The Horeca sector, the Belgian Brewers and the Belgian Federation of Beverage Distributors signed, on July 1 in Brussels, a document aimed at regulating the impact of the Covid-19 crisis in the event of non-compliance by operators in the hotel, café and restaurant sector, supply quotas linked to the commercial contracts they conclude with distributors. This agreement will enter into force on 1 September.
Most operators in the Horeca sector sign contracts with their beverage suppliers (distributor or brewery) which grant them discounts or other benefits, provided that they respect a certain exclusivity of supply. These contracts are generally linked to an obligation to reach a certain volume of orders for goods (hectoliters of beer, for example).
But the containment measures of the Covid period, resulting in the total or partial closure of the Horeca sector, prevented most operators from reaching their supply quota. This might have led some suppliers to apply contractual clauses providing for financial penalties once morest operators in the event of non-compliance with these quotas.
The agreement provides that non-compliance with quotas during the Covid period will never give rise to financial fines from brewers or traders, provided that the Horeca operator has complied with the exclusivity(s) of the supply contract. drinks. However, the unamortized part of the services still remains payable by the operator.
