Competition Law in France

Foreign investors who want to open companies in France must comply with several laws, among which the Company Law, the Commercial Code, and other laws applicable in specific industries. One of the most important sets of rules contained by the French Commercial Code is the Competition Law to which all companies must adhere.

The Competition Law was last amended in 2015 and our company formation agents in France can offer information on these changes.

The main provisions of the Competition Law in France

The Competition Law applies in all industries in France, however, for certain activity sectors, it provides for specific measures. Among these activities, are the pharmaceutical and the intellectual property ones.

The Competition Law also covers mergers and acquisitions between local companies or between a foreign and a French company.

The authorities in charge with the supervision of all companies falling under the Competition Law are the Competition Authority, the Ministry for the Economy and the National Courts of Justice.

Anti-competitive practices in France

Most of the times, the violation of the Competition Law can be found in companies in the retail sector in France and are related to:

• -          practicing lower prices than the competition;
• -          showing an abusive behavior on the market;
• -          imposing restrictions on the sale of certain products.

We remind foreign investors that our company registration advisors in France can help them start their own businesses here.

The main alterations to the French Competition Law

Those who want to open companies in France must respect the provisions of the Competition Law and its latest amendments which refer to:

• -          the new settlement procedure, under which companies can file for the reduction of the fine if they have used unfair practices;
• -          the new provisions related to the merger control, as large companies undergoing merger procedures, are directly covered by the Competition Law;
• -          the new regulations applicable to companies in the retail sector in France;
• -          the new regulations governing anticompetitive practices employed by local companies.

For full information on the Competition Law in France, please feel free to contact us. We can also help you open a company in France.