Federations

The Federation Project

Federations play a crucial role as platforms for consultation, knowledge sharing, and cooperation within a sector. It is important to ensure that these activities are conducted in line with competition law. This is relevant not only for federations themselves, but also for their members, directors, and employees who actively participate in meetings, working groups, and joint projects.

For this reason, Faros and the Federation of Enterprises in Belgium (FEB) have, over the past years, developed several initiatives aimed at providing pragmatic support to federations and member companies in applying competition law in their day-to-day activities.

Our Initiatives

Survey regarding the Belgian Federation Landscape

How do Belgian federations deal with competition law obligations in practice? To answer this question, Faros and FEB conducted a large-scale study within the Belgian federation landscape. The results provided valuable insights and formed the basis for several practical initiatives.

Toolbook “Federations and competition law”

The Toolbook Federations and Competition Law brings together the questions most frequently encountered by federations and their members in practice. It provides concrete answers, key considerations, and practical recommendations for situations faced by employees, directors, and participants in federation activities. The Toolbook is available in Dutch, French, and English.*

Request a free copy

Practical guide “Federations and competition rules 2024: Fair play wins” (2024)

In 2024, FEB, in cooperation with Faros, published the guide Fair Play Wins – Federations and Competition Rules. This publication provides an accessible introduction to the key competition law issues relevant to federations.

Download the guide

Practical toolkit “Federations and competition rules 2026 – Clear, compliant and fair” (2026)

In 2026, Faros and FEB published a practical toolkit that provides further guidance on:

Typical federation activities, such as recommendations, positions, and information exchange;
Communication within federations, including the use of AI, social media, and the role of the Belgian Competition Authority;
Contacts with public authorities.

Download the toolkit

Conferences and knowledge sharing

Over the years, Faros and FEB have organized various conferences and seminars on federations and competition law. These events were regularly held in cooperation with representatives of the Belgian Competition Authority (BCA) and other experts. Through these initiatives, we bring together federations, companies, and policymakers to exchange experiences and discuss practical challenges.

Download the survey regarding the Belgian Federation Landscape below.

Survey regarding the Belgian Federation Landscape

Practical Tools

Federation Video

A traditional compliance statement at the beginning of a meeting is not always read or heard. Therefore, Faros, in cooperation with cartoonist Lctrr, developed a short, animated video of approximately 2.5 minutes summarizing the key rules for federation meetings in an engaging and accessible manner. The video can be used during members’ meetings, board meetings, working groups, or training sessions and provides a practical alternative to the traditional disclaimer.

Request a free licence for the full video

Safety briefing card for Federations

This practical one-pager contains the key points of attention for meetings and federation activities. It is ideal for display in meeting rooms or for placing on tables to raise awareness. Available in Dutch, French, and English.

Safety briefing card: Competition law dos & don’ts

A practical card containing the key points and essential dos and don'ts relating to competition law. Available in Dutch, French, and English.

Awareness poster for Informal Areas

Compliance does not have to be boring. That is why Faros developed an eye-catching poster that promotes respect for competition rules in an accessible and engaging way, including during informal contacts. Perfect for coffee corners and other informal areas.

Would you like a printed copy? Feel free to contact us at karolien.francken@faros.eu. We will gladly provide one.

Acces to the tools?

We are happy to share our practical, easy-to-use tools with federations and businesses, helping them to put compliance into practice in a pragmatic way.

Download our tools below.

How Can We Support You?

Tailor-made Practical Training

Faros organizes interactive training sessions for management, employees, board members, and federation members. Rather than theoretical presentations, we offer a pragmatic approach based on concrete examples and practical situations arising from the daily operations of federations.

Want to know more? Feel free to contact us.

Implementation of a Compliance Policy

An effective compliance policy does not need to be complex. Together, we assess which measures are useful and proportionate for your organization. We can support you with:

Drafting a competition law policy;
Practical guidelines and dos & don'ts;
Meeting procedures;
Awareness initiatives;
Training and implementation.

Tailor-made Practical Advice

Do you have questions regarding a project, a sector initiative, or a specific issue? Faros adopts a pragmatic, hands-on approach and provides solutions that fit the day-to-day reality of federations.

Compliance Tools

Our accessible repeat-tools help keep competition law compliance top of mind. The Faros Compliance Team has developed short, animated videos that are ideally suited to maintaining awareness of competition law compliance in an effective and engaging way.

Want to know more? Feel free to contact us.