles’ en droit administratif ?”, round table of the Centre de recherches administratives, Université d’Aix-Marseille (with L. CECI, S. KOVAL and D. RENDERS), 12-13 November 2021
  • “La gestion de la Pandémie de COVID par les États”, conference speaker (with D. RENDERS and E. ROMBAUX), Université d’Angers, 30 September-1 October 2021
  • “Le citoyen et l’administration face au juge et au médiateur institutionnel”, conference speaker (with R. BORN and L. CECI), Louvain-la-Neuve, 18 February 2021
  • “L’action publique face au COVID-19”, round table of the Centre de recherches administratives, Université d’Aix-Marseille (with D. RENDERS and E. ROMBAUX), 13 November 2020
  • “La théorie du retrait d’acte administratif”, conference speaker (with E. WILLEMART and C. MOLITOR), Louvain-la-Neuve, 28 March 2019
  • “The Ombudsman in an Open and Participatory Society”, General Assembly of IOI-Europe (with D. RENDERS), Brussels, 1-3 October 2018
  • “Les principes généraux de droit administratif. Actualités et applications pratiques”, conference speaker (with R. SIMAR), Brussels, 1 June 2017

Education

  • 2016 – Université catholique de Louvain, UCL, Belgium (Master of Laws)
  • 2016 – Bar admission (Brussels, Belgium) 
Practice Areas
Public Procurement & PPP

Insights by Pauline

See all Insights
Past event

Jurisprudence récente de la Cour de justice

13 May 2024 Brussels, Belgium
Past event

Options et variantes – Règles applicables et conséquences pour le classement des offres

21 Mar 2024 Brussels, Belgium
Back to top Back to top
Warning: Fraudulent emails and messages
Find out more
If you want to use third party tools, please enable personalisation cookies as part of your cookie preferences. You can change this setting at any time via the button below or in our Cookie Notice.