Section 1: Combating the presence of lead

Articles in this section · 12

Article L1334-1

French Public Health CodeIn force

Updated 8 Nov 2023

Any doctor who detects a case of lead poisoning in a minor must, after informing the person exercising parental authority, bring it to the attention, in a confidential envelope, of the doctor of the regional health agency designated by the director general of the agency. The agency doctor will inform the doctor in charge of the departmental maternal and child protection service. By agreement between the Director General of the Regional Health Agency and the President of the Departmental Council, the doctor in charge of the Departmental Maternal and Child Protection Service may be responsible for taking the statement from the screening doctor.

The doctor receiving the report informs the director general of the regional health agency of the existence of a case of lead poisoning in the buildings or parts of buildings inhabited or regularly frequented by this minor. The director general of the agency then notifies the representative of the State in the département.

The director general of the regional health agency or, at the request of the representative of the State in the department, the director of the municipal health and hygiene service if this service is competent in application of article L. 1422-1 immediately carries out an investigation into the minor's environment, in order to determine the origin of the poisoning. As part of this investigation, the director general of the regional health agency or the director of the municipal health and hygiene service may arrange for a diagnosis to be made of the coatings in the buildings or parts of buildings inhabited or regularly frequented by the minor. The results of the survey are communicated to the representative of the State in the département and to the Director General of the regional health agency when the survey has been carried out by the director of the municipal health and hygiene service.

If the investigation into the minor's environment reveals the presence of a source of lead exposure likely to be the cause of the minor's poisoning, the Director General of the Regional Health Agency will take all necessary measures to inform the health professionals concerned, families and, where applicable, pregnant women. He will encourage parents or guardians of minors to refer them to a doctor. It invites the person responsible for the source of lead exposure identified by the survey to take appropriate measures to reduce this risk.

When a risk of exposure to lead for a minor is brought to his attention in the absence of a reported case of lead poisoning, the representative of the State in the département may also instruct the director general of the regional health agency or the director of the municipal health and hygiene service to have the diagnosis referred to in the third paragraph carried out. The director general of the regional health agency or the director of the municipal health and hygiene service may also have this diagnosis carried out when he has been directly informed of the risk of exposure. The results of the diagnosis are communicated to the representative of the State in the département and to the Director General of the regional health agency when the diagnosis has been carried out by the director of the municipal health and hygiene service.

Mariela Petrova

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Working with a corporate lawyer in France — Q&A

Any time a strategic decision changes how the company is owned, governed or contractually bound — incorporation, fundraising, M&A, restructuring, shareholder agreements, or major commercial contracts. Earlier engagement always costs less than later remediation.

A notary (notaire) is a public officer who authenticates specific deeds (mainly real-estate transfers and certain family-law acts). A corporate lawyer (avocat) advises on strategy, negotiates and drafts company documents, and represents you in disputes. The two roles complement rather than overlap.

Yes — most of our clients are foreign suppliers, investors or holding entities. We bridge the gap between French law and your home jurisdiction's expectations and deliver everything bilingually.

The SAS (Société par Actions Simplifiée) is the default choice for most international structures: flexible governance, single shareholder allowed, no minimum capital, and works cleanly with foreign holding entities. We assess SARL, SA, SCI on the merits when the situation calls for it.

Yes — communications with a French avocat are protected by the secret professionnel (Article 66-5 of the Law of 31 December 1971). This protection is broader than the common-law attorney-client privilege and applies to written and oral exchanges.

We work on fixed fees for clearly scoped engagements (incorporation, contract drafting, audits) and on monthly retainers for ongoing advisory. Hourly billing is the exception, not the default. You always know the cost before work starts.

Typical timeline is 2–3 weeks from KYC kick-off to RCS registration, assuming standard documentation. Holding-company structures, foreign-shareholder identification or in-kind contributions can extend this — we flag the gating items at the first meeting.

Absolutely. We routinely coordinate with your in-house counsel, expert-comptable or notaire — pragmatic collaboration is the norm, not the exception. We send them everything they need to do their part without duplicating work.

Mariela Petrova

Mariela Petrova

Avocate au Barreau de Paris

Toque #C2396

15+ Years In Corporate Practice

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Communications protected by professional secrecy — secret professionnel de l'avocat, Article 66-5 of the Law of 31 December 1971.

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